Aplikasi GPS

Majoriti rakan-rakan dan kenalan saya menggunakan aplikasi maps atau GPS di smartphone masing-masing. Google Maps dan Waze merupakan aplikasi yang wajib ada dalam smartphone, saya tidak lagi menggunakan iPhone jadi saya tidak tahu nama aplikasi maps untuk iOS tetapi saya tahu iOS ada aplikasi nya sendiri yang bernama Apple Maps.

Jika dahulu, saya masih ingat apabila memandu di zaman tiada GPS atau smartphone, saya hanya berpandukan pada peta manual. Ada yang saya beli di stesyen minyak dan ada yang saya beli di kedai buku. Yang pasti, jika saya ingin travel ke Pahang, saya akan beli peta Pahang. Ada juga jual set peta untuk setiap negeri di Malaysia tapi harganya mahal ketika itu. So, saya akan hanya beli peta negeri terbabit jika ada keperluan untuk travel ke negeri itu sahaja. Bab tanya orang memang dah kerap lah, biasanya saya akan ke stesyen minyak di lokasi yang saya tuju untuk tanya alamat dan arah jalan. Adakalanya tanya orang tepi jalan. Saya juga kerap ditanya orang-orang yang sesat jalan. Kini amat jarang sekali orang tanya saya arah jalan, malah kurier, plumber, electrician atau delivery dari kedai pun terus sampai depan pintu rumah. Dulu diorang akan call tanya rumah dimana. Tahun ini baru sekali saya ditanya orang tidak dikenali arah jalan, cuak juga sebab ingatkan orang nak buat jenayah pada kita.

Bila dah ada handphone, sambil drive sambil call rumah orang yang kita tuju dan orang tu akan beri guide, itupun kalau orang tu pandai beri guide. Kalau tak pandai, sesatlah jawabnya. Kalau nak ke lokasi seperti zoo atau muzium, memang terpaksa tanya orang juga.

Apabila wujud nya GPS, saya beli dan mendapati bahawa ianya amat seronok digunakan. GPS pertama saya adalah Garmin NuVi yang saya beli second hand dari pramugara MAS yang membawanya dari US. Ketika di tangan saya, peta Malaysia telah diinstall di GPS Garmin tersebut. Cuma bateri nya sangat tidak kuat jadi terpaksa sambung setiap masa di car charger. Masalah kedua ialah petanya tidak update. Saya masih ingat ketika ke JB, saya lalu satu jalan yang tidak wujud di peta sedangkan jalan tersebut adalah jalan utama ke Nusajaya. 

Apabila masalah update ini berlarutan, saya mula belajar cara-cara update sendiri menerusi Malfreemap dan Malsingmap. Saya menjadikan update Map sebagai rutin setiap kali hendak travel atau pulang berhari raya. Masalah bateri menyebabkan saya membeli satu lagi Garmin NuVi yang baru, series nya pun berbeza. Garmin saya yang baru ini mempunyai fungsi tambahan iaitu junction assist dimana junction assist ini membolehkan kita memasuki lorong atau simpang yang tepat. 

Google Map dan Waze juga saya install di smartphone bagaimanapun ianya hanyalah untuk membantu Garmin NuVi saya. Google Map lebih update terutama untuk mencari nama jalan dan alamat lokasi. Waze pula kadangkala saya gunakan terutama jika ingin keluar dari ofis saya untuk melihat samada jalan keluar sesak atau tidak. 

Kenderaan saya juga ada GPS built in dan ini lebih mudah kerana saya tidak perlu membawa Garmin Nuvi saya. Bagaimanapun baru-baru ini saya ke luar semenanjung, Garmin Nuvi saya bawa dan ianya amat berguna kerana menyenangkan saya untuk ke pelbagai lokasi di destinasi baru saya itu. 

Antara kelebihan dan kekurangan  yang saya dapati ketika menggunakan pelbagai peralatan GPS ini ialah :-

Toyota GPS Built In kereta saya kelebihannya ialah tak perlu bawa GPS portable kerana ianya built in di dashboard kereta. Start sahaja kereta, GPS pun boleh on. GPS lock pun sangat pantas. Less than 10 seconds. Sambil menggunakan GPS, sambil-sambil boleh dengar radio. Tidak perlu internet, tak perlu risau habis bateri GPS. Permasalahan pula ialah GPS Built in saya ini hanya boleh diupdate di service center iaitu Toyota. Harga sekali update yang saya diberitahu oleh Service Advisor is RM 100 per update but first update adalah FOC. So far katanya update adalah yearly basis. Masalah kedua ialah, anak-anak tak boleh tengok movie di Player kereta saya kerana monitor sedia ada sudah digunakan untuk GPS. Hanya sound movie sahaja kedengaran. 

Garmin Nuvi pula kelebihan utama ialah mudah diupdate secara percuma menerusi Malfreemap atau Malsingmap. Tak perlu internet, boleh digunakan di semua tempat as long as dapat isyarat satelit GPS. Ia juga boleh dibawa ke lokasi yang tidak dapat dicapai oleh kereta saya. Contoh ialah ketika saya travel luar semenanjung tanpa membawa kereta saya. Kelemahan pula ialah, kena bawa keluar dari kereta sebab takut rosak atau dicuri. Suction cup untuk hold Garmin pun kadangkala terjatuh ketika memandu. Bateri Garmin Nuvi ini tidak lah kuat mana, mungkin tahan sejam dua on the road. Walaupun baru, better sambung pada car charger. Pernah sekali car charger rosak, terpaksa berjimat menggunakan Garmin Nuvi. 

Aplikasi seperti Waze dan Google Maps pula kelemahan utama perlukan mobile internet. No data, no mobile signal, no navigation. Google Maps memperkenalkan offline map, namun nak download perlukan ruang yang agak besar. Dan perlu tahu lokasi mana nak pergi, baru kita download peta lokasi tu. Offline map di Google Maps downloadable by location. Boleh je download the whole Malaysia, tapi kena beringat la size besar gedabak. Kelebihan Maps, senang nak cari alamat dan so far, more up to date. Waze pula kelebihannya ada real time traffic situation. Guna aplikasi navigation di smartphone ni boleh bedal bateri, ada rakan suggest sambung ke car charger. Lagi satu, nak bikin call leceh dan kalau time tu pulak call asyik kerap masuk, navigasi boleh terganggu sebentar.

Teknik saya, contoh saya nak ke satu alamat di Taman A, Pekan B. Saya akan gunakan Toyota GPS untuk ke Pekan B. Sebelum itu, apabila keluar rumah, saya akan guna Waze untuk scan samada sesak atau tidak supaya mudah saya cari route alternatif. Apabila sampai ke Pekan B, saya akan berhenti di tempat yang selamat untuk cari alamat Taman A. Kalau tak jumpa, baru saya akan on kan Google Maps saya dan guna Google Maps pula. 

Dibawah merupakan satu laporan di akhbar The Star 19 September 2016 mengenai trend penggunaan alat dan aplikasi navigasi. 

SAN JOSE, California: When it comes to map apps, consumers are finding plenty of fresh paths to digital navigation thanks to Google, Apple and a whole host of rivals. 

Here WeGo, Waze, MapFactor, Mapquest, Scout GPS, Maps.Me and InRoute are just some of the apps that are challenging Google Maps and Apple Maps, which dominate smartphone mapping services, by focusing on new and novel features. 

Google and Apple, though, aren't content to stay in the slow lane of innovation. Both have added new features to their map apps in recent months, including enabling users to add interim destinations to go along with the ultimate stop on a trip. 

Google's changes rolled out in an update to Google Maps this summer; Apple's changes will be included in iOS 10, the next version of its mobile operating system. 

"Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click add a stop," Google says in a blog post. "To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three-dot menu to the left of Add Stop and drag it to the position you want." 

The Apple Maps service has new features that seek to meld activities and services associated with a trip. 

"Apps like OpenTable can integrate bookings right into Maps," Apple says on its website. "Services like Uber and Lyft can make it easier for users to book a ride, without ever leaving the Maps app." 

And while this navigational arms race shifts into high gear, it's become apparent the original stand-alone GPS devices are becoming stranded by the side of the road. 

The proliferation of smartphone apps has reshaped a market once dominated by the stand-alone machines, such as TomTom, Garmin and Magellan. According to market research firm Berg Insight, worldwide shipments of personal navigation devices has decreased from 40 million units in 2008 to a projected 11 million by the end of this year. That number is expected to drop to just 7 million in 2019 – less than a tenth of projected smartphone map app users in that year. 

"Most consumers are using their smartphones as their primary navigation and map system," said Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, a market researcher. "Retailers, in a lot of cases, don't really promote the stand-alone devices any more." 

The established map apps from Google and Apple offer a wide array of features, with the centerpiece being turn-by-turn navigation. And while the emerging apps also typically offer turn-based directions, they all attempt to offer niche features that also can go beyond the basics of the apps from the tech titans. 

Google-owned Waze, whose service is separate from Google Maps, emphasizes the social aspects of traveling, and its new features include improved ways to share your estimated time of arrival with others. It also provides quick access to frequent destinations. 

"You can use Waze to find out about lots of things," Bajarin said. "It pops up icons to tell you about traffic, police in your area, gives you suggestions on alternate routes. It's the integration of social media with navigation." 

Other apps also seek to meld the drive with other services. Scout GPS emphasises social interaction, including the ability to message friends and family and share your location or destination with designated people. Here WeGo allows you to summon taxicabs or access a ride-hailing service. 

And some apps focus on improving the driving experience. Mapquest, one of the first computer-based navigation guides, recently began allowing drivers to see speed limits on the street they're traveling. Maps.Me has added navigation elements that take up less space on the screen, and the speed the vehicle is traveling has been added. InRoute, designed mainly for long road trips, offers the ability to add numerous stops – and drivers can easily select routes that avoid areas with hot temperatures or hilly terrain. 

Saying it makes "cities easier to use," Citymapper is geared to the daily commuter. In addition to vehicle navigation, the app has found a way to coordinate public transit and ride-hailing services so people can plan integrated trips. 

Citymapper's service can be especially handy in big cities with major transit networks, said Michael Tchong, founder of Las Vegas-based Ubercool Innovation, which tracks technology trends. 

"The wave of the future is Citymapper," Tchong said. "It integrates vehicle navigation, buses, subways, trains, Uber, Lyft all in one package. It will tell you whether the train you are on is running on time." 

Experts predict the pace of innovation will pick up even more for map apps. 

"The map apps could become automated and start working as soon as you turn on your phone," said Rob Enderle, an Oregon-based analyst who tracks the tech sector. "That way, if you're driving, you don't have to juggle a bunch of apps." 

And map apps also may become more closely attuned to their users. They might start taking note of what types of restaurants you visit and only suggest those when you're looking for a place to eat, Bajarin said. 

"The unique personalisation of mapping is the next step," he said. "We are on that cusp." 

The big two 

The two big map apps for the major phone platforms are the widely used Google Maps for Android and iPhone and Apple Maps for the iPhone. 

GOOGLE MAPS
What's new: The ability to add interim stops to a destination, as well as estimates for how much time the detour will add to the trip. 

APPLE MAPS
What's new: Apple upgrades, include an interim stops feature; users who want a reminder of where they parked their car can use a pin drop as a target. 

The challengers 

Here are some free map apps that attempt to challenge, or at least seek to address some shortcomings of, the two primary programs from Google and Apple. 

WAZE
What's new: A cleaner and fresh look, with quick access to frequent destinations; a new way to share your ETA with others. 

MAPQUEST
What's new: Users can get speed limits to appear on their screens, including if you're in a school zone. The route ahead is shown in what is called "2.5D" which Mapquest calls the "Perspective View." Distance to a location now automatically updates. 

Here WEGO
What's new: Now easier to pick a destination and scroll to the mode of transportation. The app also offers ride-booking company Car2Go, as well as info on taxi services. 

MAPFACTOR
What's new: Better alternative route calculation; improved Google searches; the icon highlights when searching for a point of interest. 

SCOUT GPS
What's new: Although turn-by-turn navigation is available, the app focuses on social interactions. Among the new features: You can send messages to friends and family; drive to the location of friends and family; share your location, route and real-time ETA; and ask a friend to pick you up. 

MAPS.ME
What's New. The navigation elements take up less space; speed is now displayed; and an autozoom element has been added; bicycle riders can see terrain data; search results show hotel ratings and prices. 

INROUTE
What's New: Custom routes that let people avoid the heat on a summer road trip, or for those towing a trailer, ways to avoid steep hills; users can also chose routes with a lot of curves. 

CITYMAPPER
What's New: Travelers can get alerts about disruptions on transit systems in a city.