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FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android

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  FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 00:17 +0000
    Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Bob <Bob@the.builder> - 2016-07-19 04:33 -0500
      Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android David Taylor <david-taylor@blueyonder.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-07-19 14:50 +0100
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Bob <Bob@the.builder> - 2016-07-19 10:23 -0500
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 21:24 +0000
          Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-20 20:28 +0000
      Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Adrian <bulleid@ku.gro.lioff> - 2016-07-19 19:18 +0100
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Bob <Bob@the.builder> - 2016-07-19 14:09 -0500
          Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 21:44 +0000
      Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 19:22 +0000
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 20:52 +0000
          Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-07-19 18:22 -0400
            Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 23:00 +0000
              Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-07-19 19:13 -0400
            Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android crankpuss <undisclosedUserid@gmail.com> - 2016-07-20 15:17 -0600
    Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Martin Schöön <martin.schoon@gmail.com> - 2016-07-19 11:26 +0000
      Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-19 23:01 +0000
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Martin Schöön <martin.schoon@gmail.com> - 2016-07-21 20:33 +0000
          Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-21 21:48 +0000
        Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> - 2016-07-22 03:06 -0400
          Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-22 15:02 +0000
    Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android bluelou@duenorth.com - 2016-07-19 19:58 -0300
    Re: FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-07-30 17:18 +0000

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#32149 — FYI ... here are my offline GPS map apps on Android

Just FYI ... since I was snapping the picture, here are my favorite map 
apps on Android:
http://i.cubeupload.com/ULjzhc.gif

The order is most used to least used, left to right, top to bottom.

Most of the apps are complete offline GPS enabled map apps with very 
accurate underlying maps. The OSM maps stink, but the rest are pretty good.

The main reason for Google is for traffic.

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#32217

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 00:17:31 +0000, Aardvarks wrote:

> Just FYI ... since I was snapping the picture, here are my favorite map
> apps on Android:
> http://i.cubeupload.com/ULjzhc.gif

Hmm I see you don't have Here! is that cos you tried it and then dumped 
it or just not tried it?

Is My Tracks still working?  I really liked it but then they announced it 
was to be withdrawn so I'm still looking for an alternative that doesn't 
require lots of rather dubious permissions to access things it has no 
need for.

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#32226

On 19/07/2016 10:33, Bob wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 00:17:31 +0000, Aardvarks wrote:
>
>> Just FYI ... since I was snapping the picture, here are my favorite map
>> apps on Android:
>> http://i.cubeupload.com/ULjzhc.gif
>
> Hmm I see you don't have Here! is that cos you tried it and then dumped
> it or just not tried it?
[]

He's missing Maps.Me as well:

   http://maps.me/en/home

-- 
Cheers,
David
Web: http://www.satsignal.eu

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#32235

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:50:35 +0100, David Taylor wrote:

> On 19/07/2016 10:33, Bob wrote:
>> On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 00:17:31 +0000, Aardvarks wrote:
>>
>>> Just FYI ... since I was snapping the picture, here are my favorite
>>> map apps on Android:
>>> http://i.cubeupload.com/ULjzhc.gif
>>
>> Hmm I see you don't have Here! is that cos you tried it and then dumped
>> it or just not tried it?
> []
> 
> He's missing Maps.Me as well:
> 
>    http://maps.me/en/home

Hmm, looks interesting - one for me to try too.

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#32256

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:50:35 +0100, David Taylor wrote:

> He's missing Maps.Me as well:
> 
>    http://maps.me/en/home

Interesting you mention Maps.Me because I have that on my iPad:
http://i.cubeupload.com/z1U4sm.jpg

What do you think is better about Maps.Me?

I'm always open minded, but I don't remember why I removed it from Android
but left it on the iPad.

I just opened it on the iPad, and I noticed instantly that Maps.Me uses OSM
maps (I know when OSM maps are used because I know of a site where OSM is
inaccurate). OSM maps are pretty good though, so, that's not a negative
(except for outdoor offtrail maps).

I see I've downloaded the Maps.ME California map (which is 419MB on the
iPad). On Maps.Me on the iPad, I typed in the address 150 miles away, and
it did *not* find it (that's bad!).  

So, the POI in Maps.Me "may" suck. Dunno. Needs more tests.

Anyway, I chose a random address that it did find, and it routed to that
quickly. I then pressed the "Go" link but I did not hear it tell me what to
do. It also shows a turn in 1 mile but doesn't display the *name* of the
road to turn on to.

There are extremely few settings, e.g., no voice, no offline, no display
options, etc., so, I think this is a nice quick-use map program, but it
doesn't seem to be a serious contender against the others.

Do you think Maps.Me competes well with the others in the selection?
http://i.cubeupload.com/z1U4sm.jpg

Note: On iOS, the free offline map selection is more limited than on
Android.

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#32444

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 21:24:45 +0000 (UTC), Aardvarks wrote:

> Interesting you mention Maps.Me because I have that on my iPad:
> http://i.cubeupload.com/z1U4sm.jpg

I just realized I had posted the wrong photo.

Maps.Me was on the second page of the iOS folder.
http://i.cubeupload.com/iN58vY.gif

Map Folder Page 1: http://i.cubeupload.com/z1U4sm.jpg
Map Folder Page 2: http://i.cubeupload.com/NMOXjm.jpg

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#32251

In message <Vd2dnR1NO9dybhDKnZ2dnUU78audnZ2d@brightview.co.uk>, Bob 
<Bob@the.builder> writes
>Is My Tracks still working?  I really liked it but then they announced it
>was to be withdrawn so I'm still looking for an alternative that doesn't
>require lots of rather dubious permissions to access things it has no
>need for.

There is another App called My Tracks that appears to do most of what 
the Google version did.  I was trying it out for walking last week, and 
it seemed OK.

As for a map, I used the old fashioned paper version.


Adrian
-- 
To Reply :
replace "bulleid" with "adrian" - all mail to bulleid is rejected
Sorry for the rigmarole, If I want spam, I'll go to the shops
Every time someone says "I don't believe in trolls", another one dies.

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#32252

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 19:18:08 +0100, Adrian wrote:

> In message <Vd2dnR1NO9dybhDKnZ2dnUU78audnZ2d@brightview.co.uk>, Bob
> <Bob@the.builder> writes
>>Is My Tracks still working?  I really liked it but then they announced
>>it was to be withdrawn so I'm still looking for an alternative that
>>doesn't require lots of rather dubious permissions to access things it
>>has no need for.
> 
> There is another App called My Tracks that appears to do most of what
> the Google version did.  I was trying it out for walking last week, and
> it seemed OK.

Thanks
> 
> As for a map, I used the old fashioned paper version.
> 
For walking, so do I though OSMplus does have a reasonable *indication* 
of paths and bridleways but not accurate enough to rely on.

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#32257

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:09:58 -0500, Bob wrote:

> For walking, so do I though OSMplus does have a reasonable *indication* 
> of paths and bridleways but not accurate enough to rely on.

I hike off trail every day so I have a *lot* of experience on this.
HINT: I *never* use the trail except in emergencies. 
My friends tell me I'd be lost walking on an established trail. :)

For me, the iOs app iHikeGPS older USGS topological map app is far better 
than anything I have on Android (IMHO), and the iOS "Topo Reader" is almost 
as useful when I need newer USGS topo maps (but it doesn't breadcrumb).
http://i.cubeupload.com/4sVFtN.jpg

On Android, the equivalents for breadcrumbing are Google My Tracks (I have 
version 2.0.9 according to App Backup & Restore, which has the package name 
on my external SD card of "com.google.android.maps.mytracks-85-v2.0.9.apk" 
and it's 7.54MB in size.

Mostly, I use MyTracks, but when I need an offline map to chart where I'm 
gonna go (and if I don't happen to have the iPad in my pack which I usually 
leave running constantly to breadcrumb for me), then I pop out the 
BackCountry Navigator (which uses old USGS topo maps but which will let you 
zoom tightly).

If I need a *newer* USGS Topo map, I switch to US Topo Free, but it won't 
let you zoom as tightly.

All in all, while the choices on Android exceed that on iOS, the 
breadcrumbing app I love is the iOS iHikeGPS, with the Android Google 
MyTracks being in second place.

Unfortunately, My Tracks isn't on iOS and iHikeGPS isn't on Andriod, hence 
I use the second-place apps on Android (BAckCountry & US Topo Free) and the 
zoom isn't so great on iOS iHikeGPS so I use the second-place Topo Reader 
free, which has the best zoom level of them all.

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#32253

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 04:33:35 -0500, Bob wrote:

> Hmm I see you don't have Here! is that cos you tried it and then dumped 
> it or just not tried it?
> 
> Is My Tracks still working?  I really liked it but then they announced it 
> was to be withdrawn so I'm still looking for an alternative that doesn't 
> require lots of rather dubious permissions to access things it has no 
> need for.

Thanks for bringing up Here!, as the purpose of this post is to help people 
find the best free offline map apps for their mobile device.

I had tested a *lot* of map apps on both iOS and on Android, especially 
when I didn't have a data plan, so that's why I chose the offline apps in 
that list.

I don't remember testing Here! though, and it's not archived in my 
automatic archival program (Backup & Restore free), so I don't think I had 
tested it, even though I had *asked* for the best offline map apps when I 
ran the test (a few years ago).

Downloading Here!, I see it wants too much access (Contacts, Identity, SMS, 
Phone, Media, etc.) but I can turn all that off after the fact with App Ops 
Starter free.

Reading the blurbs, Here! appears to be a "city" map app, with public 
transportation special things, which is nice (but I don't live anywhere 
near a city). 

Starting it up, it says "All the ways to get around your city", so, that 
reinforces that it may be a "city map app" (which is fine - it's jut not 
what "I" need). 

However, Here! maps seem to be good with respect to accuracy (at least upon 
first inspection). In fact, I was expecting OSM maps, but Here! does *not* 
seem to be using OSM maps. I can tell because I know of an error in OSM 
maps that doesn't seem to show up on the Here! maps.

Surprisingly, Here! has a layer for:
a. map view
b. satellite view
c. real-time traffic view (it downloaded something)
d. transit view

I hit the button to "use map offline" and I hit the button to "Download 
Maps" where I downloaded the 541MB California "map view".

And then I choose a 3.6MB voice option of "English US Male".
I turn off the obnoxious Speed Alerts.
But I leave "Traffic" turned on (only works with Internet, of course).
I leave the "Storage Option" at Internal Memory.
And I leave the units at Imperial US.
I click the "Use app offline" checkbox.

I chose an address of the form "100 main street", and it found it without 
me having to type in the country, city, and zip code (which is nice). It
routed to it offline (which Google Maps won't do, as I recall). And it
displayed the directions in gory detail (which is nice).

It gave me a time and choices of walking, biking, and driving.
My sound was off, so I restarted the directions, and it remembered them, 
which is also nice (Google Maps won't remember unless you log in, and I 
*never* log in to anything Google if I can help it).

I was sitting in my chair, and it said "Now turn left", so I can't tell if 
it speaks the all-important road name, but it probably doesn't because it 
didn't say "Now turn left onto Main Street", so that's the first drawback.

It had the typical route preferences, e.g., avoid toll roads, ferries, 
tunnels, unpaved roads, etc.

It did have a nice screen display, with day/night automatic view, and 
telling me how many feet and the name and shape of the next turn on top. 
What it displays seemed customizable, e.g., arrival time, traffic delay, 
direction, distance to go, distance driven, time from start, etc., and it 
even *adds* an optional display item when you're in landscape mode.

On the bottom it gave my speed and my expected arrival time.

So, I'll test this out. 
It seems nice.

It is not any better (so far) than MapFactor Navigator free, or Copilot 
free, but it might be equivalent to them since their drawback of not 
speaking the road name is the same as with Here!

What I like about Here is that the search for an address is more natural 
than that of MapFactor Navigator, or Copilot.

Another plus is that Here, like Copilot but unlike MapFactor Navigator, is 
on iOS too.

HERE Maps - Offline Navigation by Here Maps, LLC
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=ja
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/here-maps-offline-navigation/id955837609?mt=8

PROS:
- Free Offline Map application with voice guidance (directions only)
- Accurate road maps (displays 3d, direction or 2d direction & north up)
- Traffic <=== this is the biggest plus! (Only Google Maps has that!)
- Natural address entry (I need to test its POI database though)
- History is saved even when offline (Google Maps won't do that easily)
- Chooses routes and routes offline (Google Maps won't easily do this!)
- Nice display of directions and arrival time
- Satellite & transit views (they don't seem to work offline though)
- Works on Android & iOS

CONS:
- Does not speak street names (probably)
- Relatively slow (minutes) to route a 150 mile route offline

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#32255

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 19:22:37 +0000 (UTC), Aardvarks wrote:

> PROS:
> - Free Offline Map application with voice guidance (directions only)
> - Accurate road maps (displays 3d, direction or 2d direction & north up)
> - Traffic <=== this is the biggest plus! (Only Google Maps has that!)
> - Natural address entry (I need to test its POI database though)
> - History is saved even when offline (Google Maps won't do that easily)
> - Chooses routes and routes offline (Google Maps won't easily do this!)
> - Nice display of directions and arrival time
> - Satellite & transit views (they don't seem to work offline though)
> - Works on Android & iOS
> 
> CONS:
> - Does not speak street names (probably)
> - Relatively slow (minutes) to route a 150 mile route offline

By way of contrast, here is my iOS desktop with the map apps:
http://cubeupload.com/im/WVwPS5.jpg

Notice it's the same (sort of) organization as on Android:
http://i.cubeupload.com/iN58vY.gif

That's because we all do the same things on mobile devices.

Just as I did on Android, I added Here! to the iOS roadmap folder:
http://i.cubeupload.com/z1U4sm.jpg

Just for completeness, here are the two Outdoormap folders:
http://i.cubeupload.com/4sVFtN.jpg
http://i.cubeupload.com/NMOXjm.jpg

PS: I'm not sure *how* I got two pages of folders.

The Apple version of Here! was similar in operation to the Android version,
although you ave to download the iPhone version (there is no iPad version). 

By way of review of the quick five-minute test of Here!, to supplement what
I wrote in the Android review, the Apple version gives a more clear warning
when traffic is turned on that "we collect info about your drive, such as
your speed, location, and direction".

The Apple version came with the US American voice, whereas the Android 
version came with a British voice. The Apple version is slightly harder to 
use (IMHO), because of the lack of a dedicated "Back" button (so it's 
different for each screen how to get out of it). It's actually a PITA to 
get back to the map, where I had to close the app entirely and start over 
since it wouldn't go to the map once I was in settings. 

The US California map was under 500 MB (467MB I think). 

When I typed in the same address that I typed in for Android, both the 
search and routing was *way* faster (seconds) so, there's a plus right 
there (although my Android phone is older than the iPad).

For some reason, from my chair anyway, it didn't speak anything, not even 
the directions, so I'll have to test that on the road.

I couldn't find a setting in the map app using cellular data for Here in 
the cellular data settings of the iPad, which was weird, but the setting to 
work offline was easy to find inside the map app.

 

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#32258

In article <nmm3va$mum$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Aardvarks
<aardvarks@a.b.c.com> wrote:

> That's because we all do the same things on mobile devices.

who is 'we' ?


> 
> PS: I'm not sure *how* I got two pages of folders.

because you're not very organized.

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#32263

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 18:22:33 -0400, nospam wrote:

>> That's because we all do the same things on mobile devices.
> 
> who is 'we' ?

Humans do the same thing.

Humans "browse" the web.
Humans "map" and "route" and "track".
Humans "edit" files.
Humans "phone" and "text" people.
Humans "post" Usenet messages & web comments.
Humans "shop" and "buy" things.
etc.

We humans, all do essentially the same things on both our computers and our
mobile devices.

And, other than the limitations imposed by the hardware and software, we
all do essentially the same things on Android mobile devices as on iOS
mobile devices.

Or, are you claiming that what *you* do on your mobile devices, nobody else
does?

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#32269

In article <nmmbdp$10oj$2@gioia.aioe.org>, Aardvarks
<aardvarks@a.b.c.com> wrote:

> We humans, all do essentially the same things on both our computers and our
> mobile devices.

absolutely false.

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#32449

On 07/19/2016 04:22 PM, nospam wrote:
> In article <nmm3va$mum$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Aardvarks
> <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> wrote:
>
>> That's because we all do the same things on mobile devices.
>
> who is 'we' ?
>
>
>>
>> PS: I'm not sure *how* I got two pages of folders.
>
> because you're not very organized.
>

You two are like an old married couple, bitch bitch bitch about nothing.

-- 
http://totally-portable-software.blogspot.com
   [Sat Mar 26: "Documentation and Portability"]

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#32220

Den 2016-07-19 skrev Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com>:
>
> Most of the apps are complete offline GPS enabled map apps with very 
> accurate underlying maps. The OSM maps stink, but the rest are pretty good.
>
Is it the Open Street Maps that stinks or the app? Where are you using
these?

Where I live (Sweden) I have found both Here and Open Street Map to
be more accurate than Google's maps.

Disclaimer: I hardly ever use GPS assistance to find my way around.

/Martin

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#32268

On 19 Jul 2016 11:26:15 GMT, Martin Schöön wrote:

> Is it the Open Street Maps that stinks or the app? Where are you using
> these?

Don't get me wrong. I *love* the *concept* of the OSM maps. 

I really do.

OSM maps work fine for road driving. The inaccuracies aren't all that bad, 
and they can be updated by users. So, for street use, OSM is fine.

Even for trail use, OSM maps are fine if you stay on the trail.

But if you are always hiking off trail in rugged terrain (think two 
thousand or more feet change in elevation in a single hike), then the OSM 
maps are horrendously inaccurate.

So, for most people, OSM maps are fine. 
And for road driving, OSM maps are fine.
They just suck for off-trail use where there is a cliff on one side and a 
ravine on the other and a mistake makes a difference because of the rule of 
ravine (which is once you start into a ravine, you're in it until it meets 
a lake or ocean which is miles from where you started).

> Where I live (Sweden) I have found both Here and Open Street Map to
> be more accurate than Google's maps.

On the roads, OSM is fine.
But off trail, in the USA, for free, offline, nothing beats the free USGS 
topographic maps.
 
> Disclaimer: I hardly ever use GPS assistance to find my way around.

I use GPS *all the time* when hiking. 
I put the device in airplane mode so that the authorities can't track me, 
and I just use the GPS to figure out where I am.

PS: I run into illegal stuff all the time so I don't want to be tracked.

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#32520

Den 2016-07-19 skrev Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com>:
> On 19 Jul 2016 11:26:15 GMT, Martin Schöön wrote:
>
>> Is it the Open Street Maps that stinks or the app? Where are you using
>> these?
<snip>

> But if you are always hiking off trail in rugged terrain (think two 
> thousand or more feet change in elevation in a single hike), then the OSM 
> maps are horrendously inaccurate.
>
> So, for most people, OSM maps are fine. 
> And for road driving, OSM maps are fine.
> They just suck for off-trail use where there is a cliff on one side and a 
> ravine on the other and a mistake makes a difference because of the rule of 
> ravine (which is once you start into a ravine, you're in it until it meets 
> a lake or ocean which is miles from where you started).
>
Thanks, exactly the kind of background information on where and how needed.

>> Where I live (Sweden) I have found both Here and Open Street Map to
>> be more accurate than Google's maps.
>
I only had road use in mind. In Google maps I have found non-existing
streets and lagging behind Here and OSM in updating when new roads are
built.

For cross country trekking I would go for some kind of topographical
map instead.

>
> I use GPS *all the time* when hiking. 
> I put the device in airplane mode so that the authorities can't track me, 
> and I just use the GPS to figure out where I am.
>
> PS: I run into illegal stuff all the time so I don't want to be tracked.

*Now* you have our attention :-)

/Martin

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#32524

On 21 Jul 2016 20:33:51 GMT, Martin Schöön wrote:

> For cross country trekking I would go for some kind of topographical
> map instead.

This is the right way to go.
The USGS maps are free and they're accurate for the most part.
They're generally a lot older than the Google maps, but we're not talking
roads and houses here - so the rocks and trees are the same as they were
twenty years ago.


>> PS: I run into illegal stuff all the time so I don't want to be tracked.
> 
> *Now* you have our attention :-)

Illegal pot farmers.

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#32553

On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 23:01:47 +0000 (UTC), Aardvarks wrote:

> a mistake makes a difference because of the rule of 
> ravine (which is once you start into a ravine, you're in it until it meets 
> a lake or ocean

Don't forget the complementary rule of cliff (which is once you make a
mis-step on a cliff, you end up in a ravine and (if you survive that
plunge) the rule of ravine takes over :-) ).

Cheers, -- tlvp
-- 
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

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