[Slvr]

I can't believe that there isn't an app out there that can enable the gps feature.

[mattfutch]

Alright, so I had an idea from research about this crap that Verizon pulled. Anyone try flashing Sprint, Telus, or ATT software on their Verizon 8830? If you open the actual coding for the 8830, you can see a missing piece that all other GPS enabled blackberries, including Sprint, have. The missing file is net_rim_bb_lbs_internal_gps.cod
Anyone done it? If so, does it work?

[mattfutch]

Furthermore, if you search hard enough...despite what Verizon claims, I have seen reviews online with unlocked GPS 8830's from Verizon from reputable sites. This means there is a way

[chanp]

this is getting pretty ridiculous. ive been on the phone with various reps since the 8th and one said he heard that soon we will be getting it, of course with the cost . i really dont need it as i have gps in all my cars, but i think the consumer should have it if it was intended from RIM

c

[altemeyer]

Furthermore, if you search hard enough...despite what Verizon claims, I have seen reviews online with unlocked GPS 8830's from Verizon from reputable sites. This means there is a way

I have successfully gotten the 8830 GPS tr work with Live search and Yahoo go. The steps listed below

What you need.

1) .176 OS update installed on your phone
2) VZNav installed on your phone
3) VZNav Service added to your account
4) Yahoo Go and/or Live Search

What You need to do:

1) Launch VZNAV
2) Select Maps
3) Select "Follow Me Map"
4) VZNav should show you on the map and there should be a green check mark next to the GPS in the top right hand corner.
5) Now press the END key to go back to the home screen. ( This is important, you must not close VZNav)
6) Launch Yahoo Go or Live search and set it up to use the internal GPS
7) You should now see in the maps portion of those two application that it has a fix on you GPS location. You should also be able to use this for local search and anything that any other GPS device allowed you to do.
8) Enjoy

I have not tested this with other apps yet but please do so and let me know what happens.

I have also noticed sometimes that the GPS signal may get lost. To get it back go into VZNav and reopen the "Follow Me Map" option to get a GPS signal again.

-Ryan

[ibmman69]

This requires you to pay though, correct?

I have successfully gotten the 8830 GPS tr work with Live search and Yahoo go. The steps listed below

What you need.

1) .176 OS update installed on your phone
2) VZNav installed on your phone
3) Yahoo Go and/or Live Search

What You need to do:

1) Launch VZNAV
2) Select Maps
3) Select "Follow Me Map"
4) VZNav should show you on the map and there should be a green check mark next to the GPS in the top right hand corner.
5) Now press the END key to go back to the home screen. ( This is important, you must not close VZNav)
6) Launch Yahoo Go or Live search and set it up to use the internal GPS
7) You should now see in the maps portion of those two application that it has a fix on you GPS location. You should also be able to use this for local search and anything that any other GPS device allowed you to do.
8) Enjoy

I have not tested this with other apps yet but please do so and let me know what happens.

I have also noticed sometimes that the GPS signal may get lost. To get it back go into VZNav and reopen the "Follow Me Map" option to get a GPS signal again.

-Ryan

[altemeyer]

This requires you to pay though, correct?

Yes you must have VZNav added to you account. I just updated the instructions to reflect that. Thx

[the_elf]

Found some good fodder here, along with the email address of a person at Verizon Wireless:

What Does Verizon Have Against GPS In BlackBerrys? | RIMarkable | The official, unofficial BlackBerry Weblog

Steve Schwed
Verizon Wireless
HQ Executive Relations Supervisor
e-mail [email protected]

[ibmman69]

Found some good fodder here, along with the email address of a person at Verizon Wireless:

What Does Verizon Have Against GPS In BlackBerrys? | RIMarkable | The official, unofficial BlackBerry Weblog

Steve Schwed
Verizon Wireless
HQ Executive Relations Supervisor
e-mail [email protected]

I wish we could get a leak of the software mentioned in the post.

[the_elf]

I wish we could get a leak of the software mentioned in the post.

Hey, dude! I PIN'd you the other day. Are you doing anything to get some kind of class action going? I'm ignorant of the law and the processes involved in getting one started. My lawyer friend is difficult to reach, and isn't being terribly helpful.

[mattfutch]

I have successfully gotten the 8830 GPS tr work with Live search and Yahoo go. The steps listed below

What you need.

1) .176 OS update installed on your phone
2) VZNav installed on your phone
3) VZNav Service added to your account
4) Yahoo Go and/or Live Search

What You need to do:

1) Launch VZNAV
2) Select Maps
3) Select "Follow Me Map"
4) VZNav should show you on the map and there should be a green check mark next to the GPS in the top right hand corner.
5) Now press the END key to go back to the home screen. ( This is important, you must not close VZNav)
6) Launch Yahoo Go or Live search and set it up to use the internal GPS
7) You should now see in the maps portion of those two application that it has a fix on you GPS location. You should also be able to use this for local search and anything that any other GPS device allowed you to do.
8) Enjoy

I have not tested this with other apps yet but please do so and let me know what happens.

I have also noticed sometimes that the GPS signal may get lost. To get it back go into VZNav and reopen the "Follow Me Map" option to get a GPS signal again.

-Ryan

Verizon can kiss my *** if they think I'm going to pay for that. If they have software that allows the GPS to work out there, its a matter of time before myself or another coder figures out a hack. I'll get to work

[organman]

For whatever it's worth, here's the letter I just sent to Verizon. Parts were copied and pasted from some of you with more eloquent writing :-)


Just wanted to let you know that I am still VERY upset about Verizon having disabled (crippled) the autonomous GPS function in my BB8830. Please be advised that I am interested in using the very latest in technology, products and services. I specifically purcashed the 8830 for this reason. Verizon Wireless does not provide support for the BlackBerry Maps application or 3rd party software that make full use of the 8830's GPS capabilities as other vendors have. In fact, the 8830's GPS functionality has been disabled rendering these applications useless anyway. Because you have disabled this feature, I am unable to use a function that I have paid for in the Blackberry 8830. Therefore, I am currently considering switching to a vendor that will provide these applications and services. I understand and apologize for any frustration regarding this but I'm already paying a lot of money every month for this account and prefer to provide money to vendors who meet my needs. You are unwilling to do this at this time. Therefore, you have lowered my expectations of the services that you can provide. I respectfully ask that you put an end to this long-standing frustration and provide the means to re-activate my 8830's built-in autonomous GPS function AND at NO extra monthly charge!
Thank you.

[jasonpurvis26]

I am new to the forum, and have had my BB8830 for just 3 months, and i have read and read the threads and we really seem to be getting nowhere fast in resolving the problem which we all have, Verizon disabeld our product.

There doesn't seem to be any class action suits in the making and our complaints are too scattered and few to be putting a dent in verizons scheme of things........SO.....

I propose a National Verizon Complaints Day. Not calls, not emails, not getting the FCC to follow up our grievance by having coffee with their (best buddy by now with all the time they must be spending together) Verizon counterpart, but hit the official verizon stores on one day, all together, coordinated to take hours off their selling time by having complaint after complaint logged in their stores, say on the 22nd of December.

All the Pittsburgh BB owners go to a particular store there, all the NY BB owners hit a store there etc......

I have been watching to much Die Hard 2 lately, i think it shows........ If this is a bad idea just say but maybe on the biggest sales revenue day of this year for them we can throw a spanner in the works?

[the_elf]

I could get behind that, but it doesn't give us a lot of time to organize. Also...my buddy's wedding is the 22nd of December.

[anon(1060539)]

If I thought it would matter I would do it to. A company that I communicate with has complained to Verizon about the GPS issue and Verizon has told them the VZN will be available shortly and that GPS will not be enabled outside of VZN. This company has over 10,000 phones with VZW and if VZW will not do anything for the company I speak of then they are not going to do anything for us little people. I am pretty sure our options are the following:

1. Keep our 8830's and just forget that it has a GPS system
2. Pay for VZN
3. Switch to a provider that has not messed with the GPS functionality.

I hope I am wrong but I have a feeling that might not be the case.

[pgregory]

I'm choosing option 3. Here I come, t-mobile! and I'll be able to get a curve too.

[the_elf]

If I thought it would matter I would do it to. A company that I communicate with has complained to Verizon about the GPS issue and Verizon has told them the VZN will be available shortly and that GPS will not be enabled outside of VZN. This company has over 10,000 phones with VZW and if VZW will not do anything for the company I speak of then they are not going to do anything for us little people. I am pretty sure our options are the following:

1. Keep our 8830's and just forget that it has a GPS system
2. Pay for VZN
3. Switch to a provider that has not messed with the GPS functionality.

I hope I am wrong but I have a feeling that might not be the case.

Changing over 10,000 phones would be an exceedingly expensive undertaking. Is there not any way you can persuade said company to begin legal proceedings against Verizon?

[anon(1060539)]

I believe when VZW was told that the company would take its contract to a different vendor, VZW basically said we would hate to see you go but they would not unlock the GPS for use with other apps. Legal action I think is beyond what they wanted to do because they can just switch to another vendor and there is not a great deal of cost associated with that (because of contacts basically giving the company new hardware) where legal action is VERY expensive. I am not a lawyer but I wonder if there is any legal standing really. They offer GPS through VZN and the E911 functionality is unaffected. I understand that at one point the 8830 was advertised with GPS functionality but VZW would say that was to be interpreted as VZN not stand alone GPS. This is not the first time hardware has been modified to meet a vendors requirements. Anyone who has purchase a computer from Dell, HP, Gateway have all had this done to them. Just my 2 cents

[mattfutch]

I sent a message to Verizon concerning this subject. I explained that I hope they would place customer relations above a petty $10 fee to monopolize the GPS feature. I doubt they'll do anything but shrug it off, so if and when they do this, I'll get to work on a bypass to basically tell Verizon to shove it up their ***. Ive seen a few Verizon 8830's running GPS internally, so it CAN be done despite whatever it is Verizon claims. I have an idea of what blocks the use, so it shouldnt be too hard to overcome if Verizon insists upon this bad business method.

[anon(1060539)]

I think we would all love for you to figure it out Mattfutch!

[mattfutch]

Well we'll see what happens If anyone else is working on this and would like input or to see what ideas I have, PM or pin me...I'm happy to share

Just as a thought, I find it kind of funny that Verizon allows us to create our own ringtones through MP3 and Audacity, but wont let us use the GPS without fees. Don't they score a good 2 or 3 bucks per tone we purchase off of their stuff? Not that I'm agreeing this is ok, but it sounds like they may have it backwards on their business plan. We'd b**** a little less about the ringtones, or at least I would.

[the_elf]

Matt:

I, too, would love it if you could engineer the unlocking of my GPS. If you can make it happen, setup a PayPal, and I'll happily donate to you.

I think I'm going to take a stab at a letter here soon. It's time to get some more complaints rolling.

[ofelas]

Matt: agreed; I'll pay as well.
We are a nation of innovative doers, let's git 'er done!

[Slvr]

I would donate as well. Looks like you could make a significant return from helping us out with this problem

[tommyjlee]

I would more than gladly donate also, if you can make GPS work somehow.