Problem Solved with Garmin Mobile XT on Samsung Blackjack

I’ve been using Garmin Mobile XT on my Samsung Blackjack for about 2 months now, and love it. But a week ago, it suddenly started crashing after the splash screen. After several attempts at solving the problem with Garmin support (who weren’t much help, I’m sorry to say), I just decided to bite the bullet and do a hard reset of my Blackjack to see if that would help. Sure enough, after the hard reset and a reinstall of Garmin Mobile XT, it’s back to working normally.

I’m not sure what caused the problem in the first place, since it had worked flawlessly for over a month. It may have had something to do with my installing Google Maps Mobile or Live Search, as these both have the ability to access the Garmin bluetooth GPS receiver, which I had tried. I had to play with the COM port settings, which I think is when my problem with GMXT started. It was useless anyway, since GMXT is far more advanced than these two programs, but I at least wanted to give them a try.

Goodbye Garmin Mobile XT, Hello Mapquest Navigator

I am (or at least, I was) a big fan of Garmin Mobile XT, which is a version of Garmin’s navigation software that runs on smartphones. It really is an excellent product, and Garmin has just made it even better with their recent upgrade to version 5. I give Garmin top marks for their user interface; it’s the best I’ve used. And the fact that you get all of the online capability (gas prices, etc.) with no subscription fee makes it an attractive tool for people that don’t want to pay a monthly fee for something like AT&T’s TeleNav. However, that is the extent of my good comments about Garmin Mobile XT (GMXT), especially after a recent bad experience with Garmin customer service. Let me explain a little about that.

My recent grievance with Garmin has more to do with their terrible licensing scheme and product packaging, than it does with the product itself. It has to do with the various incarnations (versions) of this software that Garmin markets. When I first purchased GMXT in February 2008 for my Samsung Backjack (which has no builtin GPS receiver), I asked Garmin support which version I should buy if I wanted to build routes on a PC, then transfer them to GMXT. I was told to buy the “Garmin Mobile 10 for Laptops” version, which comes with a bluetooth GPS puck, nRoute navigation software for the PC, Garmin Mobile XT software (to be installed on a smartphone from a PC), and City Navigator NT maps of North America. Since February, I’ve been happily using GMXT on my Blackjack. My problems started when I decided to upgrade my phone to an AT&T Tilt, which has a builtin GPS receiver. Thinking that I could just reinstall GMXT on my new Tilt, I followed the same installation procedure as I did for my Blackjack. Unfortunately, Garmin neglected to tell me that this version of GMXT they recommended to me had to be used with their GPS puck; it will not recognize an internal GPS receiver. Not only that, but when I asked Garmin support what I could do to get my GMXT to run on my Tilt, I was told that I had to purchase the “Smartphone edition” of GMXT. That’s right, they want me to spend another $99 for the same software and maps that I just bought less than a year ago, just packaged in a different form. Nope. I don’t think so, and I don’t care how great their software is. If they had offered me, say, a 50% discount on the other version, I might have gone for it. So through their bone-headed licensing scheme and pitiful customer service, they’ve managed to alienate a once-loyal customer.

So what do I do now? Well, I could still use GMXT with my Tilt if I continued to use their GPS puck, but one reason I got the Tilt was because it has a builtin receiver, so I’m not going to do that (just on principle). Since I have an unlimited data plan with AT&T anyway, I decided to try out the 2 major “online” competitors: Telenav and Mapquest.

I won’t waste time talking about Telenav; suffice it to say that I saw nothing attractive about the product. When you click on “Get Telenav” on your AT&T phone, what you get isn’t even a full version of Telenav, which makes it hard to evaluate their product. The second choice, Mapquest Navigator, is a different story. It’s not as well-polished as GMXT or Telenav, but it wasn’t until I started using this product that I realized how seriously out-of-date Garmin’s maps are, even the most recent ones (2009). The Mapquest maps are more accurate (at least in my area) than Garmin’s, whose maps still show a bridge down the road from us that hasn’t existed for 15 years! Mapquest correctly shows a dead-end road. I even verified with Navteq that their database does not have the bridge 2 years ago, so why does Garmin still show it, even on a 2009 map? And for only $50 a year for Navigator, I’m getting current maps, gas prices, and other online goodies for much less than the price of a Garmin map update, which in my case aren’t up-to-date anyway, as well as announced streets (text-to-speech), which GMXT still doesn’t support.

I still prefer GMXT’s interface, and I’m not yet convinced that Navigator’s routing is as efficient as GMXT’s, but if you’re paying for an unlimited data plan already, Mapquest Navigator may be a better solution. And if I was Garmin, I’d think about changing their “we’re the only game in town” attitude.

The BlackBerry® Bold

The BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone is pure innovation. Discover how it can power the passions you pursue.

1 Requires activation with data plan.
2 Depending on the amount of built-in memory available for use, a third-party microSD card may need to be properly inserted into the BlackBerry smartphone to enable the video recording feature. MicroSD cards may be sold separately.
3 Actual speeds may vary by carrier and are dependent on network load.
4 Windows Media Player is only supported by PC.
5 For BlackBerry Media Sync to work your media enabled BlackBerry smartphone must be connected to your computer via a USB cable. Certain music files may not be supported by the media player, including incompatible file types and files that contain digital rights management technologies.
6 BlackBerry Media Sync is compatible with devices featuring BlackBerry Device software v4.2 or higher. Devices that do not feature built-in mass storage capabilities (significant amounts of on-board memory) will require a microSD card to be properly inserted.
7 BlackBerry Media Sync is compatible with 32-bit editions of Windows XP Service Pack 2 which requires iTunes version 7.0 or higher; AND 64 and 32-bit editions of Windows Vista which requires iTunes version 7.2 or higher. Not compatible Windows 2000. Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5 require iTunes version 7.7.1 or higher.
8 All applicable charges will still apply for the purchase of music from iTunes.
9 Only available where BlackBerry Maps service is available.
10 Wi-Fi access may be blocked in certain locations. Users should also investigate the level of security available on any Wi-Fi network they are considering connecting to.
11 Requires BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.1.5
12 WordToGo does not support Microsoft Word 2007
13 The BlackBerry Bold smartphone is designed to access 3GPP RTSP mobile streaming websites. When streaming functionality is accessed via the WAP Browser, significant, additional charges may apply. Check with your service provider for supported features and services.
14 Results may vary. Network availability and coverage affect battery life and are dependent upon a number of factors, including location and transmission environment.

Garmin Mobile XT

Garmin just announced Garmin Mobile XT, maps and software packed into a microSD card, that turns select smartphones with GPS into Garmin navigators. What is different about Mobile XT is that in addition to static preloaded maps it also provides access to dynamic content like real-time traffic alerts and fuel prices, without any monthly fees.

Currently Garmin offers maps for North America and Europe on this microSD card where NA version includes United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The software will kick into action once the card is inserted into a compatible smartphone with embedded GPS and users will see the familiar “Where to?” and “View map” welcome screen.

Garmin Mobile XT also includes a new feature called PeerPoints that lets users to send their position to any other phone and also navigate to precise location of other users. Garmin Mobile XT is already for sale for $99. Maps will come from Navteq which was recently bought by Nokia.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

Global Positioning System was developed by the United States' Department of Defense. It uses between 24 and 32 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals. This enables GPS receivers to determine their current location, time and velocity. The GPS satellites are maintained by the United States Air Force.

GPS is often used by civilians as a navigation system. On the ground, any GPS receiver contains a computer that "triangulates" its own position by getting bearings from at least three satellites. The result is provided in the form of a geographic position - longitude and latitude - to, for most receivers, within an accuracy of 10 to 100 meters. Software applications can then use those coordinates to provide driving or walking instructions.

Getting a lock on by the GPS receivers on the ground usually takes some time especially where the receiver is in a moving vehicle or in dense urban areas. The initial time needed for a GPS lock is usually dependant on how the GPS receiver starts. There are three types of start - hot, warm and cold.

Get Premium Map Data

With spoken turn-by-turn directions and millions of points of interest (POIs), Garmin Mobile XT puts robust content right at your fingertips. You can upload custom points of interest and conveniently navigate to contacts in your address book. Garmin Mobile XT also provides dynamic data to help you make better-informed decisions at a moment’s notice. And with an intuitive user interface, moving maps and off-route recalculation, you’ll be able to navigate with confidence. It’s powerful functionality that you’ll only find with Garmin Mobile XT.

Go Anywhere

With no network coverage required, Garmin Mobile XT works anywhere. Simply plug the microSD card (with miniSD and standard SD card converters) into your compatible phone with built-in GPS and go. Since Garmin Mobile XT works outside your phone's coverage area, you'll get directions when you need them most.

Enjoy Dynamic Content*

Garmin Mobile XT includes access to a wide range of Garmin Online™ services such as traffic, weather, gas prices and more. Receive real-time traffic information about upcoming traffic tie-ups and road construction and navigate around congestion. You can also get weather forecasts for your location or anywhere in the world and compare local gas prices when you travel with your phone. Garmin Online is accessed through your phone's wireless data service.

The hot start is when the GPS device remembers its last calculated position and the satellites in view, the almanac used (information about all the satellites in the constellation), the UTC Time and makes an attempt to lock onto the same satellites and calculate a new position based upon the previous information. This is the quickest GPS lock but it only works if you are generally in the same location as you were when the GPS was last turned off.

The warm start is when the GPS device remembers its last calculated position, almanac used, and UTC Time, but not which satellites were in view. It then performs a reset and attempts to obtain the satellite signals and calculates a new position.

The receiver has a general idea of which satellites to look for because it knows its last position and the almanac data helps identify which satellites are visible in the sky. This takes longer than a hot start but not as long as a cold start.

And finally – the cold start is when the GPS device dumps all the information, attempts to locate satellites and then calculates a GPS lock. This takes the longest because there is no known information.

The GPS receiver has to attempt to lock onto a satellite signal from any available satellites, basically like polling, which takes a lot longer than knowing which satellites to look for. This GPS lock takes the longest.

In an attempt to improve lock times, cellphone manufacturers and operators have introduced the Assisted GPS technology, which downloads the current ephemeris for a few days ahead via the wireless networks and helps triangulate the general user’s position with the cell towers thus allowing the GPS receiver to get a faster lock at the expense of several (kilo)bytes.