Thoughts on Google Navigation.

[srothkin]

But the real problem is that when I'm actually using the GPS, I put my phone in the car dock and it goes into Car Mode. Now what do I do? I have to EXIT car mode and then go to the folder with the saved locations???

Tap the Home icon at the bottom of the car mode screen -- that will take you to your normal home screen. Then you can access whatever you need from there. Car mode will still be running and you can quickly switch back to it by swiping down the notification bar and tapping on the car mode entry.

 

[samredman]

It was wise of Google to describe this a Beta, because it is that indeed. But, really we are not the true Beta testers, just people using a Beta product, because we have no way to provide feedback, report bugs or provide suggestions. However, participation in a Beta experience is fun while sometimes exasperatingly confusing.

Like these two posters, I have had similar experiences:

Beepboopboo wrote:
truly what was sad was that Google still has yet to update their maps to show a neighborhood that has been in existence for 8 years now.

jerknextdoor wrote
my biggest beef so far is that i'd like an easy way to submit errors. there is a street with no left turns it tells me to turn down all the time and another street that's been closed for a long time (no bridge and no plan to reopen it). i would like to be able to just hit something that can mark that spot so when i'm not driving i can give them a detailed report on the problem.

I have had similar experiences. Attempting to use Navigate to various businesses by name using the voice command, "Navigate to" for example Wendy's and on another occasion, Denny's, provided me with a list of nearby selections with their approximate miles shown. I picked the closest in those two situations and both times the application took me to locations where the restaurant had been torn down and built with something else years previously. (one was on LBJ free way in Dallas at Preston Rd and the other was on Forest lane also close to Preston road).

This is the same problem with the Google Places directory app and the Where app (which seems to use Google Places for it's location information). All of these (Navigator included) seem to be using the same, very outdated database which in many cases (I have seen with Places and Where) provides locations which haven't been in existence for as long as 8 years.

So... yes, it is fun to use a Beta, but it is frustrating not to be able to provide corrective information when I drive to a location for a Wendy's and there is another structure on the spot (in that case they said, the Wendy's hadn't been there for about two years).

What I like about Garmin (although, my Garmin didn't let me search for businesses by name) was that when I found errors (such as a long closed freeway entrance) was that it had a mechanism for reporting the error and on a subsequent visit to that city only a few days later it had their map corrected.

The Droid is a ball... I am having fun with it and will continue to be a fan. But it's a beta product (not just on the Navigator or other Google apps) and there are those pains you experience with something in the throes of development. I am suited for this because I develop products myself... but, I think it is important for any new user to understand that (at least on the Navigator and Places apps) they told us that it was Beta for a reason. It is. And if they merely added a correction feedback mechanism this could get to release level a lot quicker.

 

[mo2mey]

Can someone tell me how to put in my home adress for "home"?So when im far away i can just click "home". Thanks

 

[shademar]

Can someone tell me how to put in my home adress for "home"?So when im far away i can just click "home". Thanks

For GPS-system style simplicity, you can make a navigation shortcut labeled 'Home' on one of your homescreens (long press -> Shortcuts -> Directions) and enter the destination as a home address (or close geographical point.) Now, one button press from the homescreen starts up Navigation and starts directing you home.

 

[TheCleaner]

My issues:

- no waypoint support. I can't drag and drop the route like you can with the online google maps. So I'm stuck with whatever route Navigation comes up with. Even the alternate routes aren't good enough. For instance, I had a route tell me to take a toll road, but I wanted to avoid the toll road.

- Can't figure out how to tell it "OK, we're here...now let's do it in reverse so I can get back to where I started".

- Had the volume issues with it (very faint...apparently a bug not necessarily related to Nav app)

- Wish you could adjust the brightness...maybe I'm just missing that function somewhere? At night the screen is too bright during nav.

 

[wallstreet123456]

Is there a way to show restaurants nearby? With my old navigation unit I could select Points of Interest and hit restaurants and get a list of them and navigate to one I wanted to visit.

Thanks

 

[Geofferson]

I'd like to try this out today. When setting up the driving directions view in the map, it is stuck on "searching for GPS..." -- anyone else getting this?

 

[sharpz]

Weird directions

Has anyone else noticed that it often times does not give the same directions as what Garmin offers? I know it's in beta, but I live in Orlando which is a very popular area (obviously) and every time I use it, it gives the weirdest directions. I end up in the correct area, but it's not the route that Garmin would say to go. The other day we were messing with the phones and the iPhone Google Maps said to go the same way as the Garmin, but Car Home app told me to go a completely different way.

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening?

thanks!

 

[unix.punkx]

Since I am not paying not only a monthly fee or for updates from Google, and that I can also stream Pandora from the SAME device or listen to music. Google Navigation being free, it is the best GPS available out there. I considered a TomTom before I got my Droid and extremely glad I didnt end up getting one, It is the best feature about my phone.

 

[unix.punkx]

My issues:

- no waypoint support. I can't drag and drop the route like you can with the online google maps. So I'm stuck with whatever route Navigation comes up with. Even the alternate routes aren't good enough. For instance, I had a route tell me to take a toll road, but I wanted to avoid the toll road.

- Can't figure out how to tell it "OK, we're here...now let's do it in reverse so I can get back to where I started".

- Had the volume issues with it (very faint...apparently a bug not necessarily related to Nav app)

- Wish you could adjust the brightness...maybe I'm just missing that function somewhere? At night the screen is too bright during nav.

- No, but it is in Beta so I mean its not amazing yet.

- There is a reverse directions button... Its two arrows that looks the the Sync icon on your phone. It will flip the start and end points

- Ive never had volume issues. Maybe too loud, but never too soft.

-Brightness I like how mine is night/day. I have the brightness set right smack in the middle. Maybe try autobrightness? I dont know what it will do at night.

 

[BuzWeaver]

I'm satisfied with the Nav capability it makes for a good backup to my Garmin. Just like people who point out that the 5 mega pixel pictures/video isn't that great, I think its important to point out that it is a Phone after all.

Its a great utility device, but its not a deal breaker if the Nav isn't as good as my Garmin or that the Pictures/Video isn't as good as my HD Camera.