We’ve been banging on about satnav’s simplistic genius since bagging our first in-car job a few years back. Once the preserve of the US military, the Global Positioning System is now a central feature in our everyday tech. GPS and its good buddy satnav help you find your way without causing the kind of argument that makes you wish you married the other one.
Now it’s on your phone too, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just a cut-down version of the real thing. Sure, the battery takes a hammering, but use it sparingly with the right apps and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Download a city guide and you can be king of the trip when you step off a long-haul to wherever you’re going next. Pubs, clubs, attractions and plenty more are easy to find by search or on the map and you can even dial ‘em up to make a reservation.
Satnav-to-go can help you get fit too. Nab the Sports Tracker app and your GPS module will stuff it full of altitude and speed data so you can measure how far and fast you’ve run. Go further by exporting the route and plugging it into Google Earth to see where you’ve been.
We’re a way off satnav-in-your-pocket matching up to a dedicated device - try plotting London to Glasgow and you’ll kill the battery. If you want to use it as a regular satnav, make sure your car has a fag lighter for power.
Spice up your snaps with a bit of on-the-go geotagging. Download Shozu. the photo-sharing app (check out the review here), and with a few simple options checked you can add a positioning reference to every shot you shoot, displaying them all on a map when you upload to your Flickr account.
We reckon a there’s a ton of new apps and functionality in the works. We’re holding out for the Satnav Twitcher - bird watching on your blower. Nice.
Mapping essentials
Download Maploader
Why? It’s free, for one, and it’ll speed up the Maps app on your N95. it also means you can plug maps into a host of other Noks.
Where? You need to pick up the software from the Nokia site and install it on your PC (sorry no Macs unless you’re running Parallels). Once installed you can download maps to your PC for transfer to your phone over Bluetooth or USB. Stock up on memory though, the UK alone hugs over 120Mb.
Get some guidance
Why? The N95 doesn’t come with voice guidance in the box, you need to upgrade. Do this from your phone and you’ll get turn by turn guidance when you’re using the satnav function. This is essential if you plan to use the N95 in your car.
Where? Right from your N95. You can pay by credit card over the web or have it added to your mobile phone bill – the system sucks a bunch of premium text messages from your phone to make up the cost.
Get a GPS module
Why? Don’t have an N95? Doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun. Hook the Nokia LD-W3 GPS module up via Bluetooth and you can turn your N-series into an N95-like mobile navigator.
Where? Check it out here. You need to make sure your phone is compatible before making the plunge. You can also use the Maploader to get mapped up.