POIBeep

POIBeep (Freeware)
Requirements: WM5
Overview: POIBeep is a POI (Points of interest) warner for Windows Mobile 5 based Pocket PCs.

Image

It uses the GPS applet integrated in WM5 to control the GPS, then it will only work on this operating system. There are several PDAs where the OEM have disabled this GPS control Panel Applet, like QTEQ S200 and others. In these machines the applet can be enabled deleting any "Hide" or "Redirect" entry from the following registry key to enable it:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ControlPanel/GPSSettings.

POIs are read from a ov2 file (the TomTom format) that must be in the same folder (usually \program files\POIbeep) and must be named POI.ov2. I've included a Spanish traffic radar file as example. Also I've included two freeware tools from TomTom: makeov2.exe and dumpov2.exe that could help doing our own POI.ov2 files.

POIBeep is VGA and QVGA compatible. Next version will support also landscape mode and quad display. While POIbeep is working, automatic backlight and PDA off are disabled.

How it works:
When POIBeep starts it looks for two files along with POI.ov2 in its folder. These files allow the automatic or manual (by means of highway icon) of the GPS navigation program that could run in foreground. To make these files we could use the file that exists in "\Windows\Start menu\Programs" copiing it to the POIBeep folder and renaming it, or we could create a new one from the navigator exe file.

In any case, the navigator program is executed in low priority mode, as well known program TTN5Bot does, allowing simultaneous work of POIbeep and navigator without problems. The files to create are:

-NavApp.lnk: If this file exists, it is automatically ran and when the program exists POIBeep exists too. This options is for background use of POIBeep without having to launch manually the navigator.

-NavAppButton.lnk: If this file exists, it is assigned to the Highway icon on the POIBeep screen, and executed if the icon is tapped. Exiting this programs POIBeep continues running.

Bluetooth icon allows to turn on/off bluetooth from POIBeep. It works with Microsoft and Broadcom (Widcomm) stacks.

Mute icon turn off POI audible signal. It doesn't affect to the PPC audio.

Exit icon exits the program.

POIs warnning:
In POIBeep screen we have a radar "North-up" oriented plus a small information area above the radar.

When the program starts, it shows version, number of POIs read from the POI file and number of GPS satellites that can be seen. When among these satellites there are at least three with enough signal, the message change to blue and shows actual speed and angle to north.

In the radar display the scanned sector will be shown in a light green. The centre line of the sector indicates the actual direction of traveling. POIs that are under this scanned sector are tested continually.

How POIs are warned:
bullet -Scanned sector are centered in our direction and may be from +-30º at 50Kmh or less and +-10º at 100Kmh or more.
bullet -Detected POIs under scanned sector are shown as red dots, outside scanned sector thy will be blue.
bullet -There are two circles concentric with our actual position, blue is 30 second away and red is 15 seconds away at our actual speed.
bullet -If a red POI enters in the circles, a sound will be played. This sound is different for 15 and 30 seconds circles. This warn will remain playing until the POI will get out of the scanned sector.
bullet -If actual speed is too slow, circles will be fixed on 500meters for blue one and 250meters for red one in order to be useful also at low speeds.
bullet -Maximum radius scanned is 2Km, that is a 240Kmh for 30 seconds. This is why this program can also be used on bicycles.

Installation.
To install the program we must follow the following steps:
bullet -Copy the cab file to the PDA (any folder) and execute it.
bullet -Copy or create the auxiliary files commented above.

How to use Windows Mobile 5 GPS applet :
In the Pocket PC control panel, second or third TAB we could find the GPS icon that runs the GPS configuration Applet.
bullet -TAB 1 or "Programs": In this tab we must select the "output" serial port. This must be an unused serial port. COM9: usually works, and this must be the one configured in our GPS navigation program.
bullet -TAB 2 or "Hardware": In this tab we must select the real serial GPS port. This is the one that we previously have used to configure our navigation program. We must select also the communication speed, usually 4800bps or 19200 bps.
bullet -TAB 3 or "Access": In this tab we must check the option to activate the GPS manager.

More Info:
Code:
http://personales.ya.com/beemer/poibeep1.htm

Download Instructions:
http://rapidshare.com/files/49289904...ep_B2.zip.html

Mirrors:
http://www.sharebig.com/share.php?id=s14bnhbipqkERieJI
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0KXAW1H5