Application that shows Lat/Long etc without maps?

[BruceRTL]

Originally Posted by delta_foxtrot2

The other way is to buy your own signing keys ($20 or there abouts currently) and sign other peoples apps so you don't need to turn on the firewall. I really don't know how they come up with these schemes that are so annoying that people really end up just turning them off at the first chance.

Pop-up warnings only serve to annoy users into clicking ok...

I ordered a key and will hopefully have it in the next couple of days. I will need to sign B* for some cool upcoming options I'm adding to it. Are you saying that once it's signed we won't have the issue that LadyThena is describing? That's worth the 20 bucks right there.

[delta_foxtrot2]

Originally Posted by BruceRTL

I ordered a key and will hopefully have it in the next couple of days. I will need to sign B* for some cool upcoming options I'm adding to it. Are you saying that once it's signed we won't have the issue that LadyThena is describing? That's worth the 20 bucks right there.

Hmmm I'm pretty sure that's what I said in my post before that too, guess my hints were too subtle...

[BruceRTL]

Originally Posted by delta_foxtrot2

Hmmm I'm pretty sure that's what I said in my post before that too, guess my hints were too subtle...

lol! I need it spelled out with big crayons. I prefer orange....

[delta_foxtrot2]

Originally Posted by BruceRTL

lol! I need it spelled out with big crayons. I prefer orange....

YES SIGNING KEYS FROM RIM WILL GET RID OF THE ANNOYING PROMPTS ABOUT FILE SYSTEM ACCESS

There that should about do it I'm thinking...

[BruceRTL]

That's better! Thanks

[delta_foxtrot2]

Although a little birdy thinks this might be OS 4.5+ only, earlier OS versions will still throw up errors, so to answer this one way or the other I've signed the same B* copy I'm hosting the only diff is one is signed the other isn't:

http://gpsavenger.sf.net/BlackStar.jad and http://gpsavenger.sf.net/signed/BlackStar.jad

[cook46933]

Here it is, BlackStar 1.3.3 Bruce and I have been working on further improving BlackStar and we hope you like the changes.

We have now set it up as an OTA download. However, if you install OTA, you may lose your waypoints. I think it considers it a new application with the same name and overwrites it. So I will post both options this time. These have been signed, so it should take care of the nasty popups when importing files.

OTA install: BlackStar v1.3.3 OTA
Desktop Manager: ZIP file attached

Changes include:
Redesigned main screen
1. Combined Compass face and bearing arrow. Similar to compass display on an handheld GPS receiver. The size of the compass has been increased.

2. Increased font on Latitude and Longitude display. Put away those magnifying glasses. It is still small, but much more visible.

3. Removed the Direction and Azimuth numeric displays to clean up the screen.

Waypoint Details screen
1. New tool for Geocachers: the bottom of the Waypoint Details screen now has a formatted URL that you can highlight and copy, then paste into your browser.
Below are the step by step instructions to find the closest unfound caches to your current location:

  1) Make sure you have logged into geocaching.com on your browser and selected the "Remember Me" checkbox.
  2) Create a new waypoint for your current position
  3) Show the waypoint details for this new waypoint
      a) At the bottom of the details screen, there is a formatted URL that takes you to the appropriate geocaching page. It will look something like this: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?lat=xx.xxxxxxx&lng=yyyy.yyyyyyy&dist=25&f=1 with the lat/lon replaced with the current position. 
  4) highlight this URL on B*, press the trackball and select copy.
  5) open your browser and paste the URL
  6) Once the page comes up, scroll towards the bottom of the screen and click on the "Check All" button. (this selects all 20 of the geocaches being displayed on your screen)
  7) Press the download button.
  8) Your BB will say it can't open this file, would you like to save it? Answer yes
  9) Change the name from nearest.aspx to nearest.loc (or whatever you want).  Just make sure the file name ends with .loc
  10) Go back to B* and import nearest.loc.
  11) Now have fun geocaching those caches closest to you!

List Waypoints Screen
1. added Export GPX menu option. Right now, it will export all waypoints to a file called BlackStar.gpx on your sd card. You can't change this filename with this release. Sorry, I got lazy. I mainly wanted to get this out there so that if future releases change the database layout, users can export their waypoints so they do not get lost. They can then be imported back in later.

2. Modified GPX import to help support more GPX files than just geocaching.com's GPX files.

3. Modified LOC import to get the cache name, not just the GC number.

4. Added filter to file listing so it only displays folders, GPX files, and LOC files
I think that about covers it. Enjoy!!

EDIT 12/9 - I had cut and pasted the "nearest geocaches" instructions from an email from Bruce, but I failed to edit them properly for this post. Hopefully they are clearer now.

[cook46933]

deckroid has confirmed that the new (signed) version works on the Storm. So the Storm must require all apps to be signed?

[delta_foxtrot2]

Originally Posted by cook46933

deckroid has confirmed that the new (signed) version works on the Storm. So the Storm must require all apps to be signed?

If you look through the JDE 4.7 documentation it tells you what functions require signing, and which are optional, but make things less annoying.

As for the wiping of waypoints, not quite it's a little more complicated than simply detecting a new version, if you change the object you are storing then they will mismatch between versions and the records will be ignored.

I'm currently trying to get my head round persistable objects, that store themselves in such a way that the object doesn't change between versions, and hence won't be wiped by the app loader etc, would be happy to collaborate on this as well we're trying to do the same thing specifically here, parse LOC/XML files in the most efficient manner possible., and then store that information in the most efficient way possible and loads the quickest, you might want to look at the SVN code I have done so far as I have tried numerous ways of doing the same thing.

You might want to look into "persistablevector", which uses a hash table rather than a vector.

[BruceRTL]

Originally Posted by cook46933

Here it is, BlackStar 1.3.3 Bruce and I have been working on further improving BlackStar and we hope you like the changes.

We have now set it up as an OTA download. However, if you install OTA, you may lose your waypoints. I think it considers it a new application with the same name and overwrites it. So I will post both options this time. These have been signed, so it should take care of the nasty popups when importing files.

OTA install: BlackStar v1.3.3 OTA
Desktop Manager: ZIP file attached

Changes include:
Redesigned main screen
1. Combined Compass face and bearing arrow. Similar to compass display on an handheld GPS receiver. The size of the compass has been increased.

2. Increased font on Latitude and Longitude display. Put away those magnifying glasses. It is still small, but much more visible.

3. Removed the Direction and Azimuth numeric displays to clean up the screen.

Waypoint Details screen
1. New tool for Geocachers: the bottom of the Waypoint Details screen now has a formatted URL that you can highlight and copy, then paste into your browser.
Below are the step by step instructions to find the closest unfound caches to your current location:

  1) Make sure you have logged into geocaching.com on your browser and selected the "Remember Me" checkbox.
  2) Create a new waypoint for your current position
  3) Show the waypoint details for this new waypoint
      a) At the bottom of the details screen, there is a formatted URL that takes you to the appropriate geocaching page. It will look something like this: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?lat=xx.xxxxxxx&lng=yyyy.yyyyyyy&dist=25&f=1 with the lat/lon replaced with the current position. 
  4) highlight this URL on B*, press the trackball and select copy.
  5) open your browser and paste the URL
  6) Once the page comes up, scroll towards the bottom of the screen and click on the "Check All" button. (this selects all 20 of the geocaches being displayed on your screen)
  7) Press the download button.
  8) Your BB will say it can't open this file, would you like to save it? Answer yes
  9) Change the name from nearest.aspx to nearest.loc (or whatever you want).  Just make sure the file name ends with .loc
  10) Go back to B* and import nearest.loc.
  11) Now have fun geocaching those caches closest to you!

List Waypoints Screen
1. added Export GPX menu option. Right now, it will export all waypoints to a file called BlackStar.gpx on your sd card. You can't change this filename with this release. Sorry, I got lazy. I mainly wanted to get this out there so that if future releases change the database layout, users can export their waypoints so they do not get lost. They can then be imported back in later.

2. Modified GPX import to help support more GPX files than just geocaching.com's GPX files.

3. Modified LOC import to get the cache name, not just the GC number.

4. Added filter to file listing so it only displays folders, GPX files, and LOC files
I think that about covers it. Enjoy!!

EDIT 12/9 - I had cut and pasted the "nearest geocaches" instructions from an email from Bruce, but I failed to edit them properly for this post. Hopefully they are clearer now.

I've created an option that will go directly to that geocaching URL so the cut/paste trick won't be necessary for long. I have also added a couple of cool options that grab weather and radar information for your current location. Works great in the simulator. As soon as I get my code signing crud from RIM, I'll test it. Hopefully we can get the release out in the next couple of weeks.

One of the things I like best about BlackStar is it's ability to work even when you don't have an internet connection. A couple of these items I've been playing with of course require an internet connection. However these options don't take away from B*'s original purpose.

[Leo J]

Originally Posted by BruceRTL

I ordered a key and will hopefully have it in the next couple of days. I will need to sign B* for some cool upcoming options I'm adding to it. Are you saying that once it's signed we won't have the issue that LadyThena is describing? That's worth the 20 bucks right there.

Hey I know you from the R.O.C

[BruceRTL]

Originally Posted by Leo J

Hey I know you from the R.O.C

Busted! Yes I own a Honda Ridgeline - the best dang vehicle on the road! And yes I frequent the Ridgeline Owners Club forum. But I'm a CrackBerry addict also. A Ridgeline and a BlackBerry. Life is good! Now we all know where the RTL part of my name comes from. I have a Ridgeline RTL! It's a small world. I know I need to get a life...

[Docliv]

I'm new to the forum......but just got a new Storm (my first Blackberry) and I'm just learning all that it can do. I downloaded Blackstar and it does work on the Storm. I was wondering if the keyboard could be hidden (most of the Storm apps have a "hide keyboard" command) so that more of the screen real estate could be used. This would keep you from having to scroll up and down as the Storm has a fairly big screen. I've also noticed the touch screen doesn't appear to work as smooth with the Blackstar app as it does with the built in apps. All in all, the Blackstar is a great application and my thanks and appreciation go out to the people that provided this. I would be willing to pay for this app as it matures and is refined. Again, thanks.

[emscapt47]

OK i want to start doing Geocaching but i have noticed when iam walking the compass goes in a few different directions then where iam going. What can i do about when iam walking and want to get the right direction? Thanks all.....

[BruceRTL]

Originally Posted by emscapt47

OK i want to start doing Geocaching but i have noticed when iam walking the compass goes in a few different directions then where iam going. What can i do about when iam walking and want to get the right direction? Thanks all.....

Yea I know, I get the same thing using my 8310 and I got the same thing back in the day when I was using a $100 Lowrance GPS to cache. In those days I use to bring a liquid filled compass with me and shoot the azimuth with that. The point is, it's not a BlackStar issue, it's a GPS issue. More modern GPS's like my cool Garmin Vista C has an electronic compass that is actually controlled by magnetic north instead of the satellites which makes it much more steady. It has to do with the "selective availability" (SA) which is the built in error our government adds to your GPS position, the fact that the GPS only knows where north is when you're moving, and how good the GPS signal is. It can be difficult downtown Phoenix where we have a lot of tall metal buildings. It can also be difficult in a thick forest on a cloudy day. That's why I like the desert. We have very few cloudy days and not to many forests!

The first time I used BlackStar to cache was a big dajevu. Just keep at it, walk at a descent pace, and attack the cache from several different angles. That's what works best for me. If it was easy - everyone would do it.

Happy Caching....