Googlemaps enhancement

**swieder** · 11/30/2006, 12:55 PM

I just found a very cool app that links the Palm contacts to the Googlemaps program. I also sent an email to the developer asking about adding support for a GPS reciever so this info could be passed to Googlemaps.

Check it out.
http://palmsource.palmgear.com/index...&prodid=125054

**dougef** · 11/30/2006, 01:34 PM

Thanks. That is a very handy program. Works great with Google maps - they should buy the rights and incorporate it into Google Maps.

**qb11g** · 11/30/2006, 02:12 PM

Does this program intergrate itself with the Google Maps PRC or is its intergration simply limited to the Google Maps website?

**swieder** · 11/30/2006, 02:13 PM

It works with both the Palm based app and the website. I use it with the former.

**qb11g** · 11/30/2006, 02:18 PM

Sweet!!! Great find and thanks for the info!

**ChemEngr** · 11/30/2006, 03:11 PM

NICE!!! Can't wait to try it. Muchos gracias!

**bclinger** · 11/30/2006, 03:16 PM

I have had it for several days and used it three times for real. It can link either to the Google Maps application on the Treo or to Blazer. It looks at your contacts for the address information and goes from there. Ben

**reverendrhino** · 11/30/2006, 05:46 PM

Great find, thanks!

**khaytsus** · 11/30/2006, 09:52 PM

Be nice if it could work with the Google Maps PRC when moved to the SD card with ZLauncher.

**windwalker** · 12/01/2006, 12:12 AM

Nice little app. Wish I could look up directly from the contact app on my 600

**floriano** · 12/02/2006, 10:27 AM

Hi everybody!

I am Floriano Scioscia, the creator of KwikMaps.
Thank you for the beautiful comments about my application.

I would like to let you know that version 1.4.2 is out. It fixes a bug occurring under certain circumstances in the preparation of requests to Google Maps (both application and website). As usual, you can find KwikMaps on this page

I take now the opportunity to respond to some feature requests posted in this forum, which have been asked by other users throgh email too:

1. KwikMaps can use an application (Google Maps or a web browser) only if it installed into main memory, because it is based upon a Palm OS mechanism that requires so. I tried to move Google Maps to a SD card and create a link with several apps (ZLauncher, TealAlias, Card Launcher, MagicLink), but none worked.

2. On Treo 600 and later Treo smartphones, Contacts lacks a feature called 'Quick Connect', that allows KwikMaps to be invoked directly form a contact's screen by tapping on her address. Some users told me that they asked the author of their favorite 3rd party contacts management application (such as AddressXT) to add support for KwikMaps, but KwikMaps is not supported yet by any of these as far as I know.

KwikMaps documentation explicitly acknowledge these limitations, because I can do nothing to overcome them as far as I know. Sorry if this is disappointing, but I do appreciate your suggestions and I like to add user-requested features to my Palm OS software (if I have time to do Palm programming, which is just a hobby for me).

Yours,
Floriano

**TBRunner** · 12/02/2006, 11:47 AM

Just wanted to say thanks, Floriano

- another very satisfied customer

**khaytsus** · 12/02/2006, 12:42 PM

Floriano,

I figured it was a limitation with the shortcuts of programs which cause it to not work rather than your program, still a shame.

Since you know the interface, it wouldn't hurt if you emailed the ZZTechs people who make ZLauncher and tell them how your program makes calls. Perhaps they can make the shortcuts accept the data you're passing and pass it to the application?

**taroliw** · 12/02/2006, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by khaytsus

Be nice if it could work with the Google Maps PRC when moved to the SD card with ZLauncher.

Be nice when Palm seriously ramps up internal memory (see 680, 700wx, 750v) so we don't have to push so much to SD.

**bclinger** · 12/02/2006, 01:38 PM

A thank you from an appreciative user, a nice addition. Ben

**floriano** · 12/02/2006, 01:43 PM

I have just emailed ZZTechs with a (technically feasible, in my opinion) suggestion for an improvement to shortcuts that would solve our problem. I will keep you informed on the follow-up.

If I were a professional Palm OS developer, I would do it myself. The problem is to find time not only for actually developing an useful application, but for adequately testing, fixing and updating it.

**sblanter** · 12/02/2006, 02:23 PM

Until the ultimate fix occurs:

Use your ZL shortcut to launch GoogleMaps, then without using ZL or a any other ZL shortcut, launch KwikMaps. It works because at that point, GoogleMaps is still in main memory. It stays there until ZL or a ZL shortcut runs and moves it back to card.

**khaytsus** · 12/02/2006, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by sblanter

Until the ultimate fix occurs:

Use your ZL shortcut to launch GoogleMaps, then without using ZL or a any other ZL shortcut, launch KwikMaps. It works because at that point, GoogleMaps is still in main memory. It stays there until ZL or a ZL shortcut runs and moves it back to card.

So basically you're saying launch GoogleMaps, then have KwikMaps on QuickLaunchAnywhere (or browse through All Apps)? Interesting idea.

**sblanter** · 12/02/2006, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by khaytsus

So basically you're saying launch GoogleMaps, then have KwikMaps on QuickLaunchAnywhere (or browse through All Apps)? Interesting idea.

Yes, as long as you don't launch KwikMaps via the main ZL interface or a ZL shortcut. ZL moves/deletes GoogleMaps from memory when the main ZL interface or another ZL shortcut is launched (that is, if ZL (or one of its shortcuts) is what was used to launch GoogleMaps off of the card to begin with). I've tried it via QuickLaunchAnywhere and Petit Launcher. Haven't tried with the default Palm launcher.

It looks to me like ZL only will allow 1 card based app to remain in main memory at any point in time (apparently ZLs QuickLaunch doesn't care as long as it is not another card based app). Whenever I launch a card based app with a ZL shortcut it always moves/deletes the previous card based app it loaded. This is probably because you could inadvertantly deplete your memory to nothing very quickly if it would allow more than one.

It'd be kinda neat if there were two fixes:

1. ZL allow card based stuff to remain in main memory until free memory got down to xxx MB. Only problem with this is that I auto-run ZL via LookAtMe before an auto backup just to clear card based stuff from memory (so it doesn't backup stuff already on the card).

2. As mentioned in previous posts, allow ZL shortcuts to pass info from one program to the target (shortcut) program.

**alecoddlyiv** · 12/03/2006, 02:20 PM

am i reading correctly that some of you are using google maps in some form of offline mode.

could someone provide a n00b guide to how to do this if it is possible

thanks

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