Google Maps suggestions?

[Starcrwzr]

I just rigged up my Garmin GPS 60csx car mount so that it will hold my Droid. I glued a magnet to the mount so that it will activate the Droids car mode. Works great, and I used the navigation going home from work last evening and was impressed with Googles app. When I went to use it early this morning however, I found a glaring problem, literally, the display for both maps and navigation was way to bright for night time use. I didn't want to stop and dim the display through all the menus, so I just aimed it down a little and tried not to look at it until the sky got lighter.

My Garmin calculates sunrise/sunset for your location and automatically shifts from day mode to night mode automatically. Night mode is mostly black with faint lines for roads and text, and reverse that for daytime use. I would think that this would be easy to implement in Google Maps and Navigator, or at least have an easily accessible toggle for day and night mode. How can I get a hold of Google developers and put a bug in their ears?

[richg12524]

Originally Posted by Starcrwzr

I just rigged up my Garmin GPS 60csx car mount so that it will hold my Droid. I glued a magnet to the mount so that it will activate the Droids car mode. Works great, and I used the navigation going home from work last evening and was impressed with Googles app. When I went to use it early this morning however, I found a glaring problem, literally, the display for both maps and navigation was way to bright for night time use. I didn't want to stop and dim the display through all the menus, so I just aimed it down a little and tried not to look at it until the sky got lighter.

My Garmin calculates sunrise/sunset for your location and automatically shifts from day mode to night mode automatically. Night mode is mostly black with faint lines for roads and text, and reverse that for daytime use. I would think that this would be easy to implement in Google Maps and Navigator, or at least have an easily accessible toggle for day and night mode. How can I get a hold of Google developers and put a bug in their ears?

That may not be needed, as per Verizon what you suggest here is included with the 2.1 update, I havent confirmed it myself although I am looking forward to utilizing the feature this evening.
Rich

[Starcrwzr]

Well, I just got 2.1 loaded and used the map this morning in the dark and it was just as bright as before, no fix that I can see.

[richg12524]

I'm curious, has night vision worked for you yet? The only reasons I can think of why navigation isn't operating for you properly is that the map module is outdated & needs to be updated, or your Droid is rooted & a work around is required, do you have any updates for us?

Rich

[Starcrwzr]

Rich,
It's not rooted and has the standard 2.1 on it. I don't know how to check if there's a Map update available, the phone usually does that itself whenever I turn it on. I know I've gotten at least one Map update since I've had it. I just don't think the night vision made it into this update.

[richg12524]

Originally Posted by Starcrwzr

Rich,
It's not rooted and has the standard 2.1 on it. I don't know how to check if there's a Map update available, the phone usually does that itself whenever I turn it on. I know I've gotten at least one Map update since I've had it. I just don't think the night vision made it into this update.

If you aren't rooted you don't need to do any update checking on your own, as you noted the updates are automatic. I will be able to research this problem later on today, we have company scheduled here in a couple of hours, to be honest I would rather be trying to find a solution to your problem than dealing with company but that's an entirely different story. I will say this, if a solution is found you should be quite pleased with the new night vision mode, mine changed on its own in both street & satellite view, much easier on the eyes as you might imagine. I have been extremely happy using the Droid as my GPS unit, the first week & a half or so I ran my Garmin alongside the Droid on a # of trips with virtually no difference in routes, speed, and intentional rerouting of my trips, actually the Droid has 1 major advantage over my Garmin which is 2 years old, that being the traffic updates, as a result I was able to donate the Garmin to a local senior citizen organization. Have you checked any of Google's knowledge base areas for troubleshooting the navigation program at all?, it could be handy to know if this is a widespread situation or an isolated one, or if it's unique to the droids, I haven't seen any complaints concerning this with the Google phone that have been running 2.1 for sometime now. I'll let you know whether I find any info or not the first chance I get. Enjoy the day.
Rich

[richg12524]

Starcrwzr,
Here is what I have found, some is very basic but required, Maps / Navigations day / night viewing mode is entirely location based getting its time data from the satellites, as a result the phone / program need to know where you are to transmit and receive the appropriate data.
1) In the droids Settings menu go to Locations and Security, check the box for GPS satellites, if it does not have a checkmark click the box and confirm the mark is there before exiting. This will use more of your battery power but I'm assuming since it is in your vehicle you have the charger plugged in.
2) While in the Settings MAIN menu, select Privacy, check the box for Use My Location, as you will see this is REQUIRED for "Search and other Google services".
3) Confirm the GPS is working, watch the notification bar for the satellite dish icon, if so, confirm it has detected your ACTUAL location (within reason, it may be slightly inaccurate, with the 2.01 OS my GPS would on occasion place me somewhere in the vineyards of France, not in the Hudson Valley of N.Y., I wish that was so at times). Since the 2.1 update my GPS location has been PinPoint accurate, more so then my Garmin ever was.
4) Clear the Maps cache, this should be done on occasion anyway, this is to remove any false data that may be in there.
5) I have NOT been able to confirm if this is required or not, I found it posted in one of the other forums. Confirm that JAVA is enabled, if not, enable it. Using JAVA will / should not cause any harm, I have had it enabled since the day I activated my phone and I'm sure many thousand more do as well, this is normally used with web browsers & as I noted I do not know if it is truly required for the Maps / Navigate application. I have only found JAVA settings in the browser to this point, while the browser is open touch your menu button, then select more from this sub menu, now select settings, the JAVA radio button is here.
This is all I have so far, I saw that you posted in the Motorola forum, have you tried Verizons Wireless forums at all? There are a ton of knowledgeable folks in there, some Verizon techs as well, it isn't difficult to sort the wannabe's from the real deal, just read a few posts with replies or with the Answered sub header.
Good luck and keep us informed of your progress, or lack thereof please.
Rich

[richg12524]

I was just at the market place, checked my downloads (while in the market press the menu key then downloads) & saw an update for maps available that I had not been notified about, maybe this will help, you can select & download it there.
Rich

[richg12524]

Any news yet concerning the night vision?
Rich

[Starcrwzr]

Yes and no. In an attempt to fix the problem, I did a factory reset of my phone, and reinstalled all my apps. I then tested the phone. What I found was that I now had night-mode on Navigation, but not on Maps. But now I wonder about the way I went about all of this.

My first experience with Navigation and Maps in the dark was early in the morning. According to some users on the Motorola Droid forum, Navigation is the only program that has a night-mode, and it turns it on one half hour before sunrise and one half hour after sunset. When I tried it in the dark in the mornings, I think I was right at that half hour point. As I did more troubleshooting, it was always with Maps, so I think I was misled. So I'm not sure the reset was necessary, since I hadn't tried Navigation at night (sometime after it would switch modes) until after I reset it.

Conclusion:
1. Navigation has a night-mode, Maps does not.
2. Night mode is turned on at the end of twilight (one half hour from sunrise/sunset).
3. Psuedo-night-mode is available in Maps if you turn on "Buzz".
4. Wish list: A true night mode for Maps.