Cell + WiFi positioning from Navizon, plus make money on the move! |
  |
|
 Jan 3 2008, 16:19
Post
#1
|
||
 The Main Man  Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage  |
While Google Maps is doing a great job of bringing cell based positioning to the masses, it's not the only or even the first to do so, and just lately i've been checking out one of the other players in the market... Navizon.
I'm going to talk about a few different aspects of Navizon. First, there is the consumer application. Available for a number of platforms including Windows Mobile, the Navizon application basically allows you to pinpoint your position without a GPS device using either cell towers, or wifi access points - a unique approach. 2 versions of the application are available - a lite version (which does cell positioning), and the $24.95 commercial version which includes both cell positioning and the wifi positioning. So what can you do with the app? You can perform 'find my nearest' type queries, plot your current position on a map, upload your current position, you can locate your Navizon buddies, you can place a 'Geotag' that can be read later by other Navizon users at a location and you can upload data to Navizon. The data i'm referring to here is the cell and WiFi access point data that your device sees as you travel around. Lastly, if you are using the non-lite version of the app, you can even expose Navizon's position as a 'Virtual GPS' for use in other programs. You could effectively provide positioning data to other programs such as Live Search via Navizon! Does it work? Yes, it really does! Assuming you are within Navizon's coverage area (we'll get to this in a moment), it works really well. Before using Navizon I hadn't really considered today's near ubiquitous WiFi as an enabler to approximate positioning, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. The application seems well written and feature packed, and i've been using it for the past week with no real complaints. So, what's the coverage like? Here we come to the next aspect of Navizon I want to talk about. Navizon's coverage is user contributed. That means that an area will be covered if it has been previously mapped by a Navizon user. This is what I was referring to when I talked about 'data upload' above. Now this is where it gets really cool too. Navizon don't expect you to be nice people and just upload your data for free (although we are of course, right?), they're willling to pay you for it. They're going to give you 10 points for each cell you log, and 2 points for each WiFi AP you log (you only get credited the first time you personally log each individual cell / AP). Every 10,000 points, you can redeem a reward and claim $20 via PayPal. 10,000 points? Whoah, that's a lot, i'll never earn that! You might think that, and to be honest, I was probably of that school of thought.... until I tried it! In the name of research, on Boxing Day, I installed Navizon on my Kaiser. I figured that since I would be driving around between Christmas and New Year, visiting family and always running CamerAware, I might as well have Navizon on too. So, I ran it, it coexisted perfectly with CamerAware, and between then and my return home yesterday (i.e a period of about 1 week of moderate driving), i've clocked up 18,000 points! That's nearly 2 rewards, and nearly $40!  Below is a pic of my current Navizon rewards status, and I have also included a screen capture from Navizon from 1 of my journeys. Believe it or not this is 1 journey of only 15 miles through Central London to the Emirates Stadium home of Arsenal on New Years Day. You probably would not clock up these points on any other 15 mile journey, but it goes to show what is up for grabs!   Neato! Anything else? There's a couple of other cool things. The first is that when you refer other people to Navizon, you get awarded 20% of the value of their points. So, for every 10,000 they earn, you get 2,000 too, at no cost to them. Even better for people like me though, is the Navizon Developer API. It allows you to implement Navizon cell positioning in your application for FREE, and potentially even allows developers of GPS based applications such as CamerAware to allow users to earn points directly from within their application. Imagine getting paid just to drive around and be told where the speed cameras are. Brilliant! OK, sounds great - where do I sign up? Simply head over to the Navizon page (this is my referral link btw), download the application, and get started! If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to post here, i've been hammering the application pretty intensively the past week  Enjoy! P [Edit: For anyone who has logged points and referred me, PM me your MoDaCo Username for a small token of my appreciation (a free AdFree sub)  ][Edit 2: If you get prompted for a referral code, enter '5E5B59565E'. Thanks! ]
-------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
 |
 
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 16:52
Post
#2
|
||
|
The Main Man Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage |
They pay too
P 
-------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 22:47
Post
#3
|
||
|
Regular  Group: Posters Posts: 119 Joined: 3rd June 2006 Member No.: 192,972 Device(s): XDA Oribt, MDA Vario III |
Signed up Paul with your referral link
 Kimbie |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 22:52
Post
#4
|
||
 Enthusiast  Group: Posters Posts: 252 Joined: 29th April 2005 From: Italy Member No.: 126,630 Device(s): Samsung SGH-i600 (WM6) |
For me it doesn't work
  what is wrong? -------------------- Weird things and Mitac Mio 8390 downloads on http://digilander.libero.it/tipika
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 23:13
Post
#5
|
||
|
Regular Group: MoDaCo Ad Free Posts: 137 Joined: 11th July 2006 From: Sunny Island Member No.: 197,771 Device(s): HTC TYTN II |
QUOTE(Paul (MVP) @ Jan 3 2008, 16:52)  They pay too P But they short changed you 40 cents! |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 23:20
Post
#6
|
||
|
Regular Group: Posters Posts: 119 Joined: 3rd June 2006 Member No.: 192,972 Device(s): XDA Oribt, MDA Vario III |
QUOTE(Stuart_f @ Jan 4 2008, 00:13) But they short changed you 40 cents! That 40 cents is crossed over Paypals palm |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 23:36
Post
#7
|
|||
 Newbie  Group: Posters Posts: 27 Joined: 20th November 2005 From: Reading Member No.: 159,411 Device(s): Touch Dual (Niki) on T-Mobile |
Might have missed it but ... I think there should be a MoDaCo public group on Navizion.
Si -------------------- |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 3 2008, 23:54
Post
#8
|
|||
 Enthusiast Group: Posters Posts: 236 Joined: 6th January 2003 Member No.: 1,648 |
QUOTE(simonster @ Jan 4 2008, 00:36) Might have missed it but ... I think there should be a MoDaCo public group on Navizion. Si Coudln't have mentioned this before I drove to Ireland and back with GPS switched on all the way? |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 00:21
Post
#9
|
||
 |_-_-_-_-_-_-_| Group: Moderator Team Posts: 1,630 Joined: 31st December 2004 From: Near Norwich, UK Member No.: 104,092 Device(s): T-Mobile MDA Vario III |
QUOTE(simonster @ Jan 3 2008, 23:36) Might have missed it but ... I think there should be a MoDaCo public group on Navizion. Si Was going to ask about that - would be good. -------------------- - Tony Sutton
- My Ford Focus ST170 car - Using MDA Vario III with 6GB MicroSD card - Got Phone, GPS and WiFi together? Sign up & Make Money with Navizon! |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 03:09
Post
#10
|
||
|
Newbie Group: Posters Posts: 9 Joined: 22nd February 2007 Member No.: 232,082 Device(s): Samsung BlackJack, imate JAM |
Yes Paul, you are right. We may think that 10000 points is too much to earn. I just stood outside my apartment for 5 min and when i checked my account after that i got almost 250 points. This is awesome. Thanks for the tip.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 08:59
Post
#11
|
||
|
Enthusiast Group: Posters Posts: 252 Joined: 29th April 2005 From: Italy Member No.: 126,630 Device(s): Samsung SGH-i600 (WM6) |
i cannot understand how to track
 it says tracker disabled and the phone icon is turned off.. -------------------- Weird things and Mitac Mio 8390 downloads on http://digilander.libero.it/tipika
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:03
Post
#12
|
||
|
The Main Man Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage |
If the phone icon is turned off on Smartphone, you probably need to install the cert CAB, which is on www.navizon.com when visited from your Smartphone¿
P -------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:05
Post
#13
|
||
|
The Main Man Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage |
Thanks tsutton and kimbie - your referral points are showing in my account so it definitely works!
P -------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:07
Post
#14
|
||
|
The Main Man Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage |
QUOTE(nycnerd @ Jan 4 2008, 03:09) Yes Paul, you are right. We may think that 10000 points is too much to earn. I just stood outside my apartment for 5 min and when i checked my account after that i got almost 250 points. This is awesome. Thanks for the tip. If (as your name suggests) you are in NYC, you should be able to earn very wel due to the volume of Cells and APs in metropolitan areas (like my short drive across London mentioned above)! P -------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:17
Post
#15
|
||
|
Regular Group: Posters Posts: 119 Joined: 3rd June 2006 Member No.: 192,972 Device(s): XDA Oribt, MDA Vario III |
Seems to be working fine, was amazed at my short 15 mile drive on the A15, i came across 86 APs and 15 cell sites
Kimbie |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:43
Post
#16
|
||
|
The Main Man Group: Admin Team Posts: 19,929 Joined: 6th November 2002 From: Norwich, UK Member No.: 1 Device(s): HTC Advantage |
I'm amazed there's not more replies to this topic
P -------------------- Paul O'Brien - Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices, MoDaCo.network Founder. Check out my Blog! £10 off a £20 spend at eXpansys - click for details |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:52
Post
#17
|
|||
|
Regular Group: Posters Posts: 76 Joined: 29th April 2003 Member No.: 5,214 |
I've been using Navizon for over a year. I once went from Battersea to the West end and returned with over 5000 points. When I started most of central London was un-mapped, so i decided to map Covent garden, the City etc on foot. I earned $120, got fit and saw lots of London. The number of AP's in some places is astounding and its more than capable of positioning you within 2-3meters, the higher the building density the better the mapping which is completely the opposite of GPS. I've also taken it on holiday to a few ski resorts and mapped the Eurostar journey to the resorts.
It works with Google maps and other navigation software to simulate a GPS device. The software has many features and advantages over other mapping applications, for instance you can store the maps tiles locally to any size so you can do it at home via wifi and avoid data download via the cell service. This post has been edited by peterweg: Jan 4 2008, 10:00 |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 09:56
Post
#18
|
||
|
|_-_-_-_-_-_-_| Group: Moderator Team Posts: 1,630 Joined: 31st December 2004 From: Near Norwich, UK Member No.: 104,092 Device(s): T-Mobile MDA Vario III |
The only downside I can see is that with GPS, WiFi and phone on all the time, it eats up the battery!
-------------------- - Tony Sutton
- My Ford Focus ST170 car - Using MDA Vario III with 6GB MicroSD card - Got Phone, GPS and WiFi together? Sign up & Make Money with Navizon! |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 10:05
Post
#19
|
|||
|
Regular Group: Posters Posts: 76 Joined: 29th April 2003 Member No.: 5,214 |
QUOTE(tsutton @ Jan 4 2008, 10:56) The only downside I can see is that with GPS, WiFi and phone on all the time, it eats up the battery! Thats true but you have the option of setting how often the wifi is checked, Navizon can mange the power consumption, mapping at high speed uses power quickly if you just want to get your position its barely noticeable. I have an external GPS and getting a quick fix from cold start is far easier than using GPS - which hates getting a fix while you are moving and sometimes fails to do so - stopping while the GPS and applications start up is a pain. Navizon starts almost immediately This post has been edited by peterweg: Jan 4 2008, 10:07 |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jan 4 2008, 10:15
Post
#20
|
||
|
|_-_-_-_-_-_-_| Group: Moderator Team Posts: 1,630 Joined: 31st December 2004 From: Near Norwich, UK Member No.: 104,092 Device(s): T-Mobile MDA Vario III |
I have an old smartphone and external GPS... I wonder if I can wire them up so I can set it up and leave it in my car, tracking all the time. Hmmm!
-------------------- - Tony Sutton
- My Ford Focus ST170 car - Using MDA Vario III with 6GB MicroSD card - Got Phone, GPS and WiFi together? Sign up & Make Money with Navizon! |
||
|
|
|
||
|