Help The OFFICIAL Google Navigation Thread

taz55 · Nov 25, 2009

I love this tip, I made shortcuts for a few places I may need directions to. I travel a lot, this will be really useful, I have them all in a folder on the left home screen.

CoolKidd · Nov 25, 2009

This is a nice tip!

rawness · Nov 25, 2009

nydrumboy said:
How did you get home before you got your Droid???

Sometimes I go from point A to point B then to point C. Now I could get back to A, but I'm not used to going from C-A, and although I'll think there's a quicker way, I'll go the roundabout way. This would be helpful then.

chefboyardee said:
Falcor.

Wow, I just learned that dolphin browser can d/l youtube videos to the SD!!!

Deleted User · Nov 25, 2009

JoeC said:
Using an actual home address set into your device is a bit dangerous. GPS navigators are targets of thieves that take the device (from vehicles, typically) and then go to the unsuspecting owner's home to rob it. I heard this was a new MO for brazen thieves.

When setting a home location, use an address near your actual home for safety reasons.

Works for me... if my phone gets stolen I'll just grab my SIG 556 rifle and sit on the steps waiting for the guy to "bring it back..."

minyangmao · Nov 25, 2009

thaJack said:
Works for me... if my phone gets stolen I'll just grab my SIG 556 rifle and sit on the steps waiting for the guy to "bring it back..."

can I be your neighbor? =)

Deleted User · Nov 25, 2009

minyangmao said:
can I be your neighbor? =)

Absolutely you can.

Oh, and don't forget, with some of the technology in the phone, I could just go and "pick it up" without having to wait for him to bring it back!

Jump right online and see where it is.

minyangmao · Nov 25, 2009

A Google Navigation Tip I found to make a "Go Home" shortcut on your home screen:

http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/21200-google-navigation-go-home-button.html

Also, re: using google nav for walking - CardioTrainer works well for that, or AndAndo is another; if it's to mark your parking spot, GPS Status works decently for free (hit Radar, then "Mark")

minyangmao · Nov 25, 2009

thaJack said:
Absolutely you can.

Oh, and don't forget, with some of the technology in the phone, I could just go and "pick it up" without having to wait for him to bring it back!

Jump right online and see where it is.

True true...app "Where's My Droid" is an easy way, and there's other more security-focused apps that do the same I think; yeah...poor thieves would have quite a surprise when the police show at their hideout with guns drawn =P "wtf?!" =)

minyangmao · Nov 25, 2009

I've tried Pandora and Last.FM, and have to say that for me Pandora > Last.FM - Pandora tends to play more songs that I like - seems their algorithm matches songs I like better than Last.FM. I only switched to Last.FM for a few months because Pandora pissed me off by limiting my listen time to 40 hours a month and required payment after that. I'm back now though because the songs just tend to be more what I want. It may be because I've trained Pandora for longer than I've trained Last.FM, but who knows. Pandora works well on Android too.

rawness · Nov 25, 2009

minyangmao said:
True true...app "Where's My Droid" is an easy way, and there's other more security-focused apps that do the same I think; yeah...poor thieves would have quite a surprise when the police show at their hideout with guns drawn =P "wtf?!" =)

hmm, I was looking for mobile defense, but couldn't find it in the market, what are the other apps?

minyangmao · Nov 25, 2009

rawness said:
hmm, I was looking for mobile defense, but couldn't find it in the market, what are the other apps?

I wanna say "iGuard" and "Sheriff Android" both do the whole GPS tracking thing, but I haven't used them so I don't know.

ethan1013 · Nov 26, 2009

I like the built-in scrobbling. Which was a feature I would have liked to have on the iphone.

nydrumboy · Nov 26, 2009

droidism said:
I've had my Droid for going on 3 weeks and there are features that I have yet to try. Yesterday I tried the navigation for the first time and although it was highly functional, its beta status is definitely evident. Today I decided to try out the music player. To start I created a music folder and dropped a few of my favorite albums in it...easy enough!

While listening to a song I clicked on the menu button and was given an option to save as ringtone. One clicked and it was saved!

Ok here is the part that impressed me the most.

While listening to a song I noticed a squiggly looking icon in the notification area. I pulled down the shade and there was a notification that said "Now Scrobbling" followed by the name of the artist and song that was currently playing. I clicked on the notification and LastFM, which by the way is much better than Pandora, opened showing a picture of the artist and name of song currently playing. On this screen I was given the option to buy, share, tag, or add song to my Last FM playlist. This process continued with every song played. Pretty neat how LastFM is integrated with the Droid music player.

I know these features may not be new to most but it goes to show the complexity of the phone. I have been consumed with the Droid almost everyday since bringing it home but still I manage to find new features.

Oh and by the way, there were no popping or cracking noises that others have reported when listening to music using headphones.

Did you already have Last.fm installed, or did it get pushed down?

tnorris · Nov 26, 2009

Another way you can do store a Home like location (that I personally prefer) is to create a custom map on google maps under the "My Maps" selection on your desktop. Then, in the Droid maps application go to Menu->Layers and select the layer that has the "Home" that you added. The map will move to your placemark and you can select it just like any other placemark and then navigate to it.

I like this way because it doesn't clutter up my home screen with icons.

Also, I think you can do something similar with the My Maps app, but I haven't tried it that way yet.

I also haven't tried adding multiple placemarks yet, I'm not sure how it would work then.

JRSly · Nov 26, 2009

JoeC said:
Using an actual home address set into your device is a bit dangerous. GPS navigators are targets of thieves that take the device (from vehicles, typically) and then go to the unsuspecting owner's home to rob it. I heard this was a new MO for brazen thieves.

When setting a home location, use an address near your actual home for safety reasons.

I don't understand...why do they need a GPS to find a house to rob? There are houses everywhere. Is the idea that they steal your GPS from your car and since your car and GPS is out that no one must be at home? Or are GPS systems supposed to be signs of enormous wealth?

minyangmao · Nov 26, 2009

tnorris said:
Another way you can do store a Home like location (that I personally prefer) is to create a custom map on google maps under the "My Maps" selection on your desktop. Then, in the Droid maps application go to Menu->Layers and select the layer that has the "Home" that you added. The map will move to your placemark and you can select it just like any other placemark and then navigate to it.

I like this way because it doesn't clutter up my home screen with icons.

Also, I think you can do something similar with the My Maps app, but I haven't tried it that way yet.

I also haven't tried adding multiple placemarks yet, I'm not sure how it would work then.

yeah I did the way you described until I found the way I posted above; I have a custom maps on google maps with multiple placemarks, but I find going to google Nav -> menu -> layers -> select my custom map -> scroll to my home -> aim my fat fingers to hit my home on the map (or more likely zoom in and scroll to get in close enough to hit my home) -> hit "Navigate"; this process is painful! I much rather go to my home screen, hit my little shortcut (or in this case, I've taken another poster's suggestion and put them in a folder on the home screen so I have like 7 locations shortcuts that take up just one 1x1 block on the home screen), or hit the folder, and hit the proper location, and badaboom, I'm on my way home. Give it a try, I like it a LOT better than my previous way =)

neumannator · Nov 26, 2009

THANKS! just set it up

johnlgalt · Nov 26, 2009

Yeah, I was unaware that last.fm was integrated to Andoird / DROID....

matty1124 · Nov 26, 2009

Ok so yesterday someone posted that you can put a location on your desktop for quick navigation home. But on my Garmin I loved having all of my favorite places (I'm a foody, so lots good places to eat).

So today while in my office (the can :rolleyes:

) I thought why not just add a folder to the home screen and just add them to the folder. Well it wasn't that easy, but almost. First, what I did was create the folder. Next, opened the folder and long pressed and held like I would on the home screen. This allowed me to create a short-cut (destination, created just like you would on the home screen). Oddly enough the icon for the destination ended up on the home screen, and not in the folder. So what I did was close the folder. Long click on the new destination icon (what ever you named it), and dragged it to the new folder. Do this over and over again until you have a folder filled with all your favorite destinations.

Edit: I just discover that you can change the name of the folder. Open it up and just long click on the top of the open folder where the name is. It will open up a title change box.

JoeFresco · Nov 26, 2009

I think the theory is that they choose targets at sports games or concerts where they know the person won't be moving for a while.

Charlie.Masone · Nov 26, 2009

I did this and it attached a picture of my house that is in my contact, now the robber will know he got the right place, guess I sould change it to my neighbors address and take a pic of their home

Maltheaus · Nov 26, 2009

minyangmao said:
True true...app "Where's My Droid" is an easy way, and there's other more security-focused apps that do the same I think; yeah...poor thieves would have quite a surprise when the police show at their hideout with guns drawn =P "wtf?!" =)

I've got a co-worker whose daughter has a non-Android phone that has GPS tracking. It was stolen from her on spring break this year. Verizon told Dad how to track it via a website (after they turned this on for him). He called the cops in the town, and gave them the address (and website so they could see for themselves). That was one surprised crook when the cops came and recovered the phone and hauled his butt to jail.

eNons3nse · Nov 26, 2009

Scrobbling is built in? I downloaded easy last.fm scrobbler and had to set it up.

BTW. I only have crackling and popping if I turn the volume up too loud. That's kinda to be expected I guess.

kkluesner · Nov 26, 2009

This is awesome.. thank you for sharing!

pirahna · Nov 26, 2009

minyangmao said:
I wanna say "iGuard" and "Sheriff Android" both do the whole GPS tracking thing, but I haven't used them so I don't know.

InstaMapper - Free Real-Time GPS Tracking This works great.

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