TechJapan

AU Personal Navigation Service "EZ Navi-Walk" Evaluation.

Mobile Phones / AU
Posted by Harvey on Dec 22, 2003 - 05:15 AM

AU [1] has released a personal navigation system for their cell phones called EZ Navi-Walk. EZ Navi-Walk functions just like a car navigation system, with voiced directions and everything. This article describes its functions and goes through some pro's and cons.Original Article is here. [2]

In AU's winter model for this year, the one function that is the center of attention must be the personal navigator "EZ Navi-Walk". Using the A5501T terminal which even supports editing???, we did a search on the route from Chiyoda-ku to Iidabashi's Garden Air Tower and did a review based on this actual test. Here we go.

The freedom to search on a variety of conditions is Navi-Walk's appeal. [3] First of all for the high level work flow involved when using EZ Navi-Walk. The procedure goes like this, Acquire current position, route search, select from multiple routes, and finally, begin navigation. The very first step, the current location acquisition, feels about the same as every other EZ Navigation up until now. The bad point is that it takes a bit of time for this information to be accessed. [4] Next up is the route search feature. The EZ Navi-Walk application is capable of working with many different condition assignments, including travel by train, taxi, and foot. The user can use the program as appropriate to his situation. Often times in computer based route searches, one will encounter unreasonable routes that make you think "What the heck is this...??" However, with EZ Navi-Walk we have not experienced that situation. When a route containing time, and trains are selected, the software will save you the trouble of looking up transfers, and be sure to select a safe route for you. Especially in metropolitan areas, transportation often requires the use of the subway. Sometimes, if you think of the time that could be wasted in waiting for trains, and going up and down stairs, sometimes it is happens that walking directly to your destination would be better. Also, wandering around a place that you don't know well can leave you feeling small... There are also probably a lot of people who finally end up taking the train, even though they know their destination is in walking distance. EZ walker will take into consideration routes that should only be walked, so it is especially valuable when moving around metropolitan areas. In our experiment this time, because we searched without setting any conditions, the first candidate was by taxi, 2nd candidate by subway, but the third it grabbed the route by foot. The most commonly used method for searching is, first doing a search with no conditions. Then, select the route you will actually use. It can probably be said that this is the most useful method of looking up a route. [Note from Translator: These are instructions through a part of Tokyo, lots of proper nouns makes it difficult to understand if you are not familiar with the area.] Now, if we select the 3rd route, the route by foot, immediately the voice guidance begins. This section has exactly the same feeling as a car navigation system. If we review the route, we start from the 3#-cho onto Yasukuni street, keep Yasukuni Temple on your left side, on your right side will be nihonbushidoukan and Chidori . Keep them on your right, and go down the hill until kudanshita intersection. From there, follow Mejiro street about 500 meters, to the top of Iidabashi-houmen. When you go in about one block to the east you will see KDDI. Follow the road on foot about 20 minutes, about 2 kilometers.

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To Mail, or to Navigate. That is the problem... Let's simply go over the functions used during navigation. The most frequently used function is probably the map rotation feature. The A550IT does not include a compass feature, so you must always be conscious of your direction in relation to the position of the map. It goes without saying that the best and fastest way to do this is to rotate the map in accordance with the direction of your movement. To rotate you use the [*] and [#] keys. It is also possible to zoom the map in and out. When you zoom all the way out, you can get a very wide area map. If you zoom out fully you get a really wide view so, practically speaking, there should be no problems in terms of field-of-view of the map. It is also possible to move the section of the map that is currently being viewed. You can scroll just by moving the arrow keys on the phone. The speed that the map is displayed is also pretty good, so it seems like the BREW application works effectively after-all. Since you can return from the point on the map you have scrolled to, back to your current location with the press of a single button. The usability is such that you can scroll around the map to see what is around you while walking effectively. There are probably people wondering what will happen if you receive a call while navigating. Actually, the number one question that we also have about EZ Navi-Walk happens to be about this topic. When there is an incoming call, even if you are in the middle of navigation, of course just as normal, you can answer the call and start talking with the touch of one button. When you finish the call, it will automatically return to the navigation screen. However, in the case of mail, or sending a message, the fact that it doesn't work as well makes us impatient. In the case that you want to send someone a message, you must close the navigation application. This is also the case If you want to receive a mail message. When you have finished sending or receiving your mail, or your voice conversation, the navigation application does not automatically store your previous location. The user much acquire the current position again from the beginning. As previously mentioned, the function to acquire the current position takes a bit of time. It's pretty irritating that while walking outside, you have to stop, and wait for this operation to complete. Aside from receiving a call, at least the navigator should allow the user to be able to read received mails, and reply to them in parallel with the navigator function. Using the navigator while going to your meeting place is definitely a situation that can be imagined, So, of course, the situation when you will need to send a mail saying "I'm going to be late." Or, "I've already arrived." will arise often. The excuse that you were late because you were using the navigation application isn't cool at all either. Since the user is forced into the situation of "To Mail, or to Navigate?", that becomes a real problem. Now, let's go through and explain the route navigation when you need to change trains. Let's say for example that you are trying to get to your destination by... Current Position, Walk, Train Station A, Train Station B, Walk, and then your Goal. When you arrive, the session will close once, and the route list screen will be shown. Here, after you arrive at your train station, the program will point out whether you should exit from the North Exit, or Exit A1. We are very thankful that the application will guide you all the way to the correct exit. After that, you select Station B as your current position, and select the walking route to your destination. Since when you when you reach station B, you will have to start over from acquiring your current position anyway, while you are riding on the train it is okay to shut down the navigation application, and do some other task. In this manner, when you search for the walking path to the station, the fact that you can receive the information about our train changes is really a convenient point about EZ Walk-Navi.

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Summary Up to this point, I've given a general overview of the EZ Navi-Walk but my first thought is I'd like the speed of the current-position-locator to be faster. If only this were to go smoothly, even if if there is no auto-reroute function and the current location must be obtained from a returned mail transmission, it would be easier to use. As I've stated, if only one doesn't stray from the path, the EZ Navi-Walk easily handles everything from route search to route guidance. It's a big change from the first generation EZ Navigator. In particular, it displays an unrivaled power when it comes to leisure usage without strict time constraints. If the future brings the ability to perform actions such as access phonebook data, buy long-distance and event tickets, the world that this device encompasses will be greatly increased. This level of personal navigation service is not yet available from any other company and au has taken a big lead. Yet I still am hoping for a greater investment and improvements in functionality.