GPS - Half of GPS users been given duff information

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Half of GPS users been given duff information | The Register

nickw7coc@gmail.com

2007-08-04, 4:33 am

Half of those using stand-alone GPS equipment have been sent down the
wrong road thanks to out of date or inaccurate information, though not
all of them directly into a river.

TeleNav, who make software for GPS-equipped phone handsets, hired
survey-company Zoomerang to poll 500 users of stand-alone GPS
equipment. Half of those polled reported getting the wrong directions,
with almost as many complaining of inaccurate business information.

The problem seems to stem from outdated or inaccurate information,
rather than any failure of the positioning technology.

More and links to other stories http://www.theregister.com/2007/08/...he_t
ime/

Burnie M

2007-08-04, 10:33 pm

Half of those using stand-alone GPS equipment have been sent down the
wrong road ONCE (maybe more)

- my change but it more accurately reflects the true situation

Vector maps contain millions of pieces of data.
If only 3% of them were wrong I would consider them extremely
accurate. In actual fact I believe that the error rate is less than
0.5% (half of 1 percent) which is brilliant.

If even one error happens to be on your route then yes that will cause
you a problem.

I get a little tired of articles that expect mapping data to be 100%
correct when literally no other data or product anywhere in the world
is regardless of price
This includes paper maps.

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:52:19 -0700, "nickw7coc@gmail.com"
<nickw7coc@gmail.com> wrote:

>Half of those using stand-alone GPS equipment have been sent down the
>wrong road thanks to out of date or inaccurate information, though not
>all of them directly into a river.
>
>TeleNav, who make software for GPS-equipped phone handsets, hired
>survey-company Zoomerang to poll 500 users of stand-alone GPS
>equipment. Half of those polled reported getting the wrong directions,
>with almost as many complaining of inaccurate business information.
>
>The problem seems to stem from outdated or inaccurate information,
>rather than any failure of the positioning technology.
>
>More and links to other stories http://www.theregister.com/2007/08/...he_t
ime/

Recon

2007-08-07, 10:33 am

That's right Burnie. The two technologies here have to be
distinguished.
This has nothing to do with GPS and has everything to do with base
maps. If real GPS positioning was off 3% we would certainly know about
it. However it is impossible to keep current base maps up to date.
Those have to be created by governments and private companies and when
one base map is completed a new subdivision road goes up the following
week.
We are not navigating the ocean here people!

Alan Browne

2007-08-09, 10:33 am

Ah the power of a stupidly written headline. That half of users have
had a bum steer occasionally does not mean that half of all uses are bum
steers.

I've had bum steers from GPS s/w, but it's also saved me hours and hours
of time in both planning and navigating trips. Faced with finding a
small hotel in Rome and driving, without a GPS I would have been really
screwed. GPS made it a relative snap.

Funniest one was on vacation in Colorado trying to get to Great Sand
Dunes NP. We drove a back road from the Walsenburg area to a road that
showed in Microsoft Streets going through the hills into the park.

And indeed it did but it was fenced off and only available to hikers.
As we walked back to the SUV, there was another fellow in his SUV
holding his laptop in disgust. Exact same error.

But, all in all GPS nav has saved me 100's of minutes for every minute
lost over a bad steer.

GPS is a time and energy saving utility. I would not travel without one.

nickw7coc@gmail.com wrote:
> Half of those using stand-alone GPS equipment have been sent down the
> wrong road thanks to out of date or inaccurate information, though not
> all of them directly into a river.
>
> TeleNav, who make software for GPS-equipped phone handsets, hired
> survey-company Zoomerang to poll 500 users of stand-alone GPS
> equipment. Half of those polled reported getting the wrong directions,
> with almost as many complaining of inaccurate business information.
>
> The problem seems to stem from outdated or inaccurate information,
> rather than any failure of the positioning technology.
>
> More and links to other stories http://www.theregister.com/2007/08/...he_t
ime/

Alan Browne

2007-08-09, 10:33 am

Recon wrote:
> That's right Burnie. The two technologies here have to be
> distinguished.
> This has nothing to do with GPS and has everything to do with base
> maps. If real GPS positioning was off 3% we would certainly know about
> it. However it is impossible to keep current base maps up to date.
> Those have to be created by governments and private companies and when
> one base map is completed a new subdivision road goes up the following
> week.
> We are not navigating the ocean here people!

Very well put. OTOH, one also has to recognize that the navigations s/w
is not "wrong half of the time" but that 1/2 of people surveyed had
experienced an error. Very big difference.

Robert Peffers.

2007-08-09, 10:33 pm

"Alan Browne" <alan. browne@FreelunchVide
otron.ca> wrote in message
news:t6Fui.19$t_.775@wagner.videotron.net...
> Recon wrote:
>
> Very well put. OTOH, one also has to recognize that the navigations s/w
> is not "wrong half of the time" but that 1/2 of people surveyed had
> experienced an error. Very big difference.
What seems to be the case is that while the GPS is a navigational aid some
users treat it as if it is the Holy Grail. The user is supposed to do the
navigation WITH THE AID of the GPS. There are workers out there as we speak
making changes to some part of the map area covered by your Sat/nav. These
changes will not show up on your unit so YOU are supposed to make the
decisions not the machine.
--

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).

Nigel Wade

2007-08-10, 7:33 am

Robert Peffers. wrote:

>
> "Alan Browne" <alan. browne@FreelunchVide
otron.ca> wrote in message
> What seems to be the case is that while the GPS is a navigational aid some
> users treat it as if it is the Holy Grail. The user is supposed to do the
> navigation WITH THE AID of the GPS. There are workers out there as we speak
> making changes to some part of the map area covered by your Sat/nav. These
> changes will not show up on your unit so YOU are supposed to make the
> decisions not the machine.

Indeed, the operative word with sat. nav. being guidance, not instruction.

However, it is easy to get misled. Only a couple of months ago I was up in
Scotland and the sat. nav. routed me along a nice shortcut - that was until the
very minor road it wanted to take me along to cross a river was closed. It
re-routed me, but by god knows where.

With a paper map you stop and look and plan a route along what you consider to
be suitable roads. With sat. nav. the tendency is to follow it in blind faith,
until you discover that your faith is misplaced.

--
Nigel Wade

Gordon Hamm

2007-09-11, 10:33 pm

On 2007-08-03 23:52:19 -0700, "nickw7coc@gmail.com" <nickw7coc@gmail.com> said:

> Half of those using stand-alone GPS equipment have been sent down the
> wrong road thanks to out of date or inaccurate information, though not
> all of them directly into a river.
>
> TeleNav, who make software for GPS-equipped phone handsets, hired
> survey-company Zoomerang to poll 500 users of stand-alone GPS
> equipment. Half of those polled reported getting the wrong directions,
> with almost as many complaining of inaccurate business information.
>
> The problem seems to stem from outdated or inaccurate information,
> rather than any failure of the positioning technology.
>
> More and links to other stories
> http://www.theregister.com/2007/08/...he_t
ime/

I am from British Columbia, Canada and street level mapping is useless
outside the cities. Software with routing is fine for the cities when
you want to find a address, gas station, restaurant etc. But besides
that you need a gps
mapping program like OziExplorer for you laptop or OziCE for your
pocket PC. By using OziCE(pocket pc) for raster topographical mapping
which can be Google Earth images, marine charts, USA DRG's etc. and a
Street level mapping program like Iguidance you will have the best of
both worlds.

wwerewolff@yahoo.com

2007-09-13, 12:33 pm

I think my GPS has an evil sense of humor. It takes advantage of me
when I'm half asleep and not paying much attention except to its
directives, at which time it delights in taking me on circuitous
routes to no place or to back where I started. The worst, though, was
the time it led me into some sort of sinister unmarked armed camp and
what that was I do not know, and I was lucky to get out of there in
one piece!

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