SpiritGuide

Geooh Live for Android has a built-in messaging component that presents the web version of messaging in a nice window similar to the official app. The only thing it can't do is receive notifications that a message was sent to you... because Groundspeak's API will not allow that for 3rd party apps. Android allows things like this that iOS can't do.

Try Geooh Live.

Geooh Live

Geooh Live is not listed. Considering theyre no longer allowed developers access to the API, you'll be hard pressed to find anything other than what you listed above.

Do you have a premium membership? If not, the live apps are limited in the number and types of caches that can be listed. It's not a fault of the apps, it's a Groundspeak limitation.

I use Geooh Live... seems to be the only geocaching app that uses the new Google Maps with auto rotation and vector graphics. Pretty cool to be able to tilt the map and see a perspective view also.

Why must Groundspeak be the one to give you an alternative to an app that violates their TOU by scraping their site? There are several free apps already available that respect Groundspeak's TOU. Many find them very useful. The unauthorized application is hardly the only option. Choice is good. Well, choice is good for consumers and bad for providers. Some consumers/geocachers like to do live searches. Some prefer to use PQs. Choice. For those that like to depend on live searches one of the apps that Groundspeak feels violates the TOU are a possible choice. For those that prefer to use PQs there are more choices, none (I think) cause any tummy troubles for the Frog in Seattle. Personally, I prefer to use PQs. Rarely do I ever just randomly show up at a location at start caching. Instead, I plan trips with a focus on a specific location or specific caches. It's nice that my preferred caching style allows me to avoid live searches -- since that bothers Groundspeak and because I frequently cache where there is no cell coverage -- but I do this because it's the way I like to cache. Really, this is a silly issue. Pick the app you like and go caching! Get outside. Get some dirt on your shoes. Have fun! Hear, hear! I prefer PQs also to plan my caching adventures. Why everyone is waiting for some glorious app from Groundspeak baffles me. I wonder with all the anticipation for the great GC app there will be an equal disappointment when it finally arrives.

Why must Groundspeak be the one to give you an alternative to an app that violates their TOU by scraping their site? There are several free apps already available that respect Groundspeak's TOU. Many find them very useful. The unauthorized application is hardly the only option. And why only free apps? There are several inexpensive apps also that allow you to load GPX for premium members and LOC files for others.

They may be referring to the newer Garminfone that is a smartphone based on the Android OS platform... Garminfone

Excellent! Very well said. It is frustrating that Groundspeak is overly paternal and protective of the data the WE provide for them. I feel I have contributed to their success by placing caches and would like more openness so that others may think of more creative uses of that data to extend the sport. Facebook took off exponentially with the aid of an API that allowed developers access to user-inputted data to create innovative apps and extensions. Imagine a web world with mashups of geocaches with other social activities... it can only help Groundspeak in the end if they weren't so short-sighted or profit motivated.

Geooh now has Facebook integration. When you mark the found status of a geocache on the phone you have an option to post information about the cache on your Facebook news feed. Works pretty slick if you want your friends to see your caching adventures.

Geooh works great for me.

It scrapes the site, violating the following section of the terms of use: It is not a robot or a spider and there is nothing automated about it. The only thing that even comes close in that statement is the word "scrape" and that is stretching things quite a bit. I've watched enough lawyer shows on TV to know that one could just as easily make the argument that it is just a specialized browser with a custom rendering engine that makes a page request initiated by the user, receives the HTML returned by the server and then renders it (which was intended for large screens) is a compact manner suitable for small screens (think about what screen readers for the blind do... some translate it to a tactile output in the form a braille... is that a violation?). It is a shame because it is hands down the best free (authorized or not) Android app for caching. Amazing reality distortion... The program is not a specialized browser. It is NOT using HTML to render screens in the way Groundspeak intended. It is pretending to be a browser and then extracting cache data from the HTML (that's is the automated process) before rendering it in the way it wants. A browser is suppose to display HTML exactly as the web site sent it. I am certainly not defending the TOU... and I am not defending the program. Actually, the developer is quite skilled to be able to scrape as effectively as he does so I am impressed. If you are going to defend the program, at least know more about the technology behind it. The program clearly violates the TOU so it is better to argue that the TOU be changed (or API's opened) than to call an apple an orange.

LOL... honestly that sounds like driving an 18-wheeler gas tanker just so you can have the option to travel anywhere in the US without filling up. How many MB of data is in a huge GPX file like that? How long to sort or filter? How about scrolling through the list? Mapping so many data points on Google Maps? At some point Android starts to throw up and slow down. Maybe I cache differently, but I prefer to plan my caching days and create multiple pocket queries. On those rare times I want to ad-hoc cache I will use a forbidden app, but I find it soooo slow and often crashes on me. Unlike Geobeagle with one data set, Geooh lets me use multiple stored files so I can separate them into separate cities, separate caching trips, etc. If I know I am headed for a particular area, it doesn't take long to create a PQ to load up. I prefer having separate smaller files that are easier to manage... sorting/filtering is fast... scrolling quick... show all caches on a map... delete individual caches or whole files. I guess it's all how you learn to cache or use a particular app... we get stuck thinking one-dimensionally and may miss other ways to skin a cat.

And why do you think it was so much better than other apps? Actually, I find the app confusing and convoluted compared to "good" iPhone apps. Their only competitive advantage is live access to their databases through a hidden API which they don't allow other developers to do. Groundspeak certainly doesn't have a lock on the best programmers in the world, but they do have control on the primary reason why someone would buy their app over others. So their Android app better be good because you have no other choice for live access other than getting apps that violate the TOU.

Post 258 seems clear. "Groundspeak thinks that app violates their rules " If you look at the Terms Of Use that you agreed to when using the site, automated access to scrape pages is disallowed. To firmly beat this dead horse, 'automated access to scrape pages' could be any web browser. 'Automated access' implies that someone is not manually issuing an instruction. (click a link, etc). The app in question retrieves cache data as a result of a manual request. It's obviously not a bot, something specifically mentioned in the TOU as something that is not allowed. It's hard to see that the app in question, or any other app that retrieves and displays html, is significantly different from a web browser in terms of automated access. 'Page scraping'.... is there a definitive definition for page scraping? Displaying some, but not all, of a web page? I think page scraping means collecting large amounts of data by picking out data from web pages. One could, for example, write a bot that would eventually retrieve the entire geocaching.com data base. I honestly believe that is what Groundspeak is, wisely, trying to avoid. But the app in question doesn't do this so it's hard to understand the problem. And, just to mention the obvious: the Groundspeak mobile app violates the TOU since it is automated and displays a portion, rather than all, of the web page data. But, hey, the emperor can wear whatever clothes he likes. Is this all pointless and insane yet? At some point, Groundspeak will need to change it's TOU and/or web interface to reflect the widespread adoption of mobile devices and the display limitations that come with those devices. Just insisting that no one use the app that works nicely on mobile devices when there is no apparent detrimental affect to the web site or the game/sport is not an effective approach. Yeah, that horse just won't stay down. Groundspeak's app doesn't violate the TOU because it isn't screen scrapping like banned apps... it is using their secret API to directly access their database. Screen scraping is cumbersome and slow (just use the banned app to discover that), but direct access via an API designed for such will be infinitely better. While most major web sites like Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, etc. open their APIs to 3rd party developers, Groundspeak has a closed view policy... possibly to protect their app revenue stream.

A little off topic, but I just had to bragg. You should have got a Windows Mobile phone. Lots of good apps, and one killer app for Windows Mobile. Edit: Maybe you can run Windows Mobile as a app on Android like we do with Android on Windows Mobile... No, you cannot run Windows Mobile as an Android app... nor can Windows Mobile run Android apps... it can run older J2ME Java, but not the new Android Java apps. Windows Mobile continues to lose market share while Android's growth rate is exceeding all other phone platforms so I think someone's decision to get an Android phone is the safest bet... especially compared to Windows Mobile.

In the Android Market you have 24 hours to return an app and get your money back if you don't like it - that should give enough time to see if it works for you... My vote goes to Cachemate (with Geobeagle as a second) 24 hours may not be enough to test a geocaching app. Geooh seems to be the only paid app that has a free lite version with all the functionality of the full version, but limits the number of caches in a file to 10 records. Groundspeak also has a free iPhone version that is very very basic, mostly for geocacher newbies... they may do the same for their Android app.

You will have the same problem with the "official" app as it will be a paid one with the same limited trial and little detail info on the Android Market. Most paid apps have web sites to describe their features.

There are several geocaching apps in the Android Market. I use Geooh and do very well with it. I don't understand why people are waiting for an "official" app... kinda like waiting for an official car to drive or an official television to buy... our economy benefits from variety and competition.

What non-free apps have you tried in the market? Seems most users either are using free ones or waiting for the "official" GS app that they will have to pay for. [Reference to unauthorized application removed by moderator] is in violation of the TOS (odd the moderator here allows discussion on it), and Geobeagle seems clunky although it gets the job done. I'd like to see some comparisons of other apps that are not free. I like choice, but it appears the "official "app (whatever that means, LOL) will create a single source market if there is no competition.

The Terms of Use is a contract between USERS and Groundspeak. That would be us, not the unnamed developer of the unnamed app. So, really, wouldn't Groundspeak need to take action against the users of the unnamed app rather than the developer of the app? Can you imagine that public relations nightmare? Also, I would guess that Groundspeak would need to get the court to issue an order blocking said app from being given away THEN google would remove it from the market. Until then, it seems unlikely that google would remove an app from the marketplace. And is there a law, let alone an international law, against writing a computer application that renders html differently than what the html owner likes? You are very observant... I have thought the same that actually the users of screen scraping apps are also in violation of the TOS. But you are right what can Groundspeak do about it? The developer is from the Czech Republic so legally pursuing him is likely not possible too. There probably is copyright law that could be used when someone takes web pages and extracts information off of it for their own purpose. Groundspeak could regularly change some HTML tags to force the screen scraping code to also regularly be changed to match so it knows the new format to scrape... hey, maybe that is why there is a new release every week it seems, LOL. What is surprising to me is how often users here defend the practice of a software program taking HTML web pages and scraping it for data to reformat for its display. What if they had their own web site containing information, but some other site was linking to it, extracting the data, then displaying it in a better format so that web users go to it instead. The original owner does all the work of gathering/updating data, then loses viewers and possible ad revenue to the pirating web site when a user there pushes a button. The "automation" is the internal scraping process by software... no matter how you defend it, the app is illegally taking information from a web site for its own use without Groundspeak's approval. The defenders should instead complain to Groundspeak that they need to be more open and provide API's so that developers can access the data legally, easily, and without the overhead of scraping web pages. The Android app market is separate from Groundspeak and I doubt Google could care less that some minor app in the market is in violation of a TOS. Besides, the Czech developer allows you to download the app directly from his web site so removing it from the Android market would only deter those searching for geocaching apps via the Market app.

I have a Nexus One and used a G1 before that. I also have an iPhone 3Gs. The iPhone's GPS is really bad... I have no idea how anyone geocaches with it. On my Android phones I have compared it with my dedicated Garmin GPS side-by-side and both were comparable. Now I cache with just the phone and it does great. In fact, when caching with a buddy and his Colorado it seems my N1 heads me to the cache quicker and more reliably than the Colorado. So don't worry about performance.... a good Android phone can do better than hand-held GPSs and definitely MUCH better than an iPhone. Also, I just don't understand the interest in an "official" app. Besides using APIs that other developers are not allowed access to, an official app doesn't mean it will perform better than 3rd party apps on the market. I use Geooh and it works great for me... don't be afraid to step outside the "official" boundary.

They are out there... Motorola i1. Military grade phone that can make your Garmin 60 cry like a little girl. I heard that during a conference showing of the phone, the sales guys were letting attendees play shuffle board with the phones.

Odd, I've experienced almost the opposite. My Android phone (G1 and now replaced with a Nexus One) does as good or better than my dedicated Garmin. For awhile, I geocached with both to see how distance/bearing compared on each... both got me there and generally gave similar results. Lately when I have cached with a friend who has a Garmin Colorado I've noticed he gets sidetracked while I head directly for the cache before his GPS finally agrees with me. I think the accuracy of newer phones are just as good as dedicated GPSs (with the exception of my iPhone). Most cell phones have A-GPS technology which does have an advantage over the dedicated GPS devices in areas with tall buildings or outdoor reflecting structures. It could also be the geocaching app. I use Geooh and have had very good results with it... seems to zero in to +/- 20ft regularly. Not sure about all geocaching apps, but I do know each may configure their location listeners differently and hence not be as accurate as a another app. For example, you can control how often the location is updated or what distance you have to move before it registers a change. So the apps each may be doing something different. I totally agree with the whiny school girl. Smart phones are not as tough as dedicated GPSs when it comes to rain or dropping. But then my phone and geocaching app shows real-time maps, uses Google's car Navigation to get me to the location, has decoding tools, shows the full HTML in cache descriptions, can search the Internet while at the cache, etc... So I tell the whiny girl to keep quiet because I like having an all-in-one instead of carrying multiple gadgets around with me.