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Actually, that email is very helpful (if authentic). He admits that the next ROM will fix the current GPS issues. This is good news, I'll explain:
I've spent 4 days of solid research into hacking the A-GPS capabilities on the Mogul. As I've described in other threads, every modern phone has A-GPS built into it... the only problem is that the carriers don't want the consumer using it without paying a monthly fee. A talented developer by the name of Cristian Streng wrote a Java app called Mobile GMaps, this application uses Java calls to the QJAE GPS API (Qualcomm) on most Sprint phones to access the internal A-GPS system and use the coordinates from the system to display your location on a mapping source of your choice (it works with Yahoo, MSN, etc. maps). I've loaded this software on my wife's LG Fusic (after hacking/unlocking the developer's root certificate) and it's freakin awesome. She basically now has free GPS capabilities without needing an external device or clear sight of the overhead satellites.
When Sprint caught wind of this they made veiled threats at Cristian (google Mobile GMAPS and Sprint and you'll see), obviously because they no longer had the stranglehold on the user's wallet.
Ok... so what does this have to do with the Mogul? Well, when I tried to load the app onto the Mogul, there is a problem accessing the QJAE GPS API, I get error messages saying access to the API is denied. One of two things are going on here:
1. I've read on some developer's forums that Sprint locked down the API on WM phones really tight, requiring developers to pay a licensing fee to get an application cert that will unlock it.
or
2. They simply left the API/driver out. I suspect this is the reason since I don't believe you can get TeleNav or other related LBS (location based services) on the Mogul at the moment.
It kind of sounds like this next ROM will either unlock the API or finally include it.
What would really be awesome is if I can get some savvy Touch user to try mGMAPS to see if maybe Sprint included the unlocked API on that ROM. If it works then more than likely we could build a ROM for the Mogul that would unlock A-GPS for the end-user.
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