My Location in your Palm

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 | 8:00 AM





We're excited to release an update to Google Maps for mobile for Palm OS. For Palm Centro users, this update includes the My Location feature which allows you to see your location on a map without GPS. If you have a Centro, just press 0 and the map will snap to your current area. Google Maps for mobile will determine your approximate location from the cell phone tower your phone is connected to. Please note that if you have a Sprint Centro, you must first upgrade its operating system to Maintenance Release 1 for My Location to work.

Unfortunately, older Palm models such as the Treos don't have the APIs needed to get the cell tower data, so My Location is not available on these models. All Palm OS phones will be able to enjoy the other features of this release. Google Maps for mobile now supports hybrid view so you can view satellite imagery with street names layered on top. We've also improved the user interface for finding businesses, addresses, and directions. The route summary now lets you scroll through step-by-step instructions that you can copy to the clipboard. Visit www.google.com/gmm on the desktop or your mobile phone to get the latest release of Google Maps for mobile.

27 comments:

Dmitriy said...

It doesn't look like maintenance release 1 OS is available publicly from either Sprint or Palm sites yet. Or did I miss it? Maybe you have a direct link?

David said...

thanks for bringing a new version of GMM to the Palm OS. I'm a Treo 650 user and have had a third-party version of "My Location" working for some time now. Have you seen the application at this address?

http://www.razix.net/mloc/

Since this app is proof that acquiring cell tower data on other Treo models is possible, I'm curious why My Location in GMM is currently limited to the Centro model. Would you consider making it work for other Treo models? Thanks!

Unknown said...

And how about supporting external GPS receivers via a BlueTooth connection?
Like what this app already does for GoogleMaps:

Where Am I?

http://wfmh.org.pl/carlos/

GPS receivers are far more accurate, and will work out in the middle of no-where with only a single tower available.


Google and/or Palm - If you can't figure out HOW to do it, then try contacting the author and ask.
You might get handed what you need, or you might be able to persuade the author to help, with an appropriate enticement.

Unknown said...

I could have sworn that the 755p which I now use DID have those APIs opened for it's last firmware update, as posted on the spring blog.

Are you guys sure you didn't block one too many treos?

sinnedone said...

Sprint already has the "Sprint Family Locator" service that does put all Treos (at least 650/700p/755p from my knowledge) on a map that is acurate anywhere from a mile to a city block.

Why would this only work on Centros vs Treos when they use the same hardware? I'm really confused here.

Mathias Ricken said...

Are you sure Treos won't be getting this feature, only Centros?

I was under the impression that the tower ID API was present, just private, and that Palm would make it available for Treos as well.

I was really looking forward to using My Location on my Treo 755p.

Unknown said...

"Someone" is not being honest. As pointed out, Sprint already has the Family Locator available. How do you think it is able to locate where they are at? Tower ID API.
Now maybe this API is not available on Sprint Treo phones. Is this the API you are referring to in your post? If so, which mailbox at Sprint or Palm do we need to start flooding to get this rolled out to our phones?
It is absolute rubbish that, with the number of "older Treos" that are still on the market and will be for a while since we love them, we are treated as 2nd, even 3rd, rate citizens and our need or concerns are dismissed.

Blake said...

You guys are alienating a lot of loyalists by not making this available for the 755p. It's not my fault you released the Centro so shortly after the 755p.

CoastBoxOffice said...

I have an unlocked Treo 680 (GSM) which is quite capable of accessing tower ID using apps like http://www.razix.net/mloc/ and TreoSpot. It seems quite uncharacteristic of Google to fly in the face of this and shut non-Centro Palm devices out of the functionality.

Anonymous said...

Okay... I love google maps! But it does not work very well at all with phones like the LG Vu/Prada/Viewty and others that are the next gen touch screens by LG.... the example photo shows zoom out and zoom in buttons!!! when i downloaded the app it does not have these touch buttons available to me... so what's Up :O) !!! HELP ME USE THIS SOFTWARE ---- PLEASE

Joe

Samantha said...

Since installing this version, my Palm centro's battery drains much quicker.

Dmitry Grinberg said...

Hi,

I am a [well-known] palm hacker dmitry Grinberg of PalmPowerups. If I can get you the location API on all other GSM devices will you use it? It will not be officially supported by palm inc, but it will work. IF interested, email me at dmitrygr@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Why have the original Google poster, Jerry Morrison, Software Engineer and Ryan Pollock, Product Marketing Manager, decided not to address the specific objections posted here. While they do address the reason for not using the RAZIX workaround, they do not address the statement by others that the API's are available and being used by other official Sprint or Palm apps.

Unknown said...

Registering my complaint that My Location doesn't work for GSM and CDMA Treos. I hope Google and Palm can start treating their users properly.
Boris Zilberman

RobertM said...

Boris,

I think you can take Google out of what you wrote - I think it is (from all I have read) Palm who needs to address the API issue.

As a side note, things that do "work" on the Treo line (such as Razix) are hacks that turn on and off the radio and are not usable for the functions that need to be implemented in MyLocation on the Palm (hence Google has not used a similar workaround - and hence the loooooong pause while the Razix tool loads).

I also think the GMM team is probably in a position where they cannot post the "details" of the problem - to avoid pissing off those they need help from (ie: Palm and their APIs). Them coming out and yelling "It's Palm's fault!!! They wont give us what we need!" probably wouldnt help the situation.

Based off the work they seem to put into every project, I am sure they will get this done, *if* possible, as soon as they can.

Best,
Robert

Dmitry Grinberg said...

@Robert: cannot help but laugh at your post. I think you should read up on who *I* am before assuming my methods are no better then some script kiddie's (Razix). I can get location reliably on any gsm treo, without any radio state flipping. See below for a few sites to visit about what I do for palm.

Waiting for help from palm is pointless. The community has long since learned that, which is why the fixes to palm problems are provided by others (like myself).


---
Dmitry Grinberg
http://www.palmpowerups.com
http://palmsdhc.blogspot.com

RobertM said...

Hi Dimtry,

Sorry if I offended you. But first, I was not comparing your work to a script kiddie... I guess I forget that nowadays, a "hack" is often equated with that... the word was meant as a compliment in the sense it used to mean back in the day.

If you are not doing radio state flipping, sorry for that innaccuracy, but someone closely involved in getting MyLocation to work on Palm made that claim - and I did not see a response to the contrary from you there.

Nor am I complaining about yours - or anyone else's - tools that fill Palm's shortfall of support. I am just not sure how it could be integrated into anything for semi-continuous use (ie: maybe once a minute or so)... though perhaps the problem is with my Treo 680? Whenever it queries location, my machine "locks" up for 30 seconds to a minute (ie: during that time, nothing responds or functions).

Your work is appreciated though.

Robert

Miguel Vitorino said...

Any ideia of a timeframe when Google Maps will support proxy on a Treo?
My humble carrier (VODAFONE) requires me to use a proxy for http traffic but it seems only the Google products (GMaps, GMail) don't support it.

Thanks!

Unknown said...

i just updated my Centro to the new version with my location when i use my location it places me ~6 miles way. the new version also has a bad list of street addresses. I cannot find my house or work. only the street they are on.

volcom45 said...

This is ABSOULTELY maddening! The Treo 755p is MORE than capable of this feature, they are just being lazy retards! I would've bought the Centro over the 755P as it was $100 cheaper but the keyboard was way too small! Someone better come up with a workaround for this phone as it is the way better choice phone to have then a Centro and we DESERVE this My Location feature. I bought this phone banking on Palm saying we will release an update for the Palm Centro and newer palm phones. If the 755P doesn't count as "newer" enough, they can go to hell!

Unknown said...

Very disappointing that the Treo 755p is not being supported. I hope that someone can step up to the plate and provide this feature.

Unknown said...

I think it is complete B.S. that google or palm can't make this feature work for the treo 755. The 755 is more powerful than the centro and you guys cant make it work? Very disappointed and I will probably never buy another palm phone again... I hope your happy palm. I will gladly switch to an iPhone than take your crap any longer.

Unknown said...

so i don't get it - why can't non-centro treo users get the 'my location' feature?

Unknown said...

Help me pin point my location!

I just want to know if I can fine tune my location or add a location via the map similar to the iPhone push pin feature. The My Location on the Sprint Palm Centro is great, I just wish I could tell it where I'm actually at.

Please help me find my self!

Unknown said...

I like the idea behind 'my location' feature for the Palm Centro. The actual results are very disappointing. The location shown can be off by two miles or more. The results make this feature useless. Will there be a correctional update?

Unknown said...

It would be nice if the Google Team would comment on whether they plan to do more with the PalmOS platform. I get the impression that it is a low priority, and that they may abandon it altogether. (I guess we are bunched in with "Other" in their phone selection...).

I have a Freedom Bluetooth GPS and I would certainly like google maps to work with it. And there is no API problem. How about it guys? Is it on the roadmap?

-Bob

Unknown said...

I am another keen PalmOS 5 user.
Like Bob I would like to know whether GoogleMaps for OS5 will be further enhanced, but even more importantly.....

WILL GoogleMaps 2.0.2.0 continue to operate into the future?

I have a Treo 680 and I plan to stick with it for quite some time. The Palm Pre will be of no interest to me until I can run my zillions of old Palm Apps.

So what about it? Can we expect GoogleMaps 2.0.2.0 to remain functional for the foreseeable?

-David