On 20 Aug 2016, at 15:38, M. Taylor <mk...@ucla.edu> wrote:
Hello Everyone,
I must say that I am extremely impressed with the Nearby Explorer, for
iOS, GPS navigation app, developed by the American Printing House for
the Blind.
So, for your convenience, in either enjoying the app or determining
whether or not to purchase it, I am pasting in the complete text of its
user manual, below my signature line.
A couple of things to note, however:
1.
Currently, this app only supports navigation in the United States and
Canada.
2.
At the time of this post, the cost of the app is, in the U.S. App Store
anyway, $79.99.
3.
In order to successfully install the app, which includes its built-in
map of North America, you must have at least 4GB of free space
available on your iOS device.
4.
The direct URL to the online user manual, which includes a in-page
hyperlinked table of contents, omitted in this post, is:
http://tech.aph.org/ne/index.html
5.
I have not edited the contents of this text in any way. I simply
copied the text from the website; therefore some of the formatting may
not be consistent with the HTML version of the manual.
Finally, to you old-timers out there, I am delighted to report that
this app reminds me a great deal of the groundbreaking, GPS navigation
solution for the blind and low vision that started it all; I am
referring, of course, to Code Factory’s Mobile Geo.
Okay, on to the show.
Enjoy and Happy & Safe Traveling,
Mark
Nearby Explorer for iOS User's Guide
Copyright 2016
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
2016/8/19
Introduction
When sighted people use a global positioning system (GPS), their main
interests are getting directions and/or guidance to a destination.
Blind users appreciate these features as well, but generally desire
more orientation queues than are available on commercial GPS apps.
Nearby Explorer is a GPS app designed to provide these queues. When
combined with an accessible interface and customizable, current
information about points of interest (POIs), the tools provide a
meaningful picture of the vicinity and its characteristics.
Nearby Explorer works by:
1.displaying a screen containing several geography-related categories,
letting you turn on the ones of interest (announced as you move). You
can put the phone to sleep and continue receiving feedback or examine
the values on the screen.
2.letting you orient the phone in various positions to get more
targeted information about: ◦points of interest (POIs),
◦direction and streets, and
◦the closest point of interest.
3.providing descriptive details such as: ◦intersection configurations
as you approach,
◦transit stop next time, direction of travel, and head sign for systems
in over 30 metro areas,
◦distance and adjustable direction to POIs, and
◦adjustable scope for prominence and proximity for POI announcements.
Features
The information that Nearby Explorer provides helps the blind traveler
stay oriented. It shows surrounding and approaching streets,
businesses, institutions, and public facilities, and offers continually
updating distance and directional information to the nearest or
selected location.
Nearby Explorer provides a sense of the surrounding streets and their
relationship to the user's current position. Additionally, it enables
the passenger in a vehicle to aid the driver with directions and
suggestions.
About This Manual
This documentation was complete and accurate at the time of its
writing. When there are updates or corrections, you may find them at
http://tech.aph.org/ne_info.htm.
There is also an email list dedicated to the use of this app. This is
the place to make suggestions, provide tips, and ask questions. To
subscribe to the list, send a blank email to
ne-subscr...@tech.aph.org.
Adventurous users may wish to test upcoming features. To get more
information, join the beta list by sending a blank email to
"neios_beta-subscr...@tech.aph.org"mailto:neios_beta-subscr...@tech.aph.org.
For the purposes of this documentation, wherever possible, APH assumes
your basic knowledge of Voiceover (VO) and does not, with rare
exception, convey information in VO terminology. For example, a VO
user, must know that you double tap an option to turn it on. For basics
on VoiceOver, see https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/voiceover/
Limitations
To better understand the benefits and limitations of Nearby Explorer,
it is useful to obtain a basic understanding of how the technology
works.
There are several components in play. Two of the most important are GPS
and maps.
GPS
The mobile device (phone or tablet) uses a GPS receiver to read signals
sent from an array of satellites designed for this purpose. The
receiver uses these signals to pinpoint a position on earth and assign
lateral and longitudinal coordinates to that position. In general, a
good consumer-grade receiver can render accuracy to within a few yards
of a person's actual position under optimal conditions. More
realistically, you can expect to achieve accuracy good enough to
determine on which side of the street you are traveling.
Some of the conditions that adversely affect accuracy with reading
satellite signals include the following:
•Low cloud cover
•Unusual atmospheric conditions, such as solar flares or magnetic
storms
•Large buildings or physical landmarks that prevent a clear view of the
sky
•Inside buildings or underground where there is no clear view of the
sky
Maps
The latitude and longitude coordinates do not mean much to most users,
so they must be combined with maps that contain more familiar landmarks
such as streets and places. Nearby Explorer comes equipped with maps
that cover the United States and Canada.
Screenshot of a street map on Nearby Explorer
Figure 1. Screenshot of a street map
There are several factors about the map data that are useful to
understand to make the most effective use of the software.
•All the map data resides on your device, so it is not necessary to
have a Wi-Fi or cell-data connection to use the software. If you do
have a network connection, Nearby Explorer uses the connection to
request information about places in combination with the Google Places™
business listings service. This information tends to be much more
dynamic than that of the maps on the device. Plus, you can label places
as well as benefit from others' labels.
•There are instances when the map data may be inaccurate. Because there
are millions of points of interest and other locations in the data, it
is possible that errors can be introduced during the collection
process.
•Points of interest are indicated as the physical address of the street
and not at the front door of the establishment.
•Street addresses are approximate. They are calculated using a relative
distance from the beginning to the end of the block. You may notice,
therefore, that an address can be consistently off by a house number or
two. This is normal and cannot be corrected. While the address given as
the house number may not always be exact, it does stay constant.
Accordingly, once Nearby Explorer reports an address at a certain point
in the block, it consistently reports that same address at that same
point.
•The compressed map data does not provide addresses to places.
Addresses for places are approximated, just like the street numbers.
•Changing conditions are not reflected in the maps. It is not unusual
to receive information for restaurants that no longer exist and to not
receive information for new establishments. The maps reflect the
conditions at the time of the data collection. These conditions are
eventually corrected, as the maps are updated periodically. Other
conditions may be more immediate. Road construction, traffic, and
weather all represent conditions that cannot be reflected in the data
nor detected by the satellite signal.
•Places and Favorites do not account for altitude as part of their
location.
You must pay attention to your environment. The data given from Nearby
Explorer are suggestions, not absolute facts. The present conditions
and immediate environment must always take precedence over Nearby's
suggestions.
Requirements
Nearby Explorer requires the following:
1.iPhone, iPad, or iPod running iOS 9.0 or later
2.GPS receiver either on the device or via Bluetooth. (All iPhones
contain a GPS receiver.)
3.At least 4.2 GB of free space on which to store downloaded maps
When the GPS chip is in use, such as when using Nearby Explorer,
battery consumption is significantly increased. It is usually necessary
to plug in the device if using it on a long trip where the GPS is in
use for more than several hours at a time.
To reduce the GPS power consumption, press Nearby Explorer's Pause
button. This turns off tracking. Press the Resume button to resume
using GPS. Using an external GPS receiver can both improve accuracy and
reduce battery consumption.
If you do not move for 15 minutes, Nearby Explorer pauses use of GPS
automatically. To resume, press the Resume button or unlock the device
and activate Nearby Explorer if necessary.
Installation
When you start Nearby Explorer for the first time, it displays
licensing information that should be read carefully. If you understand
and agree with the terms, select the OK button to continue.
If the app detects it has no map data, Nearby Explorer checks to ensure
there is a Wi-Fi connection and downloads the maps.
You may use the app while maps download, but only limited functionality
is available until the download is completed.
Starting
When you start the application, Nearby Explorer displays the Nearby
screen and waits for positioning information from the GPS.
The Nearby screen contains a toolbar at the top with buttons for Pause,
Compass, GeoBeam, and Radius adjustments, and a toolbar at the bottom
containing buttons for Streets, Search, Favorites, and Transit.
Below the bottom toolbar is a collection of four tabs for Home, Map,
Settings, and Help.
The Home Tab shows the most used controls.
Between the two toolbars, the screen shows a list of information about
your current or virtual position. You use the list in one of two ways:
1.Examine the values interactively
2.Switch on ones you wish to hear automatically as they change
You may also adjust specific behavior for each list item by activating
its Context menu.
The items you turn on depend on how you wish to use the program.
While walking in an unfamiliar area, it is useful to turn on the street
address, street name, and possibly the nearest POI and its distance.
However, if you are riding in a car it may be too much to have street
numbers and distances to POIs announced.
You may want information that changes very infrequently to be checked.
For example, City, County, and State, are items that change so
infrequently that you may wish to have them selected at all times. If
you use the Map Tab, keeping these options enabled can provide useful
information about distant places without bothering you for local use.
It is important to keep "chatter" to a minimum. Since most of the
information from the Nearby screen is time sensitive, it is not useful
to have too much verbal communication. By the time you hear it, it
would no longer be relevant.
Nearby Screen Options
•Country
•State
•County
•City
•Zip Code
•"Heading":#Heading
•"Street Number":#StreetNum
•"Street Name":#StreetName
•"Approaching":#Approaching (streets)
•"Guidance":#Guidance
•"Nearby":#NearbyPlaces(Point of Interest or POI)
•"Nearby Position":#NearbyPlaces
•"Watch":#Watch(distance and direction to a watch point)
•Speed
•Altitude
•"Accuracy":#Accuracy
•Vertical Accuracy
In addition to turning on the items to monitor, you may use the Context
menu. The menu provides additional options for the selected item.
Details are explained in the section for each option.
To activate the Context menu with VoiceOver running, swipe down and
select the Show menu option or double tap and hold.
Heading
When the Heading item on the Nearby screen is on, Nearby Explorer
announces your direction of travel and continually updates it as you
move. This heading is derived by comparing the location of the last GPS
reading with the position of the current reading. This means that in
order to get a heading, you must be moving.
Nearby Explorer uses the heading to determine which streets you are
approaching as you move. When you stop moving, the heading becomes
invalid, and Nearby Explorer's Heading value goes blank.
Compass
In addition to obtaining heading information from the GPS, you may use
the compass to announce the direction you are facing.
To use the compass, hold the device vertically and point the camera in
the desired direction (as if you were taking a picture). Nearby
Explorer responds with a vibration and announcement of the direction.
In addition to the direction, the compass announces a list of streets
that intersect a line in the direction you point the device.
As you point the device in another direction, the speech function of
the compass silences, vibrates, and then announces the new information
about direction and streets.
To stop using the compass, move the device so it is no longer oriented
vertically. Nearby Explorer responds with another confirmation tone and
resumes obtaining the heading information from the GPS.
Note: By default, the compass only works while Nearby Explorer is the
program in use. This lets you use the phone or other software without
any concerns about the device's orientation. The Settings screen
contains an option to enable using Compass and Geobeam even when Nearby
Explorer is in the background.
Note: All other functions of Nearby Explorer remain active, even when
you start another program. If you do not want the position of the phone
to provide Compass feedback, turn off the Compass feature by selecting
the Compass Off button on the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Street Number
The Street Number option on the Nearby screen provides the closest
house number of the current position. As you move, the number changes
to reflect the new, closest address.
Nearby Explorer calculates street addresses by dividing a block into
equal segments and assigning a number to each segment. There are cases
where this approach can report a number that is one or two houses away
from the actual address. Take the example of a large business that
occupies an entire block. While its published address might be 900 Main
Street, as you travel down the block, Nearby Explorer reports 900, 902,
904, and so on, to the end of the block and the official last number.
Choose Address Provider
Sometimes, you can get more precise street numbers by using an
alternate provider. Nearby Explorer offers the following providers:
•On-board maps
•Apple
The accuracy of each provider may depend on your area. One way to test
the accuracy is to see if the app gives you an accurate address for
your house or business.
To change providers, activate the Context menu, then select Address
Provider.
Street Name
The Street Name option displays the street on which the user is
currently traveling. If this item is selected, the name of the street
is announced when you turn onto another street or when you enter a
cross street.
When approaching a cross street, depending on the accuracy of the GPS
signal, Nearby Explorer announces the name of the cross street as you
enter the street. Inaccurate signals may make it announce the cross
street either before or after you enter or leave the street crossing.
To constantly update your street address while walking, turn on both
the Street Number and Street Name items. As you walk, Nearby Explorer
announces the street address but not the street name (because the
street name is not changing). With both options selected, when you
approach and pass a cross street, the app announces the name of the
street and the closest house number on that street. Often, Nearby
Explorer announces an address from each side of the cross street as you
pass it. The first is the closest house number on the side of the
street on which you are traveling. As you cross, the app announces the
second number, which is the closest house number on the far side of the
street.
As you turn onto another street, Nearby Explorer announces the name of
that street as soon as it recognizes the new coordinates. This usually
occurs within a few seconds of the turn.
The street number and name announcements are two of the best ways to
obtain the most detailed information about your location. When combined
with a Nearby Places address, which is also approximated, you can
easily determine on which side of the street you are traveling and on
which side the desired destination is located.
Note: Poor GPS reception can result in misinformation, such as
addresses located on the wrong side of the street. If this happens,
avoid setting any Favorites until you obtain a better signal.
Parking Lots and Other "Off-Road" Locations
If you are not near a street, Nearby Explorer appends a distance and
direction to the nearest address. For example, if you turn south into a
parking lot at 100 Main Street and move away from the street, the
program adds a message, such as "29 yards north" to the street name
announcement. In this way, as you move south away from Main Street, the
program announces the address as "Main Street 29 yards north." This
additional information about the distance and direction is useful to
determine the route back to the road network in a park, parking lot, or
other open area.
Occasionally, even though you are on a street, the program may announce
the street name as if you were away from the street. This usually
occurs from a poor satellite signal and ordinarily corrects itself
unless atmospheric conditions are extremely poor.
If you do not want to know how far away from the street you are, open
the Street item's Context menu and select Disable Off Road Indication.
How Addresses and Highways Work
In many US cities, the city is divided into quadrants with a street
separating the north quadrant from the south and a street separating
the east quadrant from the west. Any street that is west of the
east/west line often contains "W" in the name to indicate that it is
west of the dividing line between east and west. Similarly, streets
east of the east/west line often contain "E" in the name. The addresses
begin at the east/west line and increase as they move away from it in
either direction. Thus, if the east/west dividing line is Main Street,
and Maple Street intersects Main, the addresses west of Main would
start with 100 and increase as you move west. 400 W. Maple Street is
west of 300 W. Maple Street. Similarly, the addresses east of Main
increase as you move east, so 200 E. Maple Street is east of 100 E.
Maple Street.
Often a block starts with an address such as 100 or 200 and increases
to 99 before the next block begins, so addresses on a typical block
range from numbers such as 100 to 199 or 200 to 299. Of course, if a
street is particularly long, the street numbers might be a range of
five digit numbers such as 26800 to 26899.
Even-numbered addresses are on one side of the street, and odd numbers
are on the other side. Usually, 200 is straight across the street from
201. In most cases, the even-numbered addresses fall on the south and
west sides of a street, and the odd-numbered addresses fall on the
north and east sides.
Interstates and highways indicate their prevailing direction by their
route number. All the even-numbered interstates and highways generally
travel from east to west, and odd-numbered interstates and highways go
from north to south.
Even numbered interstates (east/west) are numbered smallest to largest,
starting in the south and increasing to 100 as you move north. For
example, Interstate 10 is the southernmost interstate. It runs from New
Orleans to Los Angeles. I-20 is north of I-10 and runs from Kent, Texas
to Florence, South Carolina.
Odd numbered interstates (north/south) are numbered lowest to highest
starting from the west coast and increasing as you move east. I-5 is on
the west coast, and I-95 is on the east coast.
When a city has an interstate that routes traffic circuitously around
the heart of the city, the interstate is given a three-digit number in
the 200, 400, or 600 range. It derives its number from the interstate
that it branches from. In Dallas, for example, the LBJ Freeway is
numbered I-635 because it loops around Dallas branching from I-35.
Interstates are marked with mile markers, one every mile. Mile markers
on an interstate begin at the border of each new state. They start with
zero at the southern border and increase as you move north for odd
numbered or north/south interstates. They start with zero at the
western border of the state increasing as you move east for the even
numbered or east/west routes.
If an interstate does not start at the state's border, the mile markers
begin numbering at the start of the interstate.
The exits on an interstate are indicated by the mile marker. Exit 5 is
always located between mile marker 5 and 6. If there are two or more
exits within a mile, their designation includes both the mile marker
and a suffix letter. If there were three exits at marker 5, they would
be labeled 5A, 5B, and 5C.
When you see exits in the map data, they are treated like streets, but
the street name is the exit number. Therefore, it is not uncommon to
have streets entering and exiting the interstate with names such as 8
or 8A.
Interstates are named with "I-" followed by the interstate number. I-40
E refers to the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40.
US highways are labeled with the prefix "US-" followed by the route
number. US-67 refers to US Highway, Route 67.
State highways are named with the state abbreviation followed by the
highway number as in IN-62 for Indiana Highway 62.
County roads are labeled with "County Road" or some abbreviation such
as "CR" followed by the number of the road as in CR 1429.
Approaching
The Approaching option on the Nearby screen lets Nearby Explorer
describe upcoming intersections as you approach.
The app describes the next intersection as soon as you pass the current
one.
If the cross street only intersects on one side, Nearby Explorer
announces either "Left Side" or "Right Side" after the name and before
the distance.
If the street is a cross street, Nearby Explorer says the street name
and "ahead."
Distance Updates
In addition to announcing the side of the street, Nearby Explorer also
estimates and provides the distance to that intersection. As you
approach the street, the distance is updated to reflect your changing
position.
Guidance
The Guidance setting displays the next maneuver to take (in the
directions) when you set a place as a destination. For example, it
might say, "In 30 yards, turn left on Main Street."
To set a place as a Destination, follow these steps:
1.Activate the Search or Favorites button at the bottom of the screen.
You may also pick Recent Destinations from the Context menu for the
Guidance option.
The app displays a list of Places.
2.Activate the item of interest.
Nearby Explorer shows a menu of actions for favorites and searches. For
recent destinations, Nearby Explorer sets the destination immediately.
3.Select Set as Destination.
When you set a destination, Nearby Explorer announces the route type
(pedestrian or vehicle), and the side of the street of the destination.
Each time you set a destination, Nearby Explorer adds it to the list of
recent destinations. The program remembers the previous 20 places to
which you requested guidance.
When using the guidance function, keep in mind that streets are marked
at their center line. Therefore, when Nearby Explorer says, "Turn left
on Maple in 30 yards," you need to take into consideration the width of
the street.
Guidance and Directions
When you acquire a list of Favorites or search results, you can obtain
directions to that location or receive guidance as you travel there.
These directions and guidance are optimized for either pedestrian or
vehicle travel. To select pedestrian directions, select Pedestrian from
the Route Settings view in the Setting screen or the Guidance Context
menu.
Route Settings
Route settings customize the kinds of routes and directions Nearby
Explorer creates. To change how Nearby Explorer calculates the route,
select Route Settings from the Settings menu or from the Guidance
Context menu if a route is active.
The route settings include route optimizations for pedestrian VS
vehicle, fastest time, shortest distance, or least turns (main roads)
and switches to let you specify highways, unpaved roads, toll roads,
and ferries in the route calculations.
Directions Option
To receive a list of directions, activate the POI. From the next menu,
choose Get Directions. Nearby Explorer displays a list of directions.
At the top of the list, Nearby Explorer shows the distance and time to
the destination. Each item in the list shows the direction and distance
to the next maneuver in the route.
Guidance Option
For guidance while you travel to the POI, choose Set as Destination
from the menu. The app responds by adding the first step of the
directions in the x Guidance field of the Nearby screen. It also
updates the Guidance field, so the next maneuver is announced as you
move. The information in the Guidance field always contains the current
distance and direction to the next maneuver.
Change to or From Pedestrian Mode
To switch to or from Pedestrian mode while using the Guidance feature,
follow these steps:
1.Activate the Context menu on the Guidance option.
2.Select Route Settings from the Context menu.
3.Turn on or off the Pedestrian Mode setting.
If there are other route settings to change, adjust them here as well.
Nearby Explorer automatically recalculates the route based on the new
settings.
Directions During Guidance
To display a list of remaining directions to the destination while
using the Guidance feature, follow these steps:
1.Activate the Context menu on the Guidance option.
2.Choose Directions from the menu.
Point to Destination
When you set a destination, Nearby Explorer lets you point to it to get
audio and haptic feedback about that point. Hold the phone with the
screen face up and use the end to point. When you point at the
destination, Nearby Explorer vibrates and announces the name and
distance to the point.
Nearby (POIs) and Nearby Position
The Nearby Places item on the Nearby screen indicates the closest POI
to your current location. If you turn on the Nearby Position item, the
app also announces the distance and direction to that POI and
continually updates the information as you approach and then leave that
location. These POIs include Nearby Places, Favorites, and Transit
Stops in supported cities.
By default, Nearby Explorer shows the four closest places and updates
the distance and direction to the nearest one as you move. To show more
or less places, use the Context menu and pick "Maximum Places Per
Location" to set the number of places to report, from one to eight.
If you live in a city with a public transit feed that is supported by
Nearby Explorer, one kind of Place the app reports is Transit Stop
information. The report includes the time, direction, and route name of
the next bus or train. These live transit reports are active only when
moving less than 10 miles per hour.
To control which type of information Nearby Explorer reports, activate
the Context menu for the Nearby item on the main screen. The Context
menu includes three items: Nearby Places, Transit Stop Information, and
Favorites. You may enable or disable any or all of these options.
Point to Nearby Places With Geobeam
Because your device knows both your current location and the location
of POIs around you, it is possible to use the device's compass to point
at features in the environment and receive feedback about that feature.
The feedback consists of a vibration, a tone, and an announcement with
the name and distance of the POI. The vibration, in particular, makes
pinpointing places both intuitive and easy. Think of this feedback as a
beam (Geobeam) emitting from the end of the device, which you can use
to point directly to features in the environment. As long as you
maintain the direction, the vibration continues. You can use this
vibration to guide you to the point.
CAUTION:
There may be obstructions between you and the POI. Nearby Explorer
cannot know about certain environmental barriers that may exist between
you and the point. You must use traditional mobility techniques to
ensure the path is safe or to follow a safe path to the point.
The tone also conveys information about the distance between the object
to which you point and your location. The higher the pitch, the closer
you are to that point. The speech also announces the distance, but the
tone can be used to quickly get an idea about which objects are closest
as you scan the environment.
There are two ways to position your device to use Geobeam. For both
positions, the "business end" is considered the top edge.
To engage Geobeam in the first position, hold the device out in front
of you, (as though you were handing it to someone), pointing the
business end in the direction of the POI. The screen should be facing
skyward. In this position, Nearby Explorer lets you know only about the
closest POI when you point to it. If you have a destination or a Watch
set, use the device in this position to find the destination or Watch
point.
The second position is the normal Geobeam operating position. It is
achieved by rotating the device 90 degrees counter clockwise from
position 1, (as though you were shaking hands with someone). As you
move your device into this position, Nearby Explorer makes a sound.
When you move it out of Geobeam position, Nearby Explorer makes another
sound to confirm.
Point the end of the device in different directions while maintaining
its orientation. When the end of the device points to a POI, Nearby
Explorer makes a sound, vibrates, and announces the name of the Place
and its distance.
When using Geobeam, be sure to take notice of these characteristics:
•You can decrease or expand the distance range by adjusting the "search
radius":#PlaceRadius for Nearby Places.
•Geobeam points can appear to move slightly. This movement is caused by
inaccurate satellite reception. You can still use them to get close to
your target location.
•Geobeam is more accurate the further away you are from the point. When
you get close to the point, you must contend with other impediments,
such as the location being marked in an odd place (like in the street)
or poor satellite reception.
If you don't want Nearby Explorer to provide feedback when you position
the phone, turn Geobeam off with the Geobeam button on the toolbar.
Adjust Nearest Place Behavior
By default, Nearby Explorer reports the direction to the nearest place
as a compass direction, but you can change this behavior to receive
direction as a position on a clock face. To do that, use the Context
menu, and select the Report as Clock Face option.
If you do not have a network connection, Nearby Explorer uses the POIs
in its database to identify nearby places. If you have a data
connection, the app uses the Foursquare[^R^] service or Google
Places[^TM^] business listings instead. These services can provide POIs
in interesting and useful ways.
Google Places provides as many as 20 place results for each search
request. Therefore, it can provide different, more general, or more
meaningful results by changing the radius of the search. Google Places
allows a radius of up to approximately 30 miles. Foursquare shows 50
place results at a time.
By default, Nearby Explorer uses a radius of 170 yards to help identify
the nearest place. This radius usually provides adequate information
about almost any small business, government facility, or other place in
relative proximity. If you are located where there are few businesses
or institutions, or if you reduce the radius too much, you may get no
results.
There are a few ways to adjust the radius. The easiest way is to use
the Radius buttons on the toolbar.
You may also select the Set Radius option from the Context menu of the
Nearby Position item. Nearby Explorer responds with a menu from which
you may select the desired radius.
If you are traveling in a vehicle, you should not use a small radius,
especially in a densely populated area. As you travel, increase the
radius based on the environment and your personal preferences.
Watch
The Watch function is used to monitor a particular point of interest.
It is most effective as a reference and orientation tool. When you
monitor a POI, Nearby Explorer always displays the distance and
direction to the Watch point from your current position. To set a place
as a Watch, follow these steps:
1.Select a search result or a Favorite and open its Context menu.
2.Select Set as Watch.
Alternatively, select Set Location as Watch from any Context menu on
the main screen.
If you have the Watch item turned on, the app monitors and announces
the distance and direction to the place you are watching.
If you set a Watch position, the compass in your device can also be
used to point to the Watch point. As you point at the watched position
with your screen facing skyward, Nearby Explorer announces the name and
distance and vibrates to let you know where that position is located.
For example, you could set the location of your car in a large parking
lot as a Watch point and be able to locate it later.
Explore the Map
While Nearby Explorer keeps track of your location as you move, it can
also provide information about other places while you remain stationary
or move about virtually.
The program provides several methods for map exploration, such as using
the Go To option (explained shortly) from the result of the Explore,
Search, or Favorites tools.
You can also use the touch screen of your device to explore the map. To
learn more about map exploration using a touch screen, see Map View.
To virtually shift to another city or state, see Search.
Virtual Navigation
Nearby Explorer lets you navigate virtually. Select Enable Virtual
Navigation from any Context menu on the main screen. Nearby Explorer
shows buttons to move in any cardinal direction. Each button click
moves 20 yards.
Follow Roads
Navigation mode moves in the exact direction you request by default.
However, this can be a problem if you wish to follow a road that does
not run exactly north/south or east/west. The Follow Roads switch on
the Navigation screen makes Nearby Explorer follow the road instead of
moving in the precise direction you indicate. This usually works well,
but it can sometimes cause Nearby Explorer to assume the incorrect
street when navigating through an intersection. Moving in a different
direction often helps you get back on the correct street in this
situation.
To exit Navigation mode, press Resume on the toolbar or disable Virtual
Navigation from any Context menu.
Accuracy
The Accuracy setting provides a number to be considered as a range for
horizontal positioning. For instance, if the app shows "5 yards" the
program is fairly confident that it knows your position within 5 yards.
The smaller the number, the more accurate you should consider Nearby
Explorer's information.
Vertical Accuracy
Vertical Accuracy is an indication of the reliability of the Altitude
report.
Favorites
In addition to the POIs in the maps, you can add your own places. In
Nearby Explorer, these are called Favorites.
Favorites are treated like Nearby Places. As you approach a Favorite,
the app announces its name and location.
You use Favorites to mark an existing place more suitable to your needs
or to mark a place that does not exist in the map data. You can also
save existing places as Favorites for easier access.
To set your current location as a Favorite, select Save Location as
Favorite from any Context menu on the main screen.
The app responds by displaying a dialog box where you may type a new
name or press the OK button to accept the automatically generated name.
The automatically generated name consists of the nearest address.
It is useful to give favorite places meaningful names that more
precisely describe the marked position. When marking the door to a
restaurant, for example, use exact wording to distinguish that Favorite
from the more general POI in the maps. "Side Door to Wendy's"
distinguishes the entrance from the map data's more general "Wendy's"
moniker.
To display a list of your Favorites, press the Favorites button at the
bottom of the screen.
The Favorites list organizes your Favorites by their distance from your
current position, so the closest places are listed first.
Each item in the list shows the name of the Favorite, its distance and
direction from your current position, and its address.
To rename a Favorite, follow these steps:
1.Select one of the favorites in the list.
2.Select Rename from the Context menu that appears. The app displays a
dialog box with the current name.
3.Edit the current name or type a new one.
4.Press the Save button.
To delete a Favorite, follow these steps:
1.Select the favorite to delete.
2.Select Delete from the Context menu.
Transit
Nearby Explorer uses transit feeds for several transit systems to
provide information about public transit.
To use the Transit feature in a supported metropolitan area, press the
Transit button at the bottom of the screen.
If you haven't used the Transit feature in the current city, Nearby
Explorer downloads the transit map for that area.
Nearby Explorer automatically updates transit maps when possible. If
the map for your system expires, Nearby Explorer shows "Expired" and
the date on which the data expired in the title of the screen. If this
occurs, you may wish to contact your transit system. You may still use
expired maps, but be aware they may no longer be accurate.
Once you choose a transit system, Nearby Explorer's Transit Stop screen
displays a list of nearby stops, with the closest stop listed first.
To see more nearby stops, press the More Stops button at the bottom of
the screen.
Each list item on the Stops screen contains the following information:
•Street corner or address where the stop is located
•Direction the bus/train travels from that stop
•Distance and direction to that location from your current position
•Time of the next bus/train serving that stop
To see a list of all the routes that service a particular stop, select
one of the stops.
The Route screen includes buttons for the previous and next day in
addition to a list of vehicles. Each item in the list includes the
following:
•Time the vehicle reaches that stop.
•Short name or number of the route.
•Name of the route
•Name of the vehicle
To see a schedule of times when the vehicle passes that corner, select
the route of interest. Nearby Explorer responds with a schedule screen
that shows all the times for the day.
To follow the vehicle's route, select the time of interest. Nearby
Explorer responds with the All Stops screen. The All Stops screen shows
the time, address, direction of travel, and distance and direction from
the last stop.
To identify buses/trains at other stops, press Back to get to the
Nearby Stops screen and select another stop.
Multiple Transit Systems
If there are multiple transit systems in your area, Nearby Explorer
shows an Alternate Transit System button at the bottom of the Transit
view. Press this button to rotate through the available transit
systems.
Updating Transit Schedules
Nearby Explorer uses an automated system to keep its transit
information up-to-date. If an update is available, Nearby Explorer
downloads the schedule the next time you start Nearby Explorer.
If your local area does not support Google Transit™ trip planning
service, see the Google Transit Page for information about requesting
the transit authority in your area to participate.
Supported Transit Areas
•Albuquerque, NM
•Ann Arbor, MI
•Atlanta, GA
•Austin, TX
•Bakersfield, CA
•Baltimore, MD
•Beaumont, CA
•Birmingham, AL
•Boston, MA
•Buffalo, NY
•Chicago, IL
•Cincinnati, OH
•Cleveland, OH
•Colorado Springs, CO
•Columbus, OH
•Corpus Christi, TX
•Dallas, TX
•Denver, CO
•Detroit, MI
•Eastern Sierra, CA
•Eugene, OR
•Fort Lauderdale, FL
•Fort Worth, TX
•Halifax, Ca
•Houston, TX
•Indianapolis, IN
•Jacksonville, FL
•Kansas City, MO
•Las Vegas, NV
•Lexington, KY
•Los Angeles, CA
•Louisville, KY
•Madison, WI
•Miami, FL
•Milwaukee, WI
•Minneapolis, MN
•Montreal, Ca
•New Jersey
•New York, NY
•Oklahoma City, OK
•Orange County, CA
•Orlando, FL
•Ottawa, Ca
•Philadelphia, PA
•Phoenix, AZ
•Portland, OR
•Sacramento, CA
•Salem, OR
•San Antonio, TX
•San Diego, CA
•San Francisco, CA (BART)
•San Francisco, CA (SFMTA)
•San Jose, CA
•St. Louis, MO
•Toronto, Ca
•Vancouver, Ca
•Washington, D.C.
Search
Nearby Explorer assists you with finding businesses, institutions,
addresses, and places that relate to a specific topic.
Once you find a place of business, you can do one of several things,
depending upon the information available for that location. These
things include receiving directions or guidance, adding it to your
Favorites, or traveling to it virtually on the map.
There is a Search Provider button at the bottom of the screen that lets
you select among Google Places, Foursquare, and On-board maps. The
Search screen inherits the provider settings from the Home screen.
Nearby Explorer can search within approximately a 30-mile radius of
your actual or virtual position. To initiate a search with another
location than your own, first search for a city and state, and then
search for the place of interest.
To open the Search screen, press the Search button. Nearby Explorer
responds with a screen that lets you type a term and shows a list of
nearby places.
To search for POIs in another city or state, you must switch to that
city first. To do this, follow these steps:
1.Activate the Edit Box.
2.Type the city or county name or the first few letters of the name,
followed by a comma, then the two letter state or province
abbreviation.
Nearby Explorer responds by displaying a list of matching cities and
the county in which that city is located. Each item in the list also
indicates that city's distance and direction from your current
location. Choose the city of interest.
The app responds with a City Action menu containing either Go To or
Search.
To move the virtual position to that city and close the Search screen,
choose Go To.
To display search results from that city, choose Search.
The types of items that appear in the Search screen list depend on your
network connection, the search radius setting, your location, or any
terms you have typed. These POIs are arranged so the closest one
appears at the top of the list. Each list item shows the name of the
place, its category, and its distance and direction from your current
or virtual position.
To show places related to a term you type, follow these steps:
1.Activate the Edit Box.
2.Type a word or key word that is in the name of the desired place.
Nearby Explorer automatically increases the search radius to
approximately 30 miles when you provide a specific term to find. You
may change the radius to narrow the distance to search. Nearby Explorer
discards any changes to the radius or search provider when you close
the Search view.
You may search for addresses in any location by entering the street
number as the first portion of the search term. For example, 1839
Frankfort Ave, Louisville shows APH from wherever you search.
When you select one of the search results, Nearby Explorer displays a
menu of actions from which to choose. The menu includes the following:
•Save to Favorites
•Go To
•Get Directions
•Set as destination
•Set as Watch
•View on Foursquare (if using Foursquare as a search provider.)
Streets
To show the Streets screen, press the Streets button at the bottom of
the screen.
The Streets screen shows all the intersections on the current street
and a Go To button.
Each intersection in the list shows the name of the intersecting
street, the distance and direction to that intersection, and in which
direction the street runs.
If you were on Maple Street between 1st and 2nd Streets and opened the
Streets view, you might see a list like the following:
•1st Street 100 yards north heading east
•2nd Street 50 yards north heading east and west
•3rd Street 20 yards south heading east and west
•4th Street 70 yards south heading east and west
Nearby Explorer highlights the closest intersection to your current
location. When you open this view, the cursor will be on the 2nd Street
or 3rd Street item depending on which is closest.
To turn onto one of the streets listed, select the street. Nearby
Explorer displays a new list with all the intersections on the new
street. Of course, one of those intersections is the street you were on
when you Selected it, so the list might look like the following:
•Ash 3 miles west heading north and south
•Cherry 2 miles west heading north and south
•Dogwood 1 mile west heading north and south
•Elm .5 miles west heading north
•Lilac .1 miles west heading south
•Maple heading north and south
•Peach 200 yards east heading south
Since the intersection of 2nd and Maple is closest, Nearby Explorer
highlights the street "Maple" in the list.
When you get to the desired location, press the Go To button to return
to the Nearby screen with your location set to the selected
intersection.
Map View
Along with the Home screen, where you fine tune what the app says as
you move, Nearby Explorer offers a view of the map.
The Map view shows an interactive, accessible map of your current or
virtual position.
To use the map, select the Map tab at the bottom of the screen. Nearby
Explorer fills the screen with the standard Apple Map view with
integration into Nearby Explorer's interface.
Using the Map
Use your finger to touch or slide on any part of the screen to receive
feedback about that part of the map.
North is at the top of the screen, south is at the bottom, and east and
west are right and left, respectively.
As you touch the screen, VoiceOver gives feedback in the form of tones
and verbal announcements. When you touch a street and pause there on
the map with VoiceOver Hints enabled, you begin getting beeping
feedback as you slide your finger to follow that street. Wether or not
you enable VoiceOver Hints, pausing while touching a street makes
VoiceOver begin beeping at different tones. This lets you know when you
drift away from the street, and it provides verbal announcements as you
approach intersections while you slide.
In addition to street name and direction information, VoiceOver
announces POIs. The amount of detail depends on how closely the map is
zoomed.
If the map does not cover enough space, or you want to move the center
of the map, use the scroll and zoom features to adjust the view.
Scroll the Map
To scroll the map, use the technique where you double tap then hold and
slide. The usual three-finger scrolling technique required when you are
running VoiceOver does not work.
When you scroll, Nearby Explorer virtually moves to the point at the
center of the map and applies the announcements you set in the Home
screen. It also pauses the GPS, so to resume tracking your position,
activate the Resume button at the top of the Home screen when you
finish using the map or other tools where you virtually explore.
The amount you scroll depends on how far you drag your finger and the
zoom level.
Zoom
To zoom, use the Rotor to get to the Zoom control, then flick up or
down. Zoom is not in the default Rotor configuration, so you must add
it in the Settings / General / Accessibility / VoiceOver / Rotor
setting. You only need to add it once.
Once you add Zoom, you may flick up and down to change the amount of
information to show on the map. VoiceOver responds with each adjustment
by announcing the number of roads visible in the new view. The closer
you zoom, the more information about roads and POIs you get. As you
broaden the view, you see only more prominent roads and POIs.
Points of Interest Rotor Control
When focused on the Map view, VoiceOver adds Points of Interest to the
choices available in the Rotor. To see all the POIs, select Points of
Interest in the Rotor, then flick through the names of each of them
that appear in the view.
Geobeam and Compass From Map View
You may use Geobeam and Compass to examine the surrounding virtual
area, just as if you were there. These tools can help orient you to
unfamiliar places before you travel to them.
Home Screen
To return to the Home screen, select it from the bottom left of the
screen. You may wish to make adjustments in what gets announced as you
scroll through the map. If so, change the settings, then return to the
Map tab.
If you scrolled the map, Nearby Explorer pauses the GPS reception. To
return to a live GPS position, activate the Resume button at the top of
the screen.
Settings
The Settings tab shows options that let you change how Nearby Explorer
behaves.
Report Distances in Metric Units: Off
When you turn on this setting, Nearby Explorer uses metric measurements
for distance reports. When the setting is off, it uses imperial units
of measurement.
Report Distances in Feet Instead of Yards: Off
If using imperial measurement units, Nearby Explorer can express
distances in feet rather than yards. Turn this setting on to receive
distance announcements in feet.
This option is not available if the Report Distances in Metric Units
setting is on.
Allow Geobeam and Compass when App is in the Background
Normally, Geobeam and Compass work only while Nearby Explorer is in the
foreground. If you want them to work while the phone is locked or when
Nearby Explorer is in the background, turn on this button.
Adjust Speech
To change the voice, pitch, speech and volume of the speech Nearby
Explorer uses, select Adjust Speech from the Settings tab. The Adjust
Speech screen shows sliders to adjust any of the speech parameters and
a button to return the speech to the default settings. There is also a
button to test the speech selections. Select the Done button when
complete.
Choose Address Provider
Normally, Nearby Explorer uses on-board maps to provide addresses. You
may select between Apple or On-board maps to provide this information.
Choose Search Provider
Normally, Nearby Explorer uses Google Places to provide results for
searches and Nearby Places. Use this button to select among Google
Places, Foursquare, or On-board maps.
Route Settings
When using Guidance or directions, the route settings let you customize
the way Nearby Explorer delivers instructions.
Pedestrian Mode: Off
Normally, Nearby Explorer assumes you are driving and provides
instructions that account for one-way streets, highways, and other
instructions possible only while driving. When Pedestrian mode is on,
it uses the shortest route without highways, and does not consider
street direction.
h4. Route Optimization
The Route Optimization settings button opens a dialog that lets you
control things like shortest distance, fastest, and simplest route.
Use Highways: On
When using Driving mode, Nearby Explorer uses highways by default;
however, you may instruct it not to use them by turning off this
button.
Use Unpaved Roads: On
If you wish to use only paved roads, turn this button off.
Use Toll roads: On
If you wish to avoid tolls, turn off this button.
Use Ferries: On
To avoid using ferries, turn off this button.
About
The About button shows the version number and copyright information.
Other Information
If you make or receive a phone call while Nearby Explorer is working,
the program mutes the announcements until the phone call is complete.
Registered Trademarks
© 2012 Google Inc. All rights reserved. Google Places™ is a trademark
of Google Inc.
© 2012 Google Inc. All rights reserved. Google Transit™ is a trademark
of Google Inc.
© 2011 Foursquare Labs, Inc. All rights reserved. Foursquare[^R^] is a
registered trademark of Foursquare Labs, Inc.
NAVTEQ END-USER LICENSE TERMS
The data ("Data") is provided for your personal, internal use only and
not for resale. It is protected by copyright, and is subject to the
following terms and conditions which are agreed to by you, on the one
hand, and American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. and its licensors
(including their licensors and suppliers) on the other hand.
The Data for areas of Canada includes information taken with permission
from Canadian authorities, including: © Her Majesty the Queen in Right
of Canada, © Queen's Printer for Ontario, © Canada Post Corporation,
GeoBase®, © Department of Natural Resources Canada. All rights
reserved.
NAVTEQ holds a non-exclusive license from the United States Postal
Service® to publish and sell ZIP+4® information.
© United States Postal Service ® 2011. Prices are not established,
controlled or approved by the United States Postal Service®. The
following trademarks and registrations are owned by the USPS: United
States Postal Service, USPS, and ZIP+4.
Terms and Conditions
Personal Use Only
You agree to use this Data together with the Nearby Explorer app for
the solely personal, non-commercial purposes for which you were
licensed, and not for service bureau, time-sharing or other similar
purposes. Accordingly, but subject to the restrictions set forth in the
following paragraphs, you may copy this Data only as necessary for your
personal use to (i) view it, and (ii) save it, provided that you do not
remove any copyright notices that appear and do not modify the Data in
any way. You agree not to otherwise reproduce, copy, modify, decompile,
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portion of this Data, and may not transfer or distribute it in any
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Restrictions
Except where you have been specifically licensed to do so by the
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., and without limiting the
preceding paragraph, you may not (a) use this Data with any products,
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positioning, dispatch, real time route guidance, fleet management or
similar applications; or (b) with or in communication with any
positioning devices or any mobile or wireless-connected electronic or
computer devices, including without limitation cellular phones, palmtop
and handheld computers, pagers, and personal digital assistants or
PDAs.
Google's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
By using the Nearby Explorer application, the user is bound by Google's
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A link to the APH Privacy Policy is available at
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Warning
The Data may contain inaccurate or incomplete information due to the
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Disclaimer of Liability: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
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