NOTE: This 2008 draft blog post is being published in 2022; it may be incomplete and the information is certainly out of date.
Trying to get the software for this device was very frustrating.
The GPSApps directory that is supposed to contain the software was empty.
I was able to find the download location for the Wayfinder software from a discussion thread on Esato.
The other two, free applications was another matter.
They show in the Fun & Downloads when I visit from my computer, but when I went to the exact same page using my phone, the applications weren't shown, with my settings of Canada and K790a. I finally had to change the Sony Ericsson site on my phone to locale United Kingdom (possibly necessary) and K800i (basically the same model as my phone, and definitely necessary) before the Tracker and GPS Location applications would show up.
The Wayfinder apps want to send SMS messages and didn't do anything particularly interesting; it's not clear if they were even talking to the GPS.
I installed TrekBuddy
AT5
E:/Other/ make directories
Conclusion
This is for you if you want:
- a sleek, tiny little GPS
- that is also headphones with a media control (play, stop, etc.)
- that is directly connected to, and only works with, a Sony Ericsson cellphone
The HGE-100 is a nice piece of kit, but it doesn't come with anything to justify purchasing it over an external Bluetooth GPS or GPS logger. IF you want driving directions and navigation on your phone, Wayfinder Navigator may be of value, but you still have to pay a subscription fee and data charges. The Tracker and GPS Locator applications are available for free with or without the HGE-100. So what you're basically getting is a small GPS (of unknown sensor type), that is also a set of headphones and media controller, that will only work with Sony Ericsson phones.
Additionally, in Canada, where cellphone data networks are slow, limited, and expensive, anything that requires substantial use of cellphone Internet is a non-starter.
The good news is that most J2ME GPS applications can talk to the Sony GPS, so you have a variety of additional software to choose from, but from a pure cellphone GPS logging perspective (and for the same price or less), you're better off putting together your own combination of Bluetooth GPS (e.g. Holux GPSlim236) or Bluetooth GPS logger (e.g. Qstarz BT-Q1000, Holux M-241) with free J2ME software on the phone. Having the ability to store in the phone's large memory will enable you to save hundreds of days worth of tracks. Depending on the software you use, you may also be able to display maps. However, I don't know how running Bluetooth constantly will affect the phone's battery (time between recharges). Phones are not designed for the kind of continuous active multi-hour operation that is typical of GPS logging.
In the end I find again that the idea of consolidating everything on the phone (music playing, GPS logging) still doesn't work better for me than separate dedicated devices (iPod nano, standalone logger).
If Sony wants to make this a more compelling product, they're going to have to
- killer app: automatic geocoding of photos. I actually am really surprised that Sony doesn't provide this capability.
- provide information on the GPS sensor used
- provide much more custom software and provide free maps
- including advanced track logger software that saves in a standard format like GPX
- provide the ability to download both software and maps using a computer, and then transferred to the phone
- provide information on the battery life impact of using Bluetooth or the HGE-100
I will have future reviews examining the various J2ME GPS software options, in concert with various Bluetooth GPS units.
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