View Poll Results: Would You Use This App?

Voters
22. You may not vote on this poll

  • YES, This looks like a useful application!

    18 81.82%

  • No, it doesn't seem necessary.

    3 13.64%

  • I'm indifferent about the entire concept.

    1 4.55%
05-22-09 07:46 PM
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  1. Taterfry's Avatar
    Taterfry
    As many advanced users may know and many new users don't, when you turn on your GPS to "location on" instead of "emergency 911 only", your battery tends to die faster!
    The only problem is, if you need the gps for a few minutes, you have to dig into your options to turn it on, use the GPS enabled application, Then dig into your options again and turn it back off. This tends to slow me "and possibly many others" down when trying to use my application on the go.

    A remedy to make this task so much faster would be to design a simple "on/off" button. All it would have to do is just what it implies, turn the gps on or off. If you really wanted to get technical, you could add in and on/off indicator in the icon itself!!... any suggestions?

    If anybody could give me some insight on how to go about writing this, please PM me!!
    Last edited by Taterfry; 05-22-09 at 04:12 PM.
    05-22-09 04:06 PM
  2. Moosecakes's Avatar
    Moosecakes
    This would be awesome! It doesn't seem hard but I'm no programmer.. I know c++ a bit lol but that's worthless here. I'd really like to see an app like this!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-22-09 04:10 PM
  3. Taterfry's Avatar
    Taterfry
    Originally Posted by Moosecakes
    This would be awesome! It doesn't seem hard but I'm no programmer.. I know c++ a bit lol but that's worthless here. I'd really like to see an app like this!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I too know a little C++, but I sure would love to start learning java with this simple app!!
    05-22-09 04:13 PM
  4. Moosecakes's Avatar
    Moosecakes
    I tried java once. It was just confusing lol. Then again I was never fantastic at c++ either

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-22-09 04:18 PM
  5. Yesterdays Shoveler's Avatar
    Yesterdays Shoveler
    Could be handy, but I would really like to see is the ability for apps to turn on the GPS "on-demand". Open Google Maps and it fires the GPS if it's not already enabled. Exit Google Maps and it shuts off the GPS.
    05-22-09 04:24 PM
  6. wentouch's Avatar
    wentouch
    Not sure if it can be done but this feature has been suggested as an add on to QL and would be handy if it could be added.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-22-09 04:24 PM
  7. Taterfry's Avatar
    Taterfry
    Originally Posted by wentouch
    Not sure if it can be done but this feature has been suggested as an add on to QL and would be handy if it could be added.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    If this where an actual app, you could add it to QuickLaunch and use it from there, eh?
    05-22-09 04:27 PM
  8. wentouch's Avatar
    wentouch
    True but probably be more direct and efficient adding it to one of the shortcut apps, IMO. I'm just wondering if its possible.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-22-09 04:33 PM
  9. brianr0131's Avatar
    brianr0131
    I thought it was proven that the power consumption was negligible. No?
    05-22-09 06:07 PM
  10. freakoffashion01's Avatar
    freakoffashion01
    I asked Cheetah about adding it to Quick Launch, and it can't be done.... RIM blocks any access to "core" systems like GPS..... which probably means that "on-deamnd" probably wouldn't work (though that would save so much time)

    I hate having to go through OPTIONS every time i need GPS.... I'm experimenting though how much faster the batter drains if I keep it on all the time..... i have 3 chargers and a car charger..... so i'm covered in that regard
    05-22-09 06:15 PM
  11. Taterfry's Avatar
    Taterfry
    Originally Posted by brianr0131
    I thought it was proven that the power consumption was negligible. No?
    Are there sources?
    05-22-09 06:16 PM
  12. nightfishing's Avatar
    nightfishing
    it's been discussed several times.

    The GPS does not use any (or at least very, very few) cycles unless an app is calling on it.
    05-22-09 06:19 PM
  13. Khalnath's Avatar
    Khalnath
    Originally Posted by nightfishing
    The GPS does not use any (or at least very, very few) cycles unless an app is calling on it.
    This is what I would expect, given that all the BB GPSes are the SiRFstar III chipset. This is a very common (and good) GPS chipset found in standalone GPS units such as those made by Garmin, and it has very low power consumption. The chip itself does its own thing and doesn't need to piggyback on the CPU. The CPU becomes involved when an application decides to make use of the data it gets from the GPS.

    My handheld GPS is an older, less efficient chipset. It runs for several days on three AA batteries. I really don't think the GPS itself provides a substantial power drain.

    Google Maps, on the other hand, runs the radio to download the map segments.
    05-22-09 07:02 PM
  14. wentouch's Avatar
    wentouch
    Personally, I just care about, you know, the "man" having the ability to track me with GPS on. Heh.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-22-09 07:40 PM
  15. Khalnath's Avatar
    Khalnath
    Originally Posted by wentouch
    Personally, I just care about, you know, the "man" having the ability to track me with GPS on. Heh.
    Your BB needs a tinfoil hat. Make sure you wrap it all the way around, and for extra effectiveness, connect a wire from the tinfoil to a metal railing or the side of your desk.

    Note: This won't hurt your phone, and I guarantee nobody will be reading your GPS coordinates!
    05-22-09 07:46 PM
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