Sorry, but you don't have any clue what the real situation is. The technology for turn by turn directions for the blind already exists. It is called Mobile Geo (
http://codefactory.es) and is used by thousands of blind folks every day on Windows Mobile devices with unlocked GPS. In fact that is the program I us almost on a daily basis to navigate to work, school and other places. Yes, in case you are wondering I am totally blind myself, not visually impaired as you bemused, that is a different thing. The very reason I have to carry my older 8925 Tilt is the the GPS is unlocked and I can run my GPS software (Mobile Geo) and make use of the turn by turn directions. If VZ ever unlocked the GPs in my Touch Pro I could toss the Tilt on the trash heap and just install Mobile Geo on the Touch Pro. Instead VZ persists in marketing a product that openly violates section 255 because as you state the technology must already exist, which it does, in the form of GPS guidance software for the blind. This is why the items mentioned by the previous poster (video messageing, flashlite) would not be a factor in this line of reasoning because those technologies do not currently exist for the blind; as opposed technologies that do like Bubblebreaker style games and of course the GPS we are speaking about. I am really very shocked that you aren't aware that many blind folks use GPS on Windows Mobile devices every day since the technology is actually perfectly suited for the blind. With good satelite accuracy GPS can actually guide a blind person right up to their house. To break this down to its core element. A sighted person has the option of using VZ's GPS software on their phones. A sighted person is precluded from doing this even though GPS software for the blind exists and is in common use and the legal precedents have pointed to this being a violation of section 255. So no I didn't forget about the portion of section 255 that mentions the qualifier of the technology already existing but in the case of GPS it certainly does exist.
See this link:
http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=273
Regards,
Frankie
Quote:
Originally Posted by tk4223
You omitted one important part of fcc section 255. The technology must be readily available. This means that the technology must have already been developed or not costly to research and develop. Let's face it, how many people with a vision impairment, we have to be politically correct, have a legitimate need for turn by turn traffic direction. I say that because this complaint is about locking the gps so that third party applications, that are intended for turn by turn directions, are blocked on the stock rom.
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