Virtual Earth Mobile: Free Maps On-the-Go

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2006/02/07/VirtualEarthMobileUpdate.aspx' target='_blank'>http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile...bileUpdate.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060208-VEM1.jpg" /><br /><br />Jason Fuller has released an essential Virtual Earth Mobile update. On February 12, Microsoft's Virtual Earth (Windows Live Local) servers will switch to a new interface, thus rendering any old Virtual Earth Mobile clients inactive. So, now's a good time to grab the <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/attachment/526876.ashx">free v1.50 release</a>, which aside from supporting the new server interface, also packs a handful of new features such as driving directions (via MSN Mobile), a Wi-Fi locator, the asynchronous loading of maps, map stretching, improved zoom levels, a new help page, and support for integrated GPS on the HP iPAQ Mobile Messenger series.<br /><br />Additional screenshots can be found below. <!><br /><br />Virtual Earth Mobile offers three view modes: Road (above), Aerial, and Road &amp; Aerial (below).<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060208-VEM2.jpg" /><br /><br />You can get up close and personal with...<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060208-VEM3.jpg" /><br /><br />...everyone's favourite Flight Simulator airfield.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060208-VEM4.gif" /><br /><br />The new driving directions feature is a boon. Flag a starting point and a destination, and MSN Mobile will map out a route for you.

[vinodis]

this is a good competition to the Google Map Java Midlet.

[pcause]

I have both the Google one and this loaded. I think the Virtual Earth is superior. I have a question about Virtual Earth though. I turned on the GPS in the phone, but when I select "Locate Me" the app says it can't access the GPS. Ideas? I have a XVT6700 Smartphone.

[Jason Lee]

I have both the Google one and this loaded. I think the Virtual Earth is superior. I have a question about Virtual Earth though. I turned on the GPS in the phone, but when I select "Locate Me" the app says it can't access the GPS. Ideas? I have a XVT6700 Smartphone.

The XVT6700 doesn't have GPS. CDMA phones use location from cell towers but they call it GPS.
you will need to get a bluetooth GPS to use these features.

[crashdau]

I have both the Google one and this loaded. I think the Virtual Earth is superior. I have a question about Virtual Earth though. I turned on the GPS in the phone, but when I select "Locate Me" the app says it can't access the GPS. Ideas? I have a XVT6700 Smartphone.

The XVT6700 doesn't have GPS. CDMA phones use location from cell towers but they call it GPS.
you will need to get a beneath GPS to use these features.

I tried the same as pcause and get the same issue.

you will need to get a beneath GPS to use these features.
Can you clarify Jason?

[miterb]

Are address location capabilities limited to WM 5.0 operating system? I have a Dell Axim X50v but am still on 2003se. I can get maps and current location from WiFi but destination address searches are bombing out.
Brad

[Jason Lee]

you will need to get a beneath GPS to use these features.
Can you clarify Jason?

oops. stupid tablet pc handwriting recognition. that was supposed to say bluetooth. i edited my post. sorry about that. :)

[msafi]

what's the different between this application and mapopolis for example?

thanks for your help

[OSUKid7]

This is cool, although a little slower than I expected.

I also just got this error when attempting to zoom in:
VirtualEarthMobile.exe
IOException

__Error::WinIOError+0x8a
File::Move+0x55
DownloadRequest::OnSuccessfulDownload+0x7d
DownloadRequest::Download+0xc9
TileManager::DownloadQueueThread+0x69
TileManager::DownloadQueueThreadProc+0xd
Haven't duplicated it yet, but I'm trying. ;)

[Darius Wey]

what's the different between this application and mapopolis for example?

Mapopolis is a dedicated GPS navigation package requiring the use of a GPS receiver and their maps. Route tracking tends to be real-time.

Virtual Earth Mobile, on the other hand, leverages the power of Microsoft's Live Local technology to provide a mapping service that's not stuck to real-time tracking (like Mapopolis). Anyone can load Virtual Earth Mobile on their Pocket PC or Smartphone and access the maps. A GPS receiver isn't needed unless you want to track your current location. Virtual Earth Mobile will also provide aerial data on the maps. All the data is pulled direct from Microsoft's servers, so for the most part, you'll need some sort of wireless connection to get it going (e.g. GPRS, EV-DO, Wi-Fi, etc.).

[Darius Wey]

By the way, to anyone using this, Virtual Earth Mobile makes great use of the POOM API. The integration with Outlook Mobile is seamless. You can test it out in the application's Find menu.

[robert_biggs]

Are address location capabilities limited to WM 5.0 operating system? I have a Dell Axim X50v but am still on 2003se. I can get maps and current location from WiFi but destination address searches are bombing out.
Brad

I'm having the same problem with an X51v running WM5. Find Address does not work, even when I use the same format in the Help documentation. And I tried Locate Me using WiFi and it brought up a map of a city 3 states away. 8O

[bnycastro]

Is this for North America use only?

[Darius Wey]

Is this for North America use only?

Most of the detail is in North America. You can still browse maps all around the world, but Virtual Earth can't display roads in some countries yet.

[maximum360]

Cool program. The satellite maps are quite old though (I'm not sure hold old).

[inteller]

they should make this work with AGPS. If sprint can do it on the apps they sell, MS should be able to do it.

[Jason Lee]

Cool program. The satellite maps are quite old though (I'm not sure hold old).

I've noticed the higher population areas are updated more often. I know the maps for my area in SW Missouri are at least a few years old but newer than 10 years. :) Hard to narrow it down. But big cities are fairly up to date.

[haesslich]

I must say that the WiFi Locator works almost like magic - I loaded it up, did the locator... and within seconds it had me down to pretty much the building. 8O

I love this little thing - it's no replacement for a dedicated GPS unit or Microsoft Streets &amp; Trips, but it's a nice little 'extra' for Windows Mobile users with an available WiFi connection.

[vilasman]

I have loaded this program into my ipaq 4705, I have a hand held GPS reciever, A lowrance Global map 100. Can I down load maps into this program state by state? Can I find my location with my gps and then enter those coordinates into the program and then center a map based on those coordinates?

[Darius Wey]

Can I down load maps into this program state by state?

Theoretically, you could, but there are two issues associated with this. The first is storage space. Virtual Earth Mobile offers the option of configuring where to store maps (built-in storage or removable storage card), and the approximate storage space to consume (default - 500KB). Obviously, you'd need to have sufficient storage space to store detailed road and aerial maps of entire states (you'd be looking at hundreds of MBs). Secondly, the program doesn't have a download interface. Downloading maps is largely a manual process - that is, zoom into a state and scroll around with the D-pad. Virtual Earth Mobile is designed to fetch maps on-demand, so the lack of a download interface is understandable.

Can I find my location with my gps and then enter those coordinates into the program and then center a map based on those coordinates?

You can use the auto-find feature for GPS. Select it, and it will show you where you are on the map. Alternatively, you can use a coordinates feature. Simply enter figures for latitude and longitude and Virtual Earth Mobile will centre a map based on those coordinates. Now, if you were to combine these two together, it would be exactly what you were asking for, but unfortunately for you, they exist as two separate components.

[vilasman]

I am trying to enter gps coords into the program but every time I get this error
format exception
application :: run+0xf
form Pocket Earth :: Main+0xa

the coords are
39°10.064, 77°14.640

[Darius Wey]

the coords are
39°10.064, 77°14.640

You'll need to convert that to decimal degree values, rather than degrees + minutes. You can use the calculator feature built into the Google search engine. Here (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&amp;q=39+degrees+10.064+minutes+to+degrees&amp;btnG=Search&amp;meta=) is an example.

[iPAQFanatic]

Just trying this out on my Treo 700. It's really pretty cool.