Blackberry and GPS – 2009 Edition

GPS is no longer a luxury these days. The high-tech system that we have heard of so much in military movies is now available on your BlackBerry as well. There are many applications on the market that provide services based on the GPS device for your BlackBerry.

Here we shall see some of the software solutions and applications that can be used in combination with the GPS in your BlackBerry to maximum use. The tabular column first shall explain the various applications available and their compatibility with various BlackBerry models. Following which I shall go in depth explaining each application and how it can make your life easier on a daily basis. This way, you can skip applications which will not work with your model and just try out those that work.

The GPS can be used in two ways with your BlackBerry. Most of the newer and higher end models like the Storm, Curve 8900 and 8820 come with a built in internal GPS receiver. Other models without a built in GPS device can opt for a Bluetooth based external GPS receiver. To figure out how you can use your Bluetooth enabled BlackBerry with a Bluetooth GPS receiver read this. If you own one of those Stone Age BlackBerry’s which don’t have Bluetooth, maybe it’s time for an upgrade!
There is software for the antique RIM 857/957 which works with a serial GPS receiver attached via cable. If you are still using one of these devices, you might want to take a look here: map viewer for RIM

In most cases you would have bought your BlackBerry along with a package from your service provider. Read here to know about what kind of data plan you are on and how you may be charged for using GPS.

“Software”

There are basically three types of GPS software:
* Navigation Software
* Mapping/Field Navigation Software
* GPS enabled tools

If we are talking about GPS, navigation is the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind. With a GPS device and software you can get just about anywhere. These features are obviously available for the BlackBerry too. There are many uses for your GPS device. For example, people who tend to go hiking or trekking in dense forests or indulge in other outdoor activities will find the “field navigation” or mapping tools to be a very useful asset. They can give you a satellite picture or even a topographic view in addition to regular street maps. Geo tagging for your pictures and other features add to the activity. For the city, there are many other GPS enabled tools to assist you in your daily mission. Applications can help you locate coffee shops, restaurants and other locations when you are lost in the maze of city streets.

“Navigation Software”

* To make use of the GPS capabilities of your 7520 you need the latest BlackBerry OS. Earlier version did not implement the “Loacation API”. You can get it here.
** Check with provider if GPS is available for 3rd party applications on your device.

- “ TeleNav ”

TeleNav can convert your BlackBerry into a fully equipped navigation system and currently remains the only fully functional navigation solution for BlackBerry users in North America. With an easy to read and user friendly navigation screen that shows the speed, direction and map, TeleNav offers features like speech recognition and gas pricings. It also gives voice directions so you know which turn to take while driving. With its integrated Point Of Interest (POI) management system, TeleNav can help you quickly find nearby gas stations, restaurants and other buildings. It also helps you locate ATMs, Wi Fi hotspots and other food joints. TeleNav keeps you updated on the traffic scenario and helps you find alternate routes to avoid traffic.

TeleNav is a subscription based application and is available for $10.00/month for unlimited use. To get an idea about the software before buying it you can use the 30 day free trial version.

- “ Garmin GPS ”

Garmin is a modern and sophisticated GPS manufacturer. Their latest edition is a versatile technology which is compatible with both in built and not built in GPS in the BlackBerry phones. For the phones without GPS an external GPS 10X portable device is provided. The software’s special features include a Google search engine to quickly get a hold of online information. You can be posted with valuable information like weather reports, traffic details, fight schedules, fuel prices and many more.

The spoken step by step instruction is simple to follow. They let you have a 3D view of the map. It helps you spot points of interest like nice restaurants and recreation en-route. It even reroutes you if you get lost on your way. You can happily navigate through even when you are talking on the phone. You can also download pictures from Panaramio.com and access Garmin online for its dynamic content services. The entire package comes at an affordable one time price. GPS for in built GPS mobile costs $99.99 and for without in built GPS phones it costs $149.9. The Software for built in GPS mobile is not entirely compatible with 8700 series, 7100 series and model 7520.

- “ Amaze GPS ”

This is the only navigation software that is absolutely free. It can jest be downloaded from its website. This makes your travel simple and helps you locate your destination. They have very good quality maps with even the tiniest details of Europe, North America, Australia and parts of Asia and Africa. We can zoom in or out depending on our requisite. It rotates the map in the driving direction. It also offers weather forecast, voice directions, search for hotels and other places. You have an option to save your favourite details. It supports many regional languages making it user friendly. Though the features are quite normal it is great that we get all this absolutely free!!

- “ Navizon ”

Navizon is excellent software that suits mobile phones, laptops and even some java phones. It has two softwares namely Navizon Lite and Navizon Premium. They have a Mobifinder which helps to locate another navizon using mobile by just sending it a text message. It has a good search engine, buddy finder, groups and alerts. You can even leave a trail of your usage. They have a very unique offer to reward your GPS usage. Every time you use a wi-fi access or cross a cellular tower you earn points and you get rewarded accordingly. Navizon Lite uses Cell ID Positioning and is free of cost. Navizon premium uses Cellular and Wi-fi triangulation which works even without the use of GPS and it costs $9.99.

- “ NavFunPro ”

NavFunPro is a GPS software that connects with both built in GPS and Bluetooth. It is an excellent navigation tool that updates it maps using Google Maps and Google Earth. It acts like a needle compass on your car’s dashboard and even indicates speed and distance to the target. It also allows the NavPro users to chat with each other. This is basically a Java program which is available for a 10 day trial version. The original software costs $29.95.

- “ WHERE ”

WHERE has introduced a brand new application to make the best use of your GPS. This location software can be downloaded and you get a free library with many widgets along with it. They help you to trace nearby stops through the widgets. The widgets provides you with Accu Weather, AIM Buddy finder, Beaches, Burger king, Airports and Flights, Directions, Brewery Finder, Starbucks, Zip care a car rental service, Buddy beacon to keep in touch with our friends and stub hub to get concert and movie tickets. It also has a gas buddy to lead you to the cheapest fuel nearby and suggest local shopping places. It also helps you with travel advice, emergency pick ups and you can even leave notes about the location on a special Location notes widget. What more?? You can also save your favourite location on Saved Places!!

“Mapping Software”

-” TopoExplorer ”

TopoExplorer is a handy tool which allows you to explore your surroundings on maps. This is a free software with the current BETA version. What makes it unique is the fact that it displays maps offline i.e. does not need a wireless network connection and works even in rural and remote places. This application is right now available in the beta program and has maps of few regions like London, Chicago, Oslo, Hamburg, Brooklyn and Hong Kong. The customers from other regions should look forward for its complete release.

- “ Trimble Outdoors ”

Nextel’s software Trimble Outdoors for BlackBerry is designed as a navigating and journaling tool for outdoor activities. Trimble Outdoors helps BlackBerry users completely research and plan trips, use the phone as a navigation tool and create multimedia trip journals with video and sound clips that can be viewed on Google Earth. Trimble Outdoors can also wirelessly download maps to your phone. Equipped with a digital compass, this application works with any GPS enabled BlackBerry. Trimble Outdoors can be used for just about any outdoor activity including fishing, backpacking and hiking.

Available for $5.99/month and $39.99 per year, Trimble Outdoors supports the BlackBerry Pearl, Curve, and the 8800 series.

- “ Spot ”

Spot for Blackberry is a full feature packed application that provides BlackBerry users with Mapping solutions that even integrate with certain GIS features. With a full set of integrated Map-Services, Spot provides users with street level data within the United States as well as topographic and satellite images with worldwide coverage and all this for absolutely no monthly fee or charge of any kind. Featuring extensive waypoint support that includes functions like pseudo routing, Spot can even import LOC and GPX waypoint data in addition to leading you to your target destination. This application also integrates with geocache.com to give you useful geocache data. A few server timeouts, however, occurred while testing this feature. Spot was tested on BlackBerry 7290 and BlackBerry 8700.

The application worked comparatively faster on the 8700 than on the 7290, which slowed down after a few hours of track log usage. However this software works perfectly well with the new BlackBerry Storm, Curve and even the Pearl Flip model. Spot has an impressive range of Map-Services. It allows you to receive satellite images of your terrain and get environmental maps. This program also supports the OGC WMS standards, commonly used by companies like ESRI, etc and so will work even with the map server of your company.

Overall, Spot ranks as one of the best available GPS mapping software in the market today. Spot is comparable to the TeleNav, another GPS navigation application, though the two do not always offer the same list of functions. Spot’s free demo version is available. Spot can be bought for $49 and is compatible with all GPS enabled BlackBerrys.

- “ AAA Mobile ”

This is a mapping software which helps you with routes, directions and even helps you out if you get struck on your way. It displays a map with voice commands. Using this tool you can easily contact any AAA member who will locate you through the mobile’s GPS server. Using your GPS location it lists the nearby banks, Repair locations and many more. This tool has to be downloaded from the internet and it costs $9.99 for a monthly subscription.

- “ BlackBerry Maps ”

BlackBerry Maps is free software which can be downloaded from the website. The maps cover a large number of areas and hence add location based services (LBS) to your BlackBerry. The maps in this software are interactive and very comfortable to use. It’s very useful for local searches. All you have to do is enter the word Gym or Hospital or anything you need to locate it within a 30- km radius. This software works with other BlackBerry applications like the contacts book. Like any usual mapping software it allows you to plan your trip and even track it.

- “ Google Maps Mobile ”

Google Maps is free software offered by Google. This comes with a Google Mobile application which helps to quicken the search, maps, search and even access to your gmail accounts from your BlackBerry. It allows you to synchronise the contacts and calendar in your Blackberry phone and Google account. It also offers additional features like notepads, News, Blogger, iGoogle, Reader, News, Calendar and Photos.

A newly introduced feature of Google Maps Mobile is Google Latitude. It allows you to track your buddies right with the free Google Maps Mobile application. You can view your buddy’s location on a web and even share your own location with your buddies. They can then view their friend’s locations either on their phone (besides BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android phones are supported by now) as well as on the map (e.g. in iGoogle).

“GPS Tools”

- “ Mobile Tracker ”

Mobile Tracker is a GPS tracking tool which is used to create tracklogs. Using this application you can save a tracklog file in your phone memory card and later view it in any map application like Google Earth or NASA World Wind. A tracklog summarizes starting time, Ending time, time travelled, Number of waypoints crossed, Distance covered and the average speed. It is easy to install and use. Read here for a more detailed review.

- “ MaqQuest Find Me ”

MapQuest Find Me is an application that allows users to locate those friends, colleagues and family members who are using the same application and allow you to find their locations. This application lets you search for Points of Interest (POI) and proceeds to guide and direct you, turn by turn, to these points. However, it does so without a map. MapQuest Find Me integrates GPS technology with the most up-to-date and robust points of interest database available in the US to help you find anyone or anything no matter where you are.

MapQuest Find Me is available for $5.99 per month with a provision of a 300KB Data Access Service and for $3.99 if the Data Access has been purchased separately.

- “ Mobile Locator ”

MobileLocator is more or less similar to the BlackBerry application MapQuest Find Me. This software locates and directs you to people who are currently using the same application. MobileLocator also helps locate Points of Interest (POI) like ATMs, restaurants, banks, gas stations etc.

Services of the MobileLocator are available for $99.9 per month.

- “ AllSports GPS ”

The AllSports GPS is a very handy software tool which helps us a lot in     monitoring our sports activities like cycling, running, walking and mountain climbing. When this is loaded in your blackberry mobile, the phone can be used to measure the distance and speed of travel, the calories burnt and elevation profiles. It also provides you with maps and routes. It is very useful in training programs. This application is priced at $5.99 per month or $39.99 per annum. (more…)