Shareloc's blog - Navizon's community weblog

Watch our coverage grow

No, this is not the new map of red states and blue states but Navizon's global coverage map. Cellular coverage is in Blue and Wifi coverage is in Red.

You need to have Google Earth on your computer to view it.

Navizon for iPhone - now with the "Slider"

A new version of Navizon has been released today. One of the most interesting features of this new version is the Navigation panel, or "Slider".

The Slider can stay on top of the Maps and  will give you full control of the application while your position is being displayed:
- click on the "Moving mode" and your location will be updated every 10 seconds. That way, you don't have to keep pressing on the "LocateMe" button like a maniac.
- click on the "Buddies" icons and your buddies will be displayed instantly

This new version will also let you run Navizon in the background while you are doing other things with your iPhone.  This means that you can now display the location of your loved ones in real-time with the Buddy Finder and use our exciting new feature called the Navizon Alerts, which will let you receive an email each time you or one of your buddies enters a  geographic area.

If you are reading from an iPhone, you can view the video here.

This new version works on all firmware versions and can be installed by adding our repository to Installer. In order to do that, launch the Installer, go in Sources then "Edit" -> "Add" and enter http://repo.navizon.com

Have fun!!

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Navizon alerts now available

We just launched a new feature called the "Navizon Alerts". With this feature, you can create a circle anywhere on the map defining a geographic region (like shown on the picture). Then each time you (or any of your buddies) enters or gets out of this area and email can be sent to the address of your choice with a custom message.

So for example I can
- have an email sent to me each time my daughter gets to school safely.
- I can have an email automatically sent to my wife when I am leaving the office (no more overcooked dinners hehe...)
- I can receive a notification as soon as my parents arrive at the airport so that I don't have to wait endless hours at the arrivals
etc, etc, etc....

To create an alert, just log on to the member section and click on Alerts -> Create alert. You can view all your alerts in the same section.
Obviously, in order to work you will need to configure Navizon on your phone so that you "appear visible" (or "send your location" depending on the version you're running).

This is going to be total fun! Enjoy!!

New rewards calculation

Some news on the rewards front. First we rounded the amount of each reward to $20. No big deal you might say...
But more importantly, we upped the points for the Wifi and Cell towers that you are the first one to map: 3 points per Wifi access point and 15 points for each cell tower. Yes you heard me right: 3 points and 15 points!!
However, you will earn a little less points for Wifi and Cellular towers that have already mapped by other people (2 points per cell site and 1 per WiFi access point) . 

So what does this mean to you:
- if you are mapping a place that has been "unexplored" by other Navizonians, you are going to get much more points than before (50% more to be precise).
- if however you are mapping a place that has been mapped over and over, you are still going to earn points, but a little less. Keep in mind though that there are new Wifi and Cellular towers that are installed every day. So even if you leave in a placed that has been heavily mapped already, you might still be picking up brand new towers in addition to the points for wifi/cell towers already mapped that you will be getting.

So let your Christopher Colombus spirit express itself and enjoy being the first one to explore new territories with Navizon!

New version for Blackberry and Symbian phones

We released a new version of Navizon for Blackberry and Symbian phones. Among other things, we resolved some connectivity issues on the Blackberry and we included new maps (picture 1) from 8motions.

On some Blackberries you will also be able to use the maps that are built-in in your Blackberry (picture 2).

All in all, it should make the application faster and the navigation more user friendly. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed in the forum .

Some other exciting features are coming up, so stay tuned for more...

Navizon Lite now available, and it's free!!

We just launched a new version of Navizon called Navizon Lite. This version will let you get your position using the closest cell towers around you with an accuracy of approximately 1500 meters (1 mile), something similar to what Google Maps offers with its "My location" feature. Navizon Lite is available for the iPhone, Windows Mobile, Symbian/Nokia and Blackberry devices.

For those of you who need a more accurate positioning system, Navizon (full version) might be for you. It includes the power of Wifi positioning combined with Cellular positioning, offering you an accuracy of approximately 10 to 30 meters in an urban setting.

Navizon Lite includes a 15 day free trial of the full version. Once your trial period expires, it will automatically switch to the Lite version unless you decide to upgrade to the full version for a one-time fee of $24.99.

Here's a little side-by-side comparison between Navizon Lite and the full version of Navizon:

	Navizon lite	Navizon
Cellular GPS
WiFi GPS
Accuracy (without GPS)	1000 m	10-30m
Buddy finder
Directions
Rewards (if GPS available)
Trail

Google and Privacy? No worries, right?

So I took a look at Google Maps' latest feature called "My Location". Works OK on some device. I wouldn't say it's as good as Navizon, but it's not too bad for a start.

What intrigued me however is the privacy aspect of this whole thing and the way the collect the cell towers information. According to Steve Lee, Google Maps Mobile's project manager who spoke to CNet: "We're creating a database of cell tower locations and that database is built from people using Google Maps for Mobile," Lee said.
OK, fine. So I guess it has been logging the cell towers' positions when I was using Google Maps on my Nokia N95 which has a built-in GPS. I wish I could have known that Google Maps was collecting information on my whereabouts, but fine...

What gets more interesting is when you look at the FAQ dealing with the privacy aspect of this application:
"This location information is also only in our system when a user has opted-in to the My Location (beta) service".

Wait a minute!! I did not opt-in to anything when they were collecting the cell towers on my N95. Not only Google didn't tell the user that it was collecting data in the background, but I looked closely in the previous versions and there was no way to turn this thing off and prevent Google Maps from sending your location to Google's servers.

So according to Google's privacy policy, this thing works on an opt-in basis but according to Steve Lee, it has been collecting data thanks to the users... whether they wanted it or not.
Hmm... I say spyware.

I'm sure that Google took the time to add in the terms that they "might be collecting information" which would make it legal.  Legal... but definitely not ethical.

Update: Google Maps finds Malc right in his house... and he lives in the countryside nowhere near a cell tower. Yet another evidence that Google Maps is logging the users' GPS position in the background.  Apparently you can now prevent it from doing sending the radio info along with your location but that was not the case in previous versions...

Update2: Did I say "Legal but not ethical"? Well, it turns out that even the legal part is in question now according to this person who posted a comment on this New York Times article (check posts number 54, 56 and 58).

Your diary on Google Earth

We just added a new feature that allows you to keep track of your locations and display it on a map. It looks cool on Google Maps but it's even cooler on Google Earth.

For those of you a who travel around the world, that can be a nice way to make a diary of your trip: you could for example add bookmarks on all the places you visited.
Just an idea...

Navizon Buddy Finder now on the iPhone

A new version of Navizon (with a Buddy Finder) is now available for the iPhone.

With this version you can add your friends to your Buddy list with a click of a button . Then click on "Buddies" to see where they are on a map.

To add one of your friends, just click on the button "Add Buddy", enter your email address and your friend's email and that's it!

Your friend will receive an notification with a link to click on and you will be able to see each other's location.

You can also join public groups that have been created by other users or create your own group that you can make public or private: just click on the "Manage my account" button to manage your Buddy list and the groups you belong to.

With the Buddy Finder you only share your whereabouts with the people you want. And on top of it you can decide when you want to send your location with other and when to remain private. So in case you are worried about privacy, we have good news for you: you are in full control.

This new version also includes enhanced positioning algorithms that makes it work in many more places.

This new version can be downloaded via Installer.App. It is working both with firmware 1.0.2 and 1.1.1.

Oh and I almost forgot: this new version comes with a free trial.

Get it at http://www.navizon.com

Navizon for PC and MAC

Many people have been asking us: "I have a phone that cannot connect to a GPS but I do have a GPS device. How can I contribute".

Well, there is good news for you: the version of Navizon for PC and MAC is now fully operational.

Some of you might say this is not new and they would be right since the desktop version was launched a couple of months ago.
But what is new is that you can now use it to map wifi access points and cell towers (if you have a Nokia or Sony Ericsson phone paired with your computer) if you have a GPS device.

LEAVE MY IPHONE ALONE!!

Cyril doesn't seem too happy that the latest iPhone update removed all his applications...

And for those of you who may have been trapped in a cave for the past 3 weeks and just got out, here's the original.

Navizon for iPhone is alive and kickin'

There have been some rumors circulating that Navizon will stop development for the iPhone because of the 1.1.1 firmware  that doesn't allow third party applications.

This could not be farther from the truth.

As a matter of fact, we are just about to release a new version that will have many new great features.

All we said is that whoever purchased Navizon and cannot run it on the 1.1.1 iPhone (just like any other application actually) will get a refund.

But anyone who likes it and wants to keep using it after the free 15 days evaluation period is free to buy the Virtual GPS service.

To conclude that the development for the iPhone will stop is plain false and quite frankly, a bit laughable.