gullsview

This application allows user to offline browse maps on screen of their mobile phone. Also enables position tracking on devices supporting either JSR 179 (Location API) or JSR 082 (Bluetooth API) with external Bluetooth GPS module. Mapping data (rasters, tracks) could be either packed into midlet suite or could be reached on local filesystem (memory card) through JSR 075 FC (Optional File Connection API). Application contains support for sharing user\’s current position with friends through microblogging service (Twitter.com is currently supported).

Application running on phone SonyEricsson K800i

Description

Application Gull\’s View allows user to use mobile device as off-line raster map browser with navigation feature using internal GPS capabilities or external Bluetooth GPS module.

Application itself does not contain any maps, user has to collect maps from other sources – eg. by downloading from some mapping service. Before downloading always read all terms of use or licenses of certain mapping service!

Application requires support of MIDP 2.0 (CLDC 1.1).

Currently are implemented following features:

• displaying map viewport and continuous moving in map using cursor keys
• optional fullscreen view
• optional landscape view (turned by 90 deg)
• drawing user\’s own traces and points of interest into map
• displaying length of every trace
• visualizing directions to selected target and its distance
• saving application state when exiting and its restoring during following start
• temporary pausing application
• switching permanent display backlight (available only on some SonyEricsson or Nokia devices)
• location using internal GPS (available on devices with support of JSR-179 Location API)
• Twitter support used for current position reporting

Experimentally:

• location using external GPS Bluetooth module (available on devices with support of JSR-82 Bluetooth API) – untested
• approximate location using currently registered BTS (GSM signal base) (available on some SonyEricsson devices)
• 3D view

Application Gull\’s View workflow diagram