Free map and GPS routing apps that nobody seems to know about (why?)

James Grady

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Feb 4, 2014, 7:45:47 PM2/4/14

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I was reading these forums for free map apps and map software for gps
and nobody seems to know about this one.

Open http://here.com/ in your mobile phone browser.

It seems that Nokia allows you to take any state(s) or multiple
country maps with you.

All for offline consumption, with map apps that are there.
They seem more accurate than osm maps.

So why doesn't anyone here suggest these?
Just curious???

(does it not work?)
(I haven't tried it myself)

Kerry Liles

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Feb 5, 2014, 11:12:35 AM2/5/14

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I just tried it on my Android (Galaxy S3) and it seems very fast and ok. It doesn't
seem like it is an application - 'just' a web site? It also doesn't seem to
understand my current location quite correctly - it is off by a couple of streets...
thanks for the link; looks promising.

When I asked for directions to my daughter's place, it highlighted the route and said
5days... then I realized it defaulted to 'walking' not 'by car'. Given the current
heavy snow, perhaps it was right anyway!! lol

Juan Wei

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Feb 5, 2014, 1:09:03 PM2/5/14

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Kerry Liles has written on 2/5/2014 11:12 AM:

> I just tried it on my Android (Galaxy S3) and it seems very fast and ok. It doesn't
> seem like it is an application - 'just' a web site?

Looks like an alternative to maps.google.com

> It also doesn't seem to
> understand my current location quite correctly - it is off by a couple of streets...

OK here.

Danny D'Amico

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Feb 6, 2014, 1:32:54 AM2/6/14

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On Wed, 05 Feb 2014 13:09:03 -0500, Juan Wei wrote:

> Looks like an alternative to maps.google.com

I tried it from my PC and it worked fine.
http://here.com/

The web page went to "m.here.com" & the map looked as
good as a google map (much better than OSM maps!).

Then, I tried saving the map, for use offline, and it saved
rather easily (although I haven't tested it offline yet).

But, when I tried to download the Android app from
http://here.com/download
it wouldn't download the offline map application.

I wonder if my browser is the problem?
Or do I need to enable non-google-play downloads first?

Anssi Saari

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Feb 6, 2014, 9:13:46 AM2/6/14

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Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> writes:

> But, when I tried to download the Android app from
> http://here.com/download
> it wouldn't download the offline map application.

What did you try to download? I see no Android app there. Just stuff for
various Nokia phones and for Android and iOS it says to use a browser
and go to here.com? I seem to remember Nokia pulled their app from the
Apple store since it sucked and nobody wanted it...

Plus the webpage at least pretends to have downloading for offline
mode. There was no indication it was actually downloading stuff though.

I did find an Android app in Nokia's Beta labs but it's from 2011.

Danny D'Amico

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Feb 6, 2014, 9:38:20 AM2/6/14

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On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:13:46 +0200, Anssi Saari wrote:

> the webpage at least pretends to have downloading for offline mode.
> There was no indication it was actually downloading stuff though.

Here is the screenshot of the reputed download in progress:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/12344495564_595c4e774a_o.png

I don't disagree with you (yet!) :) about the web page *pretending*
to download the maps, because I haven't actually *seen* the maps
offline ... but I only heard of this here.com web page from this
thread, so, I can't conclude anything yet.

Danny D'Amico

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Feb 6, 2014, 9:44:18 AM2/6/14

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On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:13:46 +0200, Anssi Saari wrote:

> What did you try to download? I see no Android app there. Just stuff for
> various Nokia phones and for Android and iOS it says to use a browser

Here is the "link" that I tried to download the Android App:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5506/12344046545_76dc1f3bc9_o.png

As you noted, clicking on that link merely takes you to m.here.com, which
seems to be an exact free online Google Maps clone.

What I'm always looking for is (a) free, (b) offline, GPS mapping app,
so, I was "hoping" this link would bring me to the reputed Android app.

As you said, it just brought me to a web page; so if I want free offline
mapping, I need to download the maps and get that to work offline once
I have the map tiles.

Normally I'd give up with freeware this obscure, but, the maps are
FANTASTICALLY ACCURATE! from what I can see! That's worth a LOT!

Up until now, the only *free* *offline* maps were:
a) Google Maps (but Google deletes offline maps every 30 days!) :(
b) CoPilot crippleware (but, for free, you're limited to a single state)
And now, potentially:
c) Here.com Nokia offline free maps (if we can get it to work)

If anyone can get the here.com offline free maps to work, please let
me know because there are only two known solutions otherwise for such
non-OSM accurate maps!

p-0''0-h the cat (ES)

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Feb 6, 2014, 9:49:01 AM2/6/14

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On Thu, 6 Feb 2014 14:44:18 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<da...@is.invalid> wrote:

>If anyone can get the here.com offline free maps to work, please let
>me know because there are only two known solutions otherwise for such
>non-OSM accurate maps!

Here works on a Nokia Lumina Windows 8 phone.

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Nigel Wade

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Feb 6, 2014, 10:41:21 AM2/6/14

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On 06/02/14 14:44, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>> What did you try to download? I see no Android app there. Just stuff for
>> >various Nokia phones and for Android and iOS it says to use a browser
> Here is the "link" that I tried to download the Android App:
> http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5506/12344046545_76dc1f3bc9_o.png
>
> As you noted, clicking on that link merely takes you to m.here.com, which
> seems to be an exact free online Google Maps clone.

I just entered "here.com" into the Firefox browser on my Nexus 7 and Xperia Z and it took me [eventually] to here.com.
Do you have your browser set to request the desktop site?

The mobile site display provides a kind of toolbar at the top of the page, and on the right is a "grid" icon. Click on
this grid and it opens a menu, one item of which is "Save a map area" and another is "view your saved map". It appears
that it only has the ability to save one map area, when you try to save another it says "Keep in mind that saving a new
map area always replaces the last one you saved". I don't know if the Collections options allows you more flexibility,
it requires opening a Nokia account.

Anssi Saari

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Feb 11, 2014, 3:12:48 PM2/11/14

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Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> writes:

> On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:13:46 +0200, Anssi Saari wrote:
>
>> the webpage at least pretends to have downloading for offline mode.
>> There was no indication it was actually downloading stuff though.
>
> Here is the screenshot of the reputed download in progress:
> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/12344495564_595c4e774a_o.png

OK, looks like Chrome just doesn't like the here.com webpage. Stock
browser downloaded something for me. I hit "view your saved map" and
turned off mobile data and wifi. I could still pan around in the saved
map but no search or directions. And of course it's still a browser
showing a webpage so if it closes I'd still need connectivity to get it
back...

Well, maybe if the rumors are true and Nokia is coming out with an
Android phone and a Here maps app, then at least pilfered versions of
that app will certainly be available.

Rod Speed

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Mar 3, 2014, 11:35:50 PM3/3/14

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"Anssi Saari" <a...@sci.fi> wrote in message
news:vg37g91...@coffee.modeemi.fi...

> Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> writes:
>
>> On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:13:46 +0200, Anssi Saari wrote:
>>
>>> the webpage at least pretends to have downloading for offline mode.
>>> There was no indication it was actually downloading stuff though.
>>
>> Here is the screenshot of the reputed download in progress:
>> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/12344495564_595c4e774a_o.png
>
> OK, looks like Chrome just doesn't like the here.com webpage. Stock
> browser downloaded something for me. I hit "view your saved map" and
> turned off mobile data and wifi. I could still pan around in the saved
> map but no search or directions. And of course it's still a browser
> showing a webpage so if it closes I'd still need connectivity to get it
> back...
>
> Well, maybe if the rumors are true and Nokia is coming out with an
> Android phone

That wont happen now that Microsoft has bought the phone
side of Nokia. That is the reason they did that, to ensure that
Nokia would not have an Android phone.

Hans-Georg Michna

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Mar 4, 2014, 3:04:16 AM3/4/14

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On Tue, 4 Mar 2014 15:35:50 +1100, Rod Speed wrote:

>That wont happen now that Microsoft has bought the phone
>side of Nokia. That is the reason they did that, to ensure that
>Nokia would not have an Android phone.

I wouldn't be sure. Perhaps Microsoft wants to adopt Android to
have Android app compatibility.

Note that they do not use the Google Services, so Nokia will
never be able to use them, but they are apparently working on a
competing set of functions. They already have navigation.

Hans

Bob Martin

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Mar 4, 2014, 3:16:50 AM3/4/14

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Ahem! It already has -
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-x-normandy-1219003

Rod Speed

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Mar 4, 2014, 4:05:01 AM3/4/14

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Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgN...@michna.com> wrote
> Rod Speed wrote
>> Anssi Saari <a...@sci.fi> wrote

>>> Well, maybe if the rumors are true and
>>> Nokia is coming out with an Android phone

>> That wont happen now that Microsoft has bought the
>> phone side of Nokia. That is the reason they did that,
>> to ensure that Nokia would not have an Android phone.

> I wouldn't be sure.

I am. The only reason they spent BILLIONS to buy the
phone part of Nokia was BECAUSE Nokia was considering
dumping Microsoft's phone OS and using android instead.

> Perhaps Microsoft wants to adopt Android
> to have Android app compatibility.

There would have been no point in spending
BILLIONS on buying the phone part of Nokia
if that is what they were planning to do.

> Note that they do not use the Google Services, so Nokia will
> never be able to use them, but they are apparently working on
> a competing set of functions. They already have navigation.

That is a separate matter entirely to having an android phone.

Rod Speed

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Mar 4, 2014, 4:09:42 AM3/4/14

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"Bob Martin" <bob.m...@excite.com> wrote in message
news:bnlgfi...@mid.individual.net...

That isnt an android phone and no one
will be stupid enough to buy it, you watch.

Hans-Georg Michna

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Mar 4, 2014, 9:30:36 AM3/4/14

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It runs on Android without the Google Services.

Whether it will be a commercial success will be interesting to
watch. Certainly not an instant winner.

Hans-Georg

Rod Speed

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Mar 4, 2014, 1:44:32 PM3/4/14

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Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgN...@michna.com> wrote

> Rod Speed wrote
>> Bob Martin <bob.m...@excite.com> wrote

>>> Rod Speed <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote

>>>> That wont happen now that Microsoft has bought the phone
>>>> side of Nokia. That is the reason they did that, to ensure that
>>>> Nokia would not have an Android phone.

>>> Ahem! It already has -
>>> http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-x-normandy-1219003

>> That isnt an android phone and no one
>> will be stupid enough to buy it, you watch.

> It runs on Android without the Google Services.

The real story is more complicated than that.

> Whether it will be a commercial success will be interesting to watch.

Bet its just the last gasp of a dying operation that
eventually even Microsoft will just pull the plug on
when even they notice that no one is interested in
their steaming turd of a mobile phone OS.

> Certainly not an instant winner.

Bet its just another example of what Nokia has
always done, some really weird phones that fly
like lead balloons in the market.

poutnik

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Mar 4, 2014, 1:09:25 AM3/4/14

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On Tue, 4 Mar 2014 15:35:50 +1100, "Rod Speed"

<rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote:
> That wont happen now that Microsoft has bought the phone
> side of Nokia. That is the reason they did that, to ensure that
> Nokia would not have an Android phone.

Nokia does have Android phones, Models X, X+ and XL,
released under Microsoft,
presented on the world mobile Congress in Barcelona.

Even if it is very tweaked Android, Google applications
and Google store are said not to be present by default.

--
poutnik
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at beginning of the current one.