[steved61]

Will we ever be able to use the voice activated GPS version of Live Search with the Blackberry Storms and Curves? I have done a lot of web searching and I am still unsure. Some posts claim it will be a part of the next Blackberry upgrade, and other claim it will never work right because Verizon has locked the GPS function of the phones . My family just got our phones on Friday and we are still in our 30 day return window. My wife is adamant about this feature. So far I am really loving my Storm (my 1st Smartphone), but if Live Search is not on the horizon, I think we will be returning the phones and trying another provider . Thanks for any info.
Steved61

[grumpyoldman]

Verizon does lock the GPS, it only works with VZN and BB maps. I download LiveSearch to the Storm and it wouldn't open. I used it all the time on my Treo and Curve. There are several others out that do work on the Storm and are Voice guided. I use a GPS receiver (Freedom wireless keychain GPS) to get the other programs to work. I also used this with my other VZ smartphones

[Nevadadrifter]

I was still under the assumption that VZW had not locked down the GPS on the Storm, and that all we were waiting for was a software update to get some of the GPS programs running properly.

I know that Google Maps is still getting just triangulation only, but isn't Garmin's software working properly on the Storm?

[grumpyoldman]

VZW and RIM tech support told me only those 2 will work with internal GPS. RIM said its at carriers discertion what apps can use GPS.

[Flexia]

THEY DO NOT LOCK THE GPS ON THE STORM!! The curve is lock but the storm works just fine. Verizon only locks aGPS which helps get the gps faster by using the cell signal but even still once you are locked on to satellites it doesn't matter.

Also Live search is not out yet for the storm. I have been waiting for it and I had it on my curve with a gps puck and it worked great

[grumpyoldman]

So what programs work with the built in GPS?

[ADay8945]

Verizon does lock the GPS, it only works with VZN and BB maps. I download LiveSearch to the Storm and it wouldn't open. I used it all the time on my Treo and Curve. There are several others out that do work on the Storm and are Voice guided. I use a GPS receiver (Freedom wireless keychain GPS) to get the other programs to work. I also used this with my other VZ smartphones

Seriously? How many times has it been clarified that the GPS on the Storm is NOT LOCKED?

There are a TON of third-party apps that utilize the GPS just fine. Garmin Mobile, Nav4All, Weatherbug, TeleNav, etc.

[steved61]

My wife is disabled and has limited use of her hands. The Storm so far has worked great for her, but being able to push 1 button and get information and directions would be a great help to her. We tried Sprint for less than 2 weeks before they drove us away with the customer service problems (7 mistakes in 2 weeks), during that time see used the Instinct with Live Search and fell in love with the application. I love the Storm and so far Verizon has been great, but at this time she really wants this application. Thanks for any help or information.
SteveD61

[Lylej2k]

THEY DO NOT LOCK THE GPS ON THE STORM!! The curve is lock but the storm works just fine. Verizon only locks aGPS which helps get the gps faster by using the cell signal but even still once you are locked on to satellites it doesn't matter.

Not true. From your main screen, Settings/advanced settings/gps and enable location aiding. My storm locks instantly. My 6800 which i didn't enable aGPS (I could have cuz you can hack the crap outta WM) took 30 seconds to a minute to lock from a cold start. On a warm start anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds.

[Flexia]

Not true. From your main screen, Settings/advanced settings/gps and enable location aiding. My storm locks instantly. My 6800 which i didn't enable aGPS (I could have cuz you can hack the crap outta WM) took 30 seconds to a minute to lock from a cold start. On a warm start anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds.

It is true. Verizon only uses aGPS for vznav. If aGPS was unlocked we would have a working gps signal with google maps.

For the OP try searching for a program called vlingo. It is a text to speech that let's you do web searches and sms messages. Also try google maps. It has a speech search but right now gps doesn't work but it uses cell triangluation

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Lylej2k]

It is true. Verizon only uses aGPS for vznav. If aGPS was unlocked we would have a working gps signal with google maps.

For the OP try searching for a program called vlingo. It is a text to speech that let's you do web searches and sms messages. Also try google maps. It has a speech search but right now gps doesn't work but it uses cell triangluation

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I think its google maps itself that doesn't work right with the storm. GM doesn't require aGPS to work. I don't have aGps enabled on my xv6800 and google maps works fine. I'll post up a screenshot in a second.

Edit: Live search works also without aGPS. I'll grab a screen of that too, once the 6800 is booted up.

First shows the 6800 with a lock on 4 sats
Second is SS from Google maps(6800)
Third is SS from Live Search (6800)
Fourth is SS from BB maps, showing lock on 8 sats.

Both are sitting in the same spot, and my BB is up to 10 currently and the 6800 is on 4 still. That's aGPS if I've seen it
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/...f455aa8c_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/...262e027a_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/...48270e79_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/...9e3fe4af_m.jpg

[Lylej2k]

Links are up, see previous post.

[Flexia]

Google maps works on the storm if your out of verizon

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Lylej2k]

Google maps works on the storm if your out of verizon

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Then yes, the GPS is locked down from being used on 3rd party apps. Its like the MR1 update for the 6800. I unlocked mine using a custom rom, had I gone Official I would have lost all GPS capability with my 6800 unless I used VZ nav. Its how Verizon gets people...

I'm fine using BB maps, I can follow the little purple line! lol. I don't need it spoken to me.

[Gendail]

No the gps is NOT locked to 3rd party apps. Google maps has not been updated to work with the storm on VZW yet. This has nothing to do with gps being locked but everything to do with cell technologies. Vzw uses cdma and while most other carriers and Europe use gsm. I believe google maps uses aGPS which is locked by VZW, if you are using a gsm tower then google will work as its not verizons tower that is being used. I hope that makes sense.

Again the gps is not locked at all om the storm this has been proven many times over

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Lylej2k]

Ok thanks for clearing that up. I was getting a little confused

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[freshgeardude]

Verizon does lock the GPS, it only works with VZN and BB maps. I download LiveSearch to the Storm and it wouldn't open. I used it all the time on my Treo and Curve. There are several others out that do work on the Storm and are Voice guided. I use a GPS receiver (Freedom wireless keychain GPS) to get the other programs to work. I also used this with my other VZ smartphones

nope, not true. Verizon does NOT lock it. for instance I have nav4all and it works with the gps fine

[grumpyoldman]

I stand corrected. I finally got mine to work today. on programs other than BB maps. I only can say i was told other wise by RIM and VZW. The GPS does work on NAV4all.

[drPheta]

Any word on Live Search? Been waiting for it for a while now.

[plasticberry]

No where in blackberry literature, verizon's product literature, or any 3rd party
Info has a statement of BB 9530's GPS being locked. No where.

There is no MS Live search available on 9530 like it does on ms win mobiles. You can use bb map, google map, or
Vz navigator, or other substitutes.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com