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GPS Map Viewer for PSP Released
DCEmu writes "Deniska has released a GPS Map Viewer for the PSP. The program uses imagery from Google Maps, which currently has pretty good coverage of North America, Western Europe, Australia, Japan. There's also a video on YouTube." According to the post, map data can be retrieved via WiFi or an external GPS receiver.
This story selected and edited by LinuxWorld editor for the day Saied Pinto.
This is why I like the PSP platform - versatility.
None of the games that came out for it are worth their cost and the cost of upgrading my 1.5 firmware. No thanks, I like being able to do awesome stuff like this on a high res handheld. Music, video, emulation, and all the homebrew you can ever imagine.
Now, Sony, if you pulled your face out of your ass and stopped trying to screw the homebrew community over, maybe the PSP could have sold more units.
Quoted:
= 30035
- GPS support: ability to read and interpret NMEA sentences from a GPS receiver communicating through PSP's serial port. Rather simple DYI hook up with GPSlim 236 receiver from Holux is explained in following thread: http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t
RTFA.
n/t
That has nothing to do with map data. That's transferring the positional data to the PSP.
"It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." -Peak Performance
Maybe you should try RTFA since it tells you it's through the serial port. It's a nice piece of coding. Nice to call bullshit without even looking at the guy's work. Oh wait, this is slashdot...
The map data is downloaded onto the PSP through its USB port, like anything else.
Aww, yes... for that large "handheld gaming/gps self-positioning" demographic. Glad that group is good with serial ports, cause they're going to need to fall back on that to get active GPS data to the device.
Funnypics
The summary does not have it quite right...
Wifi is used to get map graphics from google (cached on memory stick)
The article notes there is a script to "preload" maps for a given area.
The GPS is used for position data to show where you are on the maps.
Two different functions. Hope this clears up your confusion. %-)
We're halfway between a bunch of mushrooms with a plumber jumping around on them and a checkered landscape full of gold rings a hedgehog is running around trying to collect.
Well, maybe some kids will take a break from playing games to do some GeoCaching.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
So how exactly does the GPS receiver get the Google maps data?
Then why are you posting?
Are you one of those obnoxious kids who couldn't wait for the teacher to finish saying something before yelling out what you thought would be the answer?
Are you still so socially stunted?
Have you considered medication to help control this compulsion? Some sort of course in effective communication? Learning to sit on your hands?
Seriously, shut up. Go away. You're not contributing signal, you're noise.
Is this a troll? No, it's communicating to the too-quick-to-post asshats to actually skim (at least!) the damn article so they don't continually burp up inanities. It might be off-topic, but then anything that begins with "I have not RTFA" was pretty much assured to be that to begin with...
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
Quoth the article:
"- WIFI map retrieval: ability to acquire and store map data to memory stick over WIFI
- Linux/Cygwin script is also provided to generate a map of given size and detail for a given location."
Ostensibly, I'd say this means that, first of all, the program can connect to google maps directly from WiFi, download maps and handle the rest on the fly, this might be good if you had cellphone internet service. Secondly, it appears that there's a script that can download maps from Google's server, and store them on memory stick so they can be accessed when the device can't connect to the net.
I think it's a neat hack.
Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
Ok, I admit that I live in Texas, where every thing really is bigger. What? You don't beleive me. Well, look at this. Yeah, it's nearly 60 miles...
Now that we've settled that, you'd be surprised what isn't covered by Google earth here. We've been shopping for property and most of Texas, outside the major metropolitan areas isn't included in any detail. When Google finally decides that it's worth covering, maybe I'll spring for the app. Till then, I'll stick to my old school Mapscos. They're much more useful.
2 cents, QueenBHDGary secures my bank
I feel sorry for the PSP after all the crap that goes in its way. On paper, it was a great thing. You can play videos, music, games, and it looks cool (is the white version available elsewhere outside of japan?). But it didn't have that killer must-have game it needs to compete with the DS. Sad, so sad. Too bad it has to resort to hobbyist software (which isn't enough) and other niche stuff to be noticed.
. o O ( TwO hEaDs ArE mOrE tHaN oNe... )
Nice work! I have a similar project, but using J2ME, works on cell phones, palm and pocket-pc. :(
You can download Here, and is free. When I get some time, will upload it to sourceforge, i already have the project name reserved, SmartMap.
Would like to start it as a Google Project instead, but it says the name is taken
This is not a ha... wait, sorry, wrong site.
Maybe try looking at the getmaps.sh script in scripts directory, this is used to "generate" the maps.
There exists a J2ME mapping software - and I've seen it being tried on a GPS receiver paired with a Bluetooth-enabled Blackberry - map is retrieved from the network much like Google maps, and looks pretty cool...
It's a neat hack, but next to useless functionally. Usualy homebrew stuff for consoles has worthwhile funcionality. To use this hack you have to go over serial, use a cellphone with GPRS/Edge/whatever net access plus a laptop plugged into that phone that has a Wi-Fi card in it.
This reminds me of Maemo Mapper for the Nokia 770.
Life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh.
No guns? It said North America support didn't it?
Posting anon on this one..
Going by Google's TOS.. uses of google imagery/maps like this are a huge no-no in their books. Funny thing though, there are a lot of sites out there that use GE imagery in a TOS breaking way.
Wonder what will happen when Google finnaly decides it has to put it's foot down globally and stop the "It is ok for you, but NOT ok for you" game.
The article, supposedly written by the developer, says you can hook up a GPS through the PSP's serial port. Last time I checked, the PSP doesn't have a serial port...
Clear, Dark Skies
As the other reply to my comment indicates, apparently the jack where you hook up the PSP's "headphone remote" is actually a serial port.
Clear, Dark Skies
Give me more games, not more wierd shit. While I love Valkyrie Profile, can I have some good games that are not Playstation ports? Gamers by game systems to play games, so game makers should focus on giving us games to play.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
Natrium42 made the exact same thing a year ago, and I don't recall this being mentioned on SlashDot before..
- Agilo
With global positioning, a mapping tool, and wi-fi all on the PSP we can get an accurate real-time map of every landfill in the United States.
Im not going to debate the merits/flaws of the PSP, but anyone who has one knows that its an amazing piece of hardware with much potential. It has been crippled to death by Sony, and aimed at a younger audience to sell video games to. (I thought the "Plumber" reference was the funniest thing I ve seen in a while). Sony supposedly loses money on each PSP they sell, with hopes of making it back by licensing the games they sell to "Little Johnny"
So on one hand you have Sony, a global, multi-billion dollar corporation, devoting huge resources to keeping this device crippled and as closed-source a device as possible, vowing to "eventually eliminate the homebrew community"
On the other hand, you have a 'community' of people sharing information, disecting units, scouring through code to make their $200 "gameboy" do other things. Like stream media wirelessly from a PC, surf the internet, scan for wireless networks, control any infrared device, and much more.
The homebrew GPS navigation is a huge development. It first involves a hardware hack to interface a GPS reciever to the PSP, and then deploying the software. Is it as good as say a $500 Tom-Tom? No. But it probably will be, eventually. I imagine that you could easily emulate any of the very-expensive GPS nav. units on the market with the PSP.
Dad is gonna wonder why he blew $350-700 on a GPS when "Little Johnny's gameboy" does the job just as well. Plus Johnny can watch pr0n or play GTA on his GPS. Dad's GPS just does...GPS.
Sony announced earlier this year they would be releasing a GPS for the PSP in the US this Fall.
I guess the real debate should be whether people should give a sh*t about whether the big-corporation's business model makes them money or not, or whether that corporation has the right to dictate what you do with a product after the sale.
Anonymous Noob
Not exactly sure how this was moded flamebait, but ok. Aparently stateing facts is a bad thing.