Thoughts on an Android version

[GeoScout support]

I am beginning to think about creating an Android version of
GeoScout. It is likely to take some time as the Android development
platform is very different to Microsoft, so I have a bit to learn.
I would appreciate and thoughts (particularly from existing Android
owners) about changes that should be made to integrate GeoScout into
Android.
Do you think is should be more "connected", getting data from the web
rather than having a local database of caches?
What other features do you think might need adapting?
Any ideas appreciated.

[Lars]

I don't own an Android phone yet but support for Windows mobile 6.x
seems to decrease. Windows Phone 7 AFAIK won't run applications
designed for WM 6.x and will be crippled in many ways.

My phone gets old and I'm thinking what the next one will be. Most
likely it will be an Android phone. And I would very like to have
GeoScout for it. :-)

> Do you think is should be more "connected", getting data from the web
> rather than having a local database of caches?

I live in Germany, very close to the Netherlands, I would have to use
expensive roaming to download data to the phone when I'm there. So the
local database is a very good solution for me and one of the most
important features.

Lars

[Tomáš Procházka]

I have HTC HD2 phone but now I'm playing with android port for this phone and I'm exciting.

Best free android app is c:geo, but it is online only (almost)

I think that best is offline database with possibility to quick verify or update cache status and details.

And this is also great inspiration:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=cs&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fluv-i.net%2FPD%2F

Great advantage of this program is that database file is compatible with desktop client:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=cs&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Flukas.ararat.cz%2Fdoku.php%2Fabout

(app is in english)

Geoget it's free and can download for example 20 000 caches and put them to pocket PC

This is much more comfortable than download all in phone.

I'm personally thinking about making the same for Android.

--
Tomáš Procházka

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[britkit]

I’ve been looking at going for an Android for my next smartphone as
I’m a bit p***ed off with Windows Mobile being so slow and clunky.
One of the things that has stopped me so far is the absence of
anything to compare to Geoscout. I think it is a great idea to build
an Android platform version. However, I strongly think that a local
database is still the best way to go as many caches can be in areas of
little or no reception. It would be a big mistake to rely on signal
reception for the system to work, much better to be able to download a
bunch into a database when you have a good signal.

Incidentally, the one other weakness in using my smartphone (HTC
Touch HD) is that the GPS receiver is just not as good as my Garmin
GPSmap – well, it is a fraction of the price. Hence it suffers major
problems with tree cover. Does anyone know if the newer generation of
Android (or WM) smartphones have more sensitive receivers?

Kit.

[roger hammond]

I use HP iPAQ with external GPS receiver hooked up via bluetooth. HTC
Touch HD wasn't great I found...I could use my bluetooth GPS receiver
with it though.
I would insist on local database...especially as the HP iPAQ isn't a
phone...then again it doesn't run android.
But I go overseas regularly and the roaming charges would probably
bankrupt me. Being able to clearly connect to get latest would be
good if you could explicitly control it.

[Allan Th. Poulsen]

My Garmin is my HTC Desire superior when the sky is covered.

I am using C:geo on my Android, men when I go on serious Geo-hunt, I am still using GeoScout due to the mobile offline database, it's a blessing :o)

Regards,
Allan

[Jens]

I'm a great fan of GeoScout since 2 years. It runs very well on my HTC
Touch HD (as well as on my HTC Touch Pro before).

But I also see that WinMo will probably die - sooner or later. So my
next smartphone will most probably be a Android.
AFAIK, there is quite a good Android caching app already available,
it's called GeOrg:
http://android.ranitos.de/about/

Regards,
Jens

On Aug 5, 1:36 pm, "Allan Th. Poulsen" <mcinterne...@gmail.com> wrote:
> My Garmin is my HTC Desire superior when the sky is covered.
>
> I am using C:geo on my Android, men when I go on serious Geo-hunt, I am
> still using GeoScout due to the mobile offline database, it's a blessing :o)
>
> Regards,
> Allan
>

> On 5 August 2010 12:04, britkit <thebrit...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> > I’ve been looking at going for an Android for my next smartphone as
> > I’m a bit p***ed off with Windows Mobile being so slow and clunky.
> > One of the things that has stopped me so far is the absence of
> > anything to compare to Geoscout.  I think it is a great idea to build
> > an Android platform version.  However, I strongly think that a local
> > database is still the best way to go as many caches can be in areas of
> > little or no reception.  It would be a big mistake to rely on signal
> > reception for the system to work, much better to be able to download a
> > bunch into a database when you have a good signal.
>
> > Incidentally,  the one other weakness in using my smartphone (HTC
> > Touch HD) is that the GPS receiver is just not as good as my Garmin
> > GPSmap – well, it is a fraction of the price.  Hence it suffers major
> > problems with tree cover.  Does anyone know if the newer generation of
> > Android (or WM) smartphones have more sensitive receivers?
>
> > Kit.
>
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> > "GeoScout" group.
> > To post to this group, send email to geos...@googlegroups.com.
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to

> > geoscout+u...@googlegroups.com<geoscout%2Bunsu...@googlegroups.com>
> > .

[Souldrinker]

Even though I've yet to use GeoScout outside of Sweden and I'm on a
unlimited data plan I still agree with the rest that you probably
shouldn't ditch the local database in a future Android version even if
it would be nice to also see nearby caches on the map not yet
downloaded if your data connection is up and running with a
possibility to easy download them. Because it would be nice to be able
to drive in a new area where you've not pre-downloaded any caches with
the GeoScout map open and still be able to at least see the position
and name of nearby caches and by tapping them download the rest of the
information to the local database.

I'm still using my old Touch Diamond, but will probably soon invest in
a new phone. I've been happy so far with my WM6.1 phone, but would
really like a digital compass so I can see in what direction the cache
is without moving and a quicker phone/larger screen wouldn't hurt
either. But I'm a bit ambivalent of what phone to buy next. My sisters
HTC Desire looks really nice and I'm leaning towards an Android phone,
but as a .NET developer I'm also a bit interested in what Microsoft is
up to with their Windows Phone 7 which I suppose will hit the market
in about two months or so. And as you said developing Android
applications is very different from writing .NET applications and I'm
not that fond of Java, but there are a huge amount of really good
Android apps out there. Also the new WP7 phones looks good on the
paper (except for the limited multitasking, missing cut & paste etc.).
The question is if it will have any chance of catching up with the
iPhone and Android app markets especially since the UI will rely on
Silverlight or XNA rather than the good 'ol WinForms which means no
old WM6.x apps will run unless the authors update the UI code.

Maybe this is the wrong thread to take up this, but what's the plan
for GeoScout on Windows Phone 7? Without a decent geocaching app I
would probably have to go with an Android even if I have to stick with
another geocaching app until GeoScout for Android is done.

[Verenae]

Hi,
I used Geoscout for some time, but now I have an android phone.
I tried many android apps, but they are all based on online mode (no
offline maps, no offline usable db,...), so in place without good
signal or abroad its absolutely unusable :(
Now if I go abroad or to dense forest, I must take my old WM phone
too...thats funny :D
Geoscout is for me totally best aplication for geocaching ever, if it
would be for android too, it shouldnt have any competitor!
So I'm impatiently waiting for this super app in android market ;)
Good luck with development ;)

[Souldrinker]

I decided not to wait for WP7 to get ready and got myself a new HTC
Desire (Android) which I'm very happy with so far.

Since I'm living in Sweden we don't have access to paid apps on the
Android market, so I've not been able to try the official groundspeak
app. The only geocaching app I've tried so far is c:geo which I've
been very happy with so far.

When I've been out using that I've mainly used the "Live Map" that
uses google maps (or satellite images) and directly shows all caches
I've not yet logged on the map without having to preload them as with
GeoScout. This makes for much easier ad-hoc caching.

When tapping on a cache it downloads the details from the internet and
apart from the logs, hints and cache info you get a choice between a
compass (nice looking and using the builtin digital compass to show
direction and distance without having to keep moving), a radar screen
(the green and black circle kind with a green dot showing the cache
and distance) and a choice to navigate (have not tried that but my
guess it's using google navigation or something similar to drive to
the cache by car).

It does seem to offer an offline mode with the ability to download
cache details to the phone to use when not having a internet
connection. Last time I was out deep in the forest I got in a radio
shadow and thus wasn't able to get a network connection which made me
have to go home without getting the cache, but next time I go there I
will try the offline mode. If this also works good I'm sorry to say
that this application will fullfill all my caching needs and thus I
might not be paying for a GeoScout for Android unless it offers
something really mindblowing.

Another thing that seem cool with c:geo that I've not seen in use yet
is "Go 4 Cache" which is a service included in the app that makes
other c:geo-cachers show up on your live map.