Post AxZRNOquCZ7hai1CYS by DrGecko@mastodon.social
 (DIR) More posts by DrGecko@mastodon.social
 (DIR) Post #AxZI9sRuSurlk5nu7c by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-08-26T17:15:05Z
       
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       I'm still finding OSMAnd map not ready for prime time. It's like they're stuck trying to figure out how to jam more shit on the screen when what I was is less, and better. Every item is some meaningless and arbitrary color. Color, lack of, and intensity convey meaning. Google maps, who's spent billions on this shit, when you turn on "public transportation" *greys out all roads*, the the pub trans lines are thin sharp bright colors and the stations have a minimum (large ish) scaling. Osm makes them infinitely small (zoomed out). Copy googles good ideas (I doubt such generic tactics infringe) sheesh. OrganicMaps has similar issues be to a much lesser degree. They use RHVoice for spoken, which is a bit rough, but works. But I could not get American English to install right, so I choose a Russian English which is clear and somehow hilarious to me. (Amer Eng appeared later, one of those "no data to dslisplay so I display badly" issues). OSMAnd has, buried, a " map style", the presence of which is admission that it's fucked up. UniRS is incrementally less fuct for bikes. For me, OrganicMaps is well over the threshold of usability. OsmAnd is like 5 years ago.  It's just awful. LESS DATA, BETTER PRESENTATION. COLOR (consistency, shade, width, intensity) MATTERS.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxZJO20BqQQHNX9RUe by MLE_online@social.afront.org
       2025-08-26T17:28:43Z
       
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       @tomjennings I wanted to like OSM, but it's just not good most of the time
       
 (DIR) Post #AxZKAzkuz892bLM7Bw by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-08-26T17:37:41Z
       
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       Google maps, when public transportation is on, makes the trans lines nice bright colors with a "one pixel" white border. They really stand out! Everything else is dull. Google fucks up one critical thing: station icons disappear entirely zoomed out. See two photos, one slightly zoomier then the other. THIS MATTERS because: ok I want to go to Bruce's house. I plonk a marker at his house turn on transportation and want to see which station is visually closest to Bruce's house. This seems to fundamental to me! People nav to actual places! No I don't know which station is closest! Metro doesn't even make maps with both STATIONS LINES and STREET ADDRESSES! How the hell does anyone use metro?
       
 (DIR) Post #AxZRNOquCZ7hai1CYS by DrGecko@mastodon.social
       2025-08-26T18:58:19Z
       
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       @tomjennings I get generally good results with citymapper https://citymapper.com/ Biggest problem in NYC is that it will map out a bike route over cobblestone streets. Have no idea what the LA map is like and wouldn't know how to interpret it in any event.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxaKfDJBM5meTnkfM8 by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-08-27T05:17:51Z
       
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       @DrGecko @MLE_online Check out Organic Maps, it's much better. It too has terrible color, but overall is much better behaved, and is ok for bikes, though jury still out. I just indulged in a Shokz headphone thingie (Costco carries them) and will try out some turn by turn.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxaL3RTkK0hDNWFJLs by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-08-27T05:22:13Z
       
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       @DrGecko I'm not using any corporate anything on my phones any more. I just find every one ends up shit for me. RideWithGPS has been amazing -- but looks like going big and enshittifying. I used it a lot for arranging sports car multi day drives. Not s navigator though. I'm doing less and less with my phone tbh.