| Windows Mobile app plugs in GPS info |
Aug. 15, 2008
 GeoTerrestrial has announced a new version of its interesting free software add-on for GPS-equipped Windows Mobile phones. GPSToday, version 0.9.9.1, continuously displays a user's current location on a phone's Today screen, provides relevant weather information, and can automatically geo-tag photos, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of the GPSToday plugin)
As GeoTerrestrial explains, GPSToday includes both a separate Windows Mobile application and a Today screen plug-in. The software is said to use "intelligent algorithms" to intermittently power up a phone's GPS hardware, then updates the Today screen to show the user's location, using either geo-coordinates or a street address. The Today screen (see above) also shows local weather, plus a user's heading and speed in miles per hour, if relevant, the company says.
An additional benefit of GPSToday is that it "keeps your GPS hardware primed for whenever you need it," in GeoTerrestrial's words. By periodically activating a phone's GPS receiver, the software reportedly ensures that GPS is always being used in "hot start" mode, reducing TIF (time to fix) from several minutes down to just a second or two.
Of course, there's a price to be paid in terms of battery life. But, claims GeoTerrestrial, the regular updating can be turned off when it's not needed. In its default mode, the application may reduce battery life by 10 or 15 percent over the course of a day, the company says.
 
GPSToday can map a user's contacts (left) and automatically tag new photos (right)
(Click to enlarge)
Tapping on the Today plug-in's "binoculars" icon opens the full GPSToday application (above left), which not only tracks a user's location, but also can optionally map the location of all contacts in a device's address book. In addition, the software's GeoTagger functionality (above right) automatically adds longitude, latitude, and altitude information to any photograph a user takes.
According to GeoTerrestrial, geo-tagging takes place regardless of whatever camera application is being used. GPSToday simply monitors a specified directory for newly saved JPEG images, then modifies the files' EXIF (exchangeable image file format) data to include the GPS-sourced information.
Version 0.9.9.1 of GPSToday, released this week, added a "GeoWeather" feature that displays current weather for a user's location, plus a GeoLogger feature that can automatically log position updates to a text file. It also newly supports resolutions including 240 x 320, 480 x 640, 240 x 240, and 320 x 320 pixels.
Further information
GPSToday supports touchscreen devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 or above. Obviously, GPS hardware is required, and an unlimited data plan is strongly recommended, according to the company.
To download the free application, visit the GeoTerrestrial website, here.
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