The release candidate, while still looking unlike most webOS applications, incorporates enough standard interface elements that it will be easy enough to use. We've been testing the nDrive beta for some time, and while earlier versions of the app were somewhat rocky and had not yet adopted webOS UI conventions (especially gestures), the app has come a long way. This can be a great boon for both frequent and occasional travelers. A user who makes a trip to another country can simply buy the relevant local map, and receive directions in her own language whether or not the phone is connected to (or compatible with) the local cellphone system. The app is not only for sale around the world, but the publisher offers a variety of (free) language choices and (not-free) maps. Where nDrive shines is its international scope. It also shares the problems that many webOS apps have in waking the GPS chips on some devices I frequently needed to avail myself of GPS Fix to get a usable fix for nDrive. While nDrive provides a Favorites option, it does not allow users to search for and navigate to addresses directly from the webOS Contacts app happily, webOS' multitasking makes it at least possible to switch back and forth between the two apps to search for and enter data. It offers a database of traffic cameras, but not the realtime traffic data provided by navigation apps like Google Maps and the carriers' own choices.
Some features (such as Foursquare integration) are a bit confusing I managed to disconnect nDrive from my Foursquare account, and could not figure out how to relink it.
In my testing, some streets (notably my home address) did not show up when I tried to navigate based on my town's name, although it did when I searched via zip code. English gives directions in miles rather than kilometers.) If a data signal is available, the app integrates weather, Foursquare check-ins and Facebook Places and route sharing.Īlthough nDrive uses commercially supplied map data (such as the Navteq maps for the United States), the application is not without its quirks. It also adjusts its standard units based on the user's language selection (e.g.
The app does a nice job of automatically adjusting the zoom level for readability on the phone's screen (either portrait or landscape), and can display user-chosen points of interest, speed limits (with optional alerts) and traffic cameras. If no destination is inputted, nDrive displays the user's position, showing street names, direction and velocity. Users input the destination or select it from a stored address book, and nDrive calculates the route (based on a few user selectable options) and leads the user through it, automatically recalculating if the user diverges sufficiently from the instructions. NDrive is at its heart a basic point-to-point navigation app, providing spoken directions (although not street names) through the phone's speaker or via an audio device plugged into the headphone jack or connected via Bluetooth. Whether it's the right choice for you will depend on your particular needs, and budget.
Last night, after a long period of "coming soon" announcements on Twitter and beta testing, nDrive, a popular cross-platform choice, finally came to the webOS App Catalog (as nDrive USA for US users). This capability (available via homebrew via Navit, although using open-source rather than commercial maps) would permit the webOS device to serve as a GPS navigator whether or not a data signal was available, as long as the GPS radio is on and the GPS signal itself is strong enough for a lock.
With all the controversy (we're looking at you, Verizon) and carrier-specific options for GPS-based navigation, one feature that has been missing from the webOS App Catalog has been full on-device navigation, where both the software and maps are stored on the webOS device itself.