Slashdot Mirror

Just use OsmAnd, which is totally free and open source and can be used totally offline. Fuck Google and Microsoft.

OsmAnd+ on F-Droid

OsmAnd http://osmand.net/ is a great Android & iOS app for Open Street Map. Tons of features and layers like hill-shades and contour lines make it great for hiking as well.

Maps.me https://maps.me/download/ is a really pretty app that uses Open Street Map data. It is less customizable than OsmAnd, but more user-friendly.

I've also enjoyed using the Mapfactor Navigator app when driving https://play.google.com/store/... . It gives a nice 3D view which I can't get with OsmAnd.

There are many more as well, but these are some of the ones I've found more useful.

Without the Play Services, what do you actually use on the phone?

Play Services

My phone came with Play Services, arguably I'm entitled to run them. Who cares where I got them? Google apparently doesn't care.

Now, with that said:

Do you have a decent map application?

osmand

What email app? Does it have push notifications?

The default app works, although it does not have push notifications. Poll more.

I assume you don't use YouTube or any other streaming services either. Is it really a "smart phone" without the apps.

There are apps.

Do you huntdown and manually install all your apps?

You could do, or you could use getjar or f-droid...

How many work without adsense or other google services?

Lots don't. Many do. If you get them from one of the above, they won't.

CyanogenMod was great, but without installing Gapps it seems a bit pointless to me. How many people honestly run a mobile device with no app store?

Cheap phone plus CM equals bitchin' feature phone.

But seriously, installing gapps is not hard.

Stop sending them the contents of all your emails

I dumped GMail for Kolab, and am quite satisfied with that. Costs $3 per month for a privacy-friendly webmail based in Switzerland.

block their tracking shit that's all over the web

Using Disconnect, Self-destructing Cookies, and UBlock Origin seems to get rid of most of the crap on the web without breaking anything.

use alternate map services

There's the OpenStreetMap project: check out this online and this for mobile.

But does OpenStreetMap have an iOS app like Google Maps does?

Yes, see for example http://osmand.net/

osmand

F-Droid has a pretty good catalog nowadays. I've eliminated everything proprietary from my phone life except for Google Maps and those pesky hardware drivers. Osmand is pretty close to replacing Maps too... navigation basically works (even offline, although I've yet to try using it for more than echoing routes I already know) but POI searching is hit and miss (e.g. when searching for my bank it says the closest location is 17mi away, when there's one about 3mi away). It's actually nicer in a number of ways: maps and POI data can be stored offline (I have my entire state stored, what's 400M when you've got a 16G SD card?), you can record GPX routes (without eating tons of battery even), navigation can be simulated, it has a handy elevation and distance tool (great for biking), ...

Android tablet as a center console gives you access to OsmAnd, and any relatively recent Garmin unit can easily handle Lambertus' conversions, both giving you nice, OpenStreetMap maps updated several times a year.

Get an Android phone. Get OSMand. News for posers who won't lift a finger? Stuff that has been solved for you if you just look?

Osmand is outstanding. You can get the latest build for free and/or as donationware from the Android market.

Osmand is outstanding. You can get the latest build for free and/or as donationware from the Android market.