Jonathan Your post was so helpful! I have stressed a lot, trying to find out what I've been doing wrong to make one app or the other so inaccurate!! Perhaps I will be able to chill a bit more and wait for better satellites to provide gps here in the U.K.! So far BlindSquare seems slightly more accurate in announcing destinations than Nearby Explorer - and certainly better at searching for a pub or building which can then be found reliably. But that may just be Foursquare being more accurate than google places in York where I live in the U.K. Harry
> On 3 Mar 2017, at 14:02, Jonathan Cohn <jon.c.c...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Actually, I am nt sure the issues with accuracy in most cases is the limits > of the GPS receivers especially since iPhone's use WiFi as additional > triangulation information as much as the OI databases. Since POI databases > seem to have street addresses rather than actual lat/long coordinates, and > since the GIS databases often just give ranges of addresses in a block there > is a significant error rate. My parents home had the largest address on the > block which ended in 32, but some GPS systems suggested it was an address > that ended in 52 and that the address ending in 32 was 300 yards down the > street. Google until last year thought my house was around the corner on a > differentt street. So my hope would be that the checkin process that Square > requires would in well visited areas cause the database to be more accurate. > > I remember 5 years ago when I first got Sendaro on my Windows phone, walking > around in circles for 15 minutes because the restaurant I was looking for was > always 100 yards away. I tend to find that happens less often with my iPhone, > if it brings me to the wrong address it pretty much insists on that location > and does not wander around, except for when I am near a body of water. > > So the question to get back to the original subject is do people find that > they have less stress finding a location using one of the three blind > oriented iPhone solutions over using a more main stream product? > > Best wishes, > > Jonathan > > > >> On Mar 2, 2017, at 2:01 AM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> No, the blindness specific apps are subject to the current limitations of >> GPS, just like the lower cost alternatives. That said, EU's GPS system will >> be coming online fairly soon. With both systems working in concert, expected >> GPS accuracy is predicted to significantly increase to an average of one >> metre, rather than the current best of three metres which is occasionally >> obtained from the US system on a perfect day. Note: inclimate weather will >> always significantly reduce GPS as long as current technologies are being >> used. This has to do with how radio waves and atmospheric conditions >> interact, amongst other factors. >> >> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On 2/03/2017, at 16:37, Jonathan C. Cohn <jon.c.c...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> I have been putting off purchasing either of these apps. I was ready to >>> purchase BlindSquared when Nearby Explorer was first demonstrated, and i >>> have been debating if the bus time announcements were worth the cost of >>> Nearby Explorer. >>> >>> The major GPS issues i have with the low cost solutions I currently use is >>> for the last few yards and i am not sure either of these Apps will help. >>> Examples are is my bus stop here or at the next pole? Or when there are six >>> bus stops clustered near a train stop. Or thirdly where is the front of the >>> building i just walked ten blocks to. >>> >>> Best wishes, >>> >>> Jonathan Cohn >>> >>>> On Mar 1, 2017, at 4:15 PM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> For bus / train public transit, I very strongly encourage trying an app >>>> called moovit. >>>> >>>> Moovit is the only public transit app I have used which automatically, and >>>> consistently, announces the stop where I need to get off the bus just >>>> before the stop. It gives a couple announcements, one from a couple >>>> hundred metres before (at the previous bus stop (so one can trigger the >>>> stop request signal), and one when it is time to get off the bus. These >>>> announcements occur when the live route tracking is active. The walking >>>> between bus stops, to the first bus stop, and to the final destination, is >>>> not very good for the blind pedestrian, but the actual bus and train >>>> travel announcements are better than any other app I have used. >>>> >>>> Between bus stops, and to my destination, I usually use Apple Maps. My >>>> fiancé, on the other hand, prefers Google Maps. She is sighted, and finds >>>> its visual layout to be much more appealing. >>>> >>>> Kind regards, >>>> >>>> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >>>> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >>>> Mobile: +61 488 988 936 >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> >>>>> On 2/03/2017, at 03:40, Jenine Stanley <dragonwalke...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Donna, >>>>> >>>>> The answer to your question really depends on how you plan to use GPS. >>>>> When you travel, do you walk or mostly ride in vehicles? >>>>> >>>>> If you walk, are you interested in planning routes to places or just >>>>> hearing the street names as you go? >>>>> >>>>> When you ride, are you usually the navigator for a driver or are you >>>>> taking public transit? >>>>> >>>>> both apps handle all of these tasks well but if you really want to plan >>>>> routes or look around easily virtually, I’d suggest spending the money on >>>>> Nearby Explorer. It does take up over 4gb on the phone but maps are >>>>> available when you don’t have coverage which is nice. If you ever worked >>>>> with the Trekker in its original form, this app is as close to its >>>>> supreme functionality and easy learning curve as anything I’ve seen. >>>>> >>>>> That said, if money is an issue and you just want to hear intersecting >>>>> streets and POIs, BlindSquare is great. It does much more but is a bit >>>>> more technical or involved in how it gets you there. It does not do route >>>>> planning in advance unless going through another app like Maps, Google >>>>> Maps or Seeing eye GPS. >>>>> >>>>> As always, just my opinions here. Your mileage will no doubt vary. >>>>>> On Mar 1, 2017, at 8:12 AM, Donna Goodin <doniado...@me.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Hi all, >>>>>> >>>>>> Now that we're moving back to a real city--at least relatively >>>>>> speaking--I'm thinking about using my phone a little more for GPS and >>>>>> related tasks. I'm thinking about nearby explorer, but it comes with a >>>>>> pretty hefty price tag. Does it offer any significant advantages over >>>>>> Blind Square? >>>>>> TIA, >>>>>> Donna >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >>>>>> Visionaries list. >>>>>> >>>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or >>>>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the >>>>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>>>>> >>>>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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You can reach mark at: >>> macvisionaries+modera...@googlegroups.com and your owner is Cara Quinn - >>> you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >> Visionaries list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: >> macvisionaries+modera...@googlegroups.com and your owner is Cara Quinn - you >> can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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