Mobile GMaps displays Google Maps on your Java-enabled cellphone

We like things that are free even more than we like things that relate to Google Maps, and when you put those two things together — man, that's some synergy. Mobile GMaps is a Creative Commons-licensed app that'll run on your Java J2ME-enabled cellphone (or other mobile device) to display both Google Maps and Keyhole satellite imagery. It's the next best thing to actually cultivating an inner sense of direction.

[Via textually]

[Oynk @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Very cool. I installed in on to my Nokia 6620. Thankfully I have unlimited data.

This would really benefit from a higher speed connection.

Suggestion: Full Screen Mode.

Again very cool and the price is right!

[Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Very neat, I just installed it on a 7510 Blackberry, not too fast, but neat nonetheless.

[TheCheeks @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

too bad it costs me a TON to use the internet on my phone, otherwise id be using this a ton.

[Michael @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

1) aka onyx if you have the 6620 and your area has EDGE support then you will in turn use edge, unfortunatly it's slower edge but edge none the less. When I have a full signal it loads the images pretty fast, for more speed use the normal memory option

[earle @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Well, it does not work properly on a Treo 600 with the IBM J9 2.2 ARM Java VM... it requests permission to talk to the network, but you never see an image. I also had to reset after attempting to change the settings.

[ET @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Can't get it to display an image on a Sprint Treo 650. :-(

[Oynk @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

#4 (Michael) I am assuming that MediaNet is giving me full EDGE speeds, as I am in L.A. I was just being spoiled and wanting more. Also, the fact that the 6620 hardware is almost two years old probably doesn't help.

[The Kappe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Well, it works on my Samsung D500, but it's like 2$ per megabyte, so I dare not to try i out for real... Any idea how many MB's it will send and retrive in one attempt?

[poops @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I just used it on a Motorola V551 on the Cingular Edge network and it worked like a charm. Not the fastest thing, but it's sweet that you can scroll the map around like you can on the site!

I was viewing a park in Austin and then quit out - it took well over half a meg of bandwidth. I would only use this with an unlimited media account like MediaNet Unlimited.

[Pattmyn @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Wow, awesome idea if I wouldnt get pwned by the data charges.

[dp @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Finally something cool enough to make me want to replace my 5 year old phone.

[ss4vegito7 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Its a good thing T-mobile's Unlimited Data plan is only $4.99 unlike Cingulars $19 unlimited data plan..

[ET @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

^^ I never understood comments like that. (#11) It's like "I'm smart for my choice, you are stupid for yours"

I have $10 unlimited on my Treo 650...doesn't mean I am teasing Verizon users who pay $45 for unlimited data.

[Cristian Streng @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Thanks for all the feedback I got, I'm glad to see so many people like my application. A few answers:

#1: Full Screen mode is on my TODO list. However, it's a phone-dependent feature, and that means that at some point in the future I'll have several different versions for different phones.

As #4 says, enable normal memory mode to make the interface faster - the app mostly works on J2ME 2.0 phones/PDAs so far, and these phones have enough memory to support normal mode.

#5,#6: I'm aware of problems with Treos... is there anyone who COULD run the app on a Treo?

#8: Yeah, it's pretty expensive if you're not using an unlimited plan. At rates like $2/MB I guess providers expect you to use the phone only to browse their wap pages.

Cristian Streng.

[IK-47 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

"Mobile GMaps displays Google Maps on your Java-enabled cellphone"?

Thats nothing. I want my cellphone on Google Maps.

[metaC0R3tex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Tried it on my CDMA bb7250 .. Same issue as treos (requests then no image) .. If the app needs direct TCP/IP, that is likely the issue since my provider doesn't support that without a BES :(

[Rheezzy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Doesn't work on Sprints Sanyo 7400 :

[gfunkmagic @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

>>>>#6: I'm aware of problems with Treos... is there anyone who COULD run the app on a Treo?

Nope, didn't work on my Treo 650 either. :( Tried to load it via wap portal and also by using jartoprc tool, but could not pull up an image...

[sean!!! @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I have a Moto V551 and it keeps telling me I haven't selected a location when I try to search... and my data provider is going to rock me...

[ixalon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Nice app Cristian,

I have been developing something similar for the past month or so (a shame someone nicked my phone so I got slowed down quite a bit...)

http://www.ixalon.net/gmaps/

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I was able to run the application on my Treo 650 using the IMB/JAVA Runtime. The app was responsive, but no map or image displayed. I was able to search for places and addresses, so it defently has a internet connection, it just dosn't display the images.

[Glen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Am seeing the same thing as others on my Audiovox SMT5600 - app seems to work great (menus and such), clearly understands my location, but never shows an image...

[Kurt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Tried it on both the Sanyo 8200 and the Toshiba 9950 with no luck. Would be great to try on Sprint phones due to the unlimited internet access. But none the less very cool idea.

[Timmah! @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Menus etc work, but no images displayed on my Moto V600. I'm guessing it's the lack of jpg support within Java that is documented on the website. TOo bad, would've been nice to have.

[Paul G. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

The satellite feature works on my Samsung A800 (using sprint), but the regular mapping just shows a blank screen.

[dM3 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

k500i works fine
unlimited acces :-p

[Martin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Like other Treo users, had no problems downloading to my 600, app was responsive, but no images displayed. :( I'm doing Google Maps development myself, and going to a map I have set up on my pages using the 600 yielded the same results.

[Larry @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Same for my Treo 650 - everything but the images. Let me know when this is up and running at [e-mail]. Thanks!

[penis enlargement @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

thank you

[Coty Rosenblath @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Ivan Mitrovic has created a similar app. specifically for the Treo. He tested on his 650, but it works on my 600, too. You can find it here:

http://gmapsontreo.blogspot.com

[Willner Park @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

For Audiovox SMT 5600, I have same problem as Glen (July 5) -- app downloads and opens fine, but no maps display. Has anyone been able to see maps with SMT 5600???

[Moe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Somehow it's not working on my V551 T-mobile. Is there way I can fix it?

[Abhinav Maheshwari @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

If the images do not show up, the probable cause is that your J2ME implementation does not support GIF and you need to enable PNG. You will also need to host this PNG conversion page as given in the Gmaps documentation.

[Jud @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I got this to go on my Treo 650. Here are the instructions: http://valeski.org/google-mobile-palm-install.html

[michael r @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

This is awsome i used to use mapquest through tmobile tzones, this is lik a 20 fold improvment