GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a technology that is capable of pinpointing your exact location anywhere on the planet. Of course, it's not always that simple and there's more to it than being a way for guys to avoid asking for directions. We’re sure most of you techies must be well-versed with GPS since it’s become increasingly popular in India, but we thought it wouldn't be out of place to offer some basic information about it and what it can (or can't) do for you.
Integration of GPS with mobile phones didn't take long. It's still nascent in India, but quickly making progress. Maps offered have to be approved by the Government of India, and even then there's no guarantee that it will work, given the enthusiasm with which we keeping digging up our streets... think there's oil beneath, or gold?
How it Works
GPS works on satellite imaging, so you will need to be out in the open (it won’t work indoors). GPS is operated by the US Department of Defense, but other countries are beginning to build their own infrastructure. GPS is especially useful in the aviation and automotive industry, but we’re concerned with handheld GPS systems available in mobile phones such as Asus P535, Nokia 6110 and 6120 Navigator.
If you're the outdoorsy sort who drives around, or do a lot of traveling on the job, it’s good to know where you are and what you’re getting into right? The Nokia Navigator, for instance, provides maps that can be downloaded before you embark on your tour. Obviously, this will be less sophisticated than the GPS technology used by fleet management companies, but then it comes in a smaller package and you don’t need an additional device.
Finding Your Way
You can do a lot with a mobile handset loaded with an inbuilt GPS system. For starters, you can simply plot a route from your location to any place on the map. The drawback is that the place you wish to visit should be on the map as a POI (Point of Interest), or be a location you have saved previously.
Of course, GPS systems need to be fleshed out before use, and for basic navigation purposes your mobile GPS can only get your so far. The system takes no cognizance of roads in repair, so what may seem like a perfectly normal routing could go awry.
To top it all, we have unorganized and incoherent naming standards, with most roads not having proper names. For example, if you’re a Mumbaikar you’ll probably know where Hill Road in Bandra is, but on a GPS map you may not find it all. Besides, there’s more than one way you can reach your destination from anywhere in a city.
If you're on foot you can take the shortest route indicated. If traveling by vehicle you can do the same, but this might not take into account how big or small (or congested) the roads are. Some GPS-enabled handsets have an 'easiest route' option, which plots the most sensible route to your destination keeping in mind only the main roads etc.Major Features
GPS mapping allows you to create your own POIs so you can plot routes accordingly. Most GPS units and applications for handsets also have voice guidance. After all, no one wants to keep looking into a screen all the time, especially while driving. Voice guidance enables a hands-free experience. A voice prompts users on when to turn, and offers additional information about the area if that option is selected.
Image Source - CENET
Geo-Tagging allows users with mobile phone cameras to take pictures of locations and save them with map coordinates so it shows up on their GPS. One major gap that developers, manufacturers and even service providers need to try and fill would be traffic updates. Accurate readings may not be possible, but hey, it’s worth a shot. Then again, in a city like Mumbai it’s not difficult to predict that all roads are going to be jammed anyway.
A-GPS is a way to use GPS via GPRS or WAP. Why is this a good thing to have? Well, GPS can take a minute or more to find your current location, depending on satellite position, while A-GPS can locate your position much faster using the Internet, via your service provider.
Maps and Other Options
But what about Google Maps? More importantly, if your phone supports Google Maps, why bother with GPS? Let’s start with the first one, Maps. If you buy a phone with built-in GPS receiver, most companies will provide you with maps though third party software on a CD and you can simply send them to your phone. Devices like Nokia’s Navigator come pre-loaded with maps of your country.
Now don’t expect to be able to use GPS anywhere and everywhere, even domestically. If the area has not been mapped, all you’ll see is an arrow (which is you) moving through an endless void. The area has to be mapped in order for you to get directions and identify turns, POIs etc. So far in India Nokia has managed to map a total of eight cities.
World maps and maps of specific locations can be downloaded into your device from the Net using software like Map Manager form Nokia, Route 66 etc. Again, don’t count on all cities on the planet being mapped. And there would be a price for a certain maps. One can’t have everything for free, right?
Getting back to Google Maps, it’s a superb application to have if your phone doesn’t have an inbuilt receiver for GPS. Google Maps will give you your current location with the latest My Location addition to the app and it will even show you how to get from A to B (but there's no voice guidance though; it’ll simply plot the route).
We hope we’ve been able to shed some light on GPS and how handy it is, especially for frequent travelers. Trust us, we know from experience how handy a mobile with GPS is. The days of a compass and maps are slowly becoming redundant. Getting lost won’t be easy anymore...
If there’s anything else you wish to know about mobiles and GPS, do leave a comment or query. For more information, check out SatGuide, Map my India and RouteGuru.
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