Comments on: Weekend Contest ‘GPS Application Ideas’

By: Mark Hutchison

Mark Hutchison — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 05:37:21 +0000

I’m surprised that everyone is getting this excited over a gps enabled BlackBerry on Nextel/Telus networks. Bell Mobility has had that and more for some time. Bell’s agps network utilizes gps satellite tracking (like Telus and Nextel) but has an automatic fallback to cell-tower triangulation if the unit cannot be located by satellite. This allows for locating within buildings, “urban canyons” or other places gps won’t work.

Applications already in place include e911 of emergency response, MapMe for localized mapping and directions GoTrax for resource/fleet management, and, Seek & Find for keeping safe track of family members.

I’d like to second the suggestion of combining gps and address book for quick directions to contacts. By far the most useful suggestion for those of us constantly heading from client to client. Maybe even take it one step further by adding route optimization for visiting several locations in one day.

By: Mark Hutchison

Mark Hutchison — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 05:37:00 +0000

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 01:45:18 +0000

I’d like to see a GPS application that tracks my movement through the day, stores the length of time at each location and shows me a summary/map at the end of the day. This would be useful for time usage and management.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 01:45:00 +0000

By: George

George — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:48:22 +0000

How about a package not just for coffee, though? Mix Go2 directories of almost everything with GPS location to find coffee, doughnuts, stores and hospitals.

With a big map.

And “tower” access, so we can get signals in the big city canyons, where satellites don’t reach.

Okay, and for the final cool feature – a kid tracker. To see if your 13 year old has discovered coffee and doughnuts, of course.

By: George

George — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:48:00 +0000

How about a package not just for coffee, though? Mix Go2 directories of almost everything with GPS location to find coffee, doughnuts, stores and hospitals.

With a big map.

And “tower” access, so we can get signals in the big city canyons, where satellites don’t reach.

Okay, and for the final cool feature – a kid tracker. To see if your 13 year old has discovered coffee and doughnuts, of course.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:21:54 +0000

How about a city-wide valet service. When you drive into the city and activate the service the device alerts you where the nearest valet pickup. Then you arrange a time you want to be picked up and the approximate area that you will be in. When pickup time comes around they sync with your device to find your location and pick you up wherever you happen to be.

Think of the potential.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:21:00 +0000

Think of the potential.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:50:52 +0000

A new program using gps on the Blackberry taht would be cool would be an addon to yahoo or the BB Messenger that would allow you to find your friends.

I know that mapquest has the findme program that you can map your current location, a friends location, or any address. Then there is Xora the track employees and alerts you when they violate certain rules you set, like, speeding, stopping, and my fav geofences.

with the BB you can view others locations thru the programs.

Kevin
k9shadow1@cableone.net

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:50:00 +0000

A new program using gps on the Blackberry taht would be cool would be an addon to yahoo or the BB Messenger that would allow you to find your friends.

with the BB you can view others locations thru the programs.

Kevin
k9shadow1@cableone.net

By: Andy C.

Andy C. — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 01:30:09 +0000

I could really use a program that would map my current location as compared to specific addresses in my contacts.

Then I could look up a contact (even new clients that I’ve just entered in!) and the program would dynamically show me how to get to their address location.

Sounds to me like a simple cross between the GPS function, a mapping solution, and using a goecoder to look up coordinates for each contact’s address.

That would be great!

By: Andy C.

Andy C. — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 01:30:00 +0000

I could really use a program that would map my current location as compared to specific addresses in my contacts.

Then I could look up a contact (even new clients that I’ve just entered in!) and the program would dynamically show me how to get to their address location.

Sounds to me like a simple cross between the GPS function, a mapping solution, and using a goecoder to look up coordinates for each contact’s address.

That would be great!

By: Bill Andrews

Bill Andrews — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:54:19 +0000

I have 6 kids. 3 of them, teenagers, have Nextel phones w/GPS. I have a Blackgerry. I would like an application so I track pinpoint where they are!!!

By: Bill Andrews

Bill Andrews — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:54:00 +0000

I have 6 kids. 3 of them, teenagers, have Nextel phones w/GPS. I have a Blackgerry. I would like an application so I track pinpoint where they are!!!

By: Keith Adest

Keith Adest — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 17:06:35 +0000

1. Port Tomtom Navigator to Blackberry.
2. Create and Application that corresponds gps to phone strength signal. Example, have a map of the state your in, and show if your in a good coverage area.
3. Real time gps tracking for parents and middle/high school age kids.
4. Wap/GPS software that tells you where and how to get to the cheapest gas station in real time. (this is a yahoo konfabulator widget that does this… for hong kong )
5. Geocaching.

By: Keith Adest

Keith Adest — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 17:06:00 +0000

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:12:25 +0000

I can’t see that being such a great idea. I know I rather not have people know where my whereabouts are. If I worked for a company that had something like that installed and tracked it’s employees I would quit!

Anyways my suggestion is the ability to locate things, like gas stations.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:12:00 +0000

Anyways my suggestion is the ability to locate things, like gas stations.

By: Melissa Ox

Melissa Ox — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:03:14 +0000

Well, I am not sure what GPS can do. It might be cool if there was a program that allowed you to see where your GPS friends or family might be at. It would be great from a parent’s point of view. Certainly map programs that tell you what you are near would be good, say put in wal mart and it can tell you how to get to a wal mart.

By: Melissa Ox

Melissa Ox — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:03:00 +0000