Geosphere/iTouch/box.net issue

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I'm hoping someone out in geo-land may use Geosphere on in iTouch with box.net and maybe can some input. Have you had trouble in the last week DGg PQs on the iTouch. I tried posting this in another section and evidently was incorrect to put it there. Hopefully this is an acceptable place for this query.

 

As of last week I'm unable to DL my box.net uploaded files into Geosphere on my iTouch. The uploaded file from my email no longer shows the date last updated and now just has a series of numbers, which can get confusing when you upload weekly. But when I highlight the uploaded file I wish to DL into Geoshpere, it doesn't do anything anymore. It used to ask where I wanted to DL load it (under the Data feature), and now just says "loading" and then does nothing. Any suggestions? Help.

 

Posts: 1

Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:19 pm

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[+user13371]

Where did your PQ come from? Straight from GC.com, or output/filtered by GSAK or other programs?

 

I looked on the Geosphere support forulm and see some folks have had problems with some files after they had been filtered by an earlier GSAK 8 beta version (but that should be fixed now). But made me wonder if your PQ has odd content?

Edited December 19, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

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I DL the PQ directly from geocaching.com, which goes to my msn email. Then I upload that to box.net. At that point I go into Geosphere on my iTouch and ask to DL the file from Box.net. It loads it and and the past asks me where I want to DL it, and I tell it which Group I want it to go to. (Before this I've deleted what is currently in that Group so it can DL the new PQ info. into it.) Suddenly last week I can't get it to go from Box.net into the group. Once I go into box.net and find the file, I highlight it, and it says "loading" for about three seconds, and then does nothing. I've tried just about everything and have queries about it everywhere. I suspect some new "update" has done something so this doesn't work anymore. Grr.

[+user13371]

What happens if you download the PQ directly from GC.com into Geosphere?

[+chuck4564]

I'm hoping someone out in geo-land may use Geosphere on in iTouch with box.net and maybe can some input. Have you had trouble in the last week DGg PQs on the iTouch. I tried posting this in another section and evidently was incorrect to put it there. Hopefully this is an acceptable place for this query.

 

As of last week I'm unable to DL my box.net uploaded files into Geosphere on my iTouch. The uploaded file from my email no longer shows the date last updated and now just has a series of numbers, which can get confusing when you upload weekly. But when I highlight the uploaded file I wish to DL into Geoshpere, it doesn't do anything anymore. It used to ask where I wanted to DL load it (under the Data feature), and now just says "loading" and then does nothing. Any suggestions? Help.

 

Posts: 1

Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:19 pm

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I noticed a similar issue on my iPhone 4, with iOS 5.0.1. I found that if I went to the full site, rather than the mobile site, I was able to download the GPX file into Geosphere. It looks to me like the mobile site has some features that don't play well with the Geosphere browser. The full site wanted me to install flash but that wasn't necessary, or even possible. I have the Box.net app installed but there doesn't appear to be a way to get Geosphere to work with it. Sounds like we need to prod the Geosphere folks to update their app.

[+Play Cache]

I'm hoping someone out in geo-land may use Geosphere on in iTouch with box.net and maybe can some input. Have you had trouble in the last week DGg PQs on the iTouch. I tried posting this in another section and evidently was incorrect to put it there. Hopefully this is an acceptable place for this query.

 

As of last week I'm unable to DL my box.net uploaded files into Geosphere on my iTouch. The uploaded file from my email no longer shows the date last updated and now just has a series of numbers, which can get confusing when you upload weekly. But when I highlight the uploaded file I wish to DL into Geoshpere, it doesn't do anything anymore. It used to ask where I wanted to DL load it (under the Data feature), and now just says "loading" and then does nothing. Any suggestions? Help.

 

Posts: 1

Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:19 pm

Private messageE-mail Play Cache

I noticed a similar issue on my iPhone 4, with iOS 5.0.1. I found that if I went to the full site, rather than the mobile site, I was able to download the GPX file into Geosphere. It looks to me like the mobile site has some features that don't play well with the Geosphere browser. The full site wanted me to install flash but that wasn't necessary, or even possible. I have the Box.net app installed but there doesn't appear to be a way to get Geosphere to work with it. Sounds like we need to prod the Geosphere folks to update their app.

 

Worked fine until I last tried to import the info. into Geosphere last week. Give me more info. on how you DL'ed the PTX file into the Geosphere browser. I can get to the full site with box.net, but the Geosphere is only an app. on my iTouch. Not sure how to access the full site except through the iTouch -- or maybe I'm misunderstanding your post.

 

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help figure this out. I'm pretty frustrated right now.

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Sorry for the typo: obviously GPX, not PTX.

[+user13371]

To download GPX directly from GC.com into Geosphere on an iPod Touch:

 

- While connect to WiFi, launch Geosphere

- Touch the Data button

- Touch the Pocket Queries bookmark

-- Opens Geospehre's web browser to GC.com/pocket query page. Log in to GC.com from here if you haven't already.

- Touch the link for the pocket query you want to download

- Select which group you want to dowload it into

 

I think this is explained in one of the tutorial videos included with the app also...

[+chuck4564]

If the source of the GPX file is a PQ from geocaching.com then the most direct route to get the data into Geosphere is as Portland_Cyclist describes.

 

The source of the GPX files that I use is GSAK so I use box.net to facilitate the data flow. From the Geosphere data icon, Box.net File Sharing, one is presented with a Box.net login screen. One might not be presented with the login screen if the persistent login is enabled. If one is logged-in to the full site there will be an pickable "Go to Box Mobile Site" at the top of the screen under the blue bar. If one is in the mobile site there will be a "View Full Site" selection available at the bottom of the screen. From the mobile site I suffered the unresponsive file download trouble. From the full sight I am able to select folders, and then files. After selecting a file, there is a "Download" button near the top of the screen that initiates the download. After that one is presented with the Geosphere "Downlolad into Group:" prompt and it works as usual.

 

The description above is how it works on my iPhone 4, running iOS 5.0.1., and Geosphere V2.5.4.

 

Good luck.

[+user13371]

Chuck, if you just copy the GSAK output right to Geosphere's shared file area using iTunes, do they open correctly? If so, I'd say the problem you had really IS with box.net's mobile site, as you suggested. And if that's the case, there are lots of other ways to get the files into Geosphere without using box.net.

[+chuck4564]

Chuck, if you just copy the GSAK output right to Geosphere's shared file area using iTunes, do they open correctly? If so, I'd say the problem you had really IS with box.net's mobile site, as you suggested. And if that's the case, there are lots of other ways to get the files into Geosphere without using box.net.

I hadn't tried that method before. Thanks. The Geosphere documentation that I read when I first started using it suggested going through a file hosting service so that is what I did.

 

This shared file method...1) Transfer the files to the Geosphere shared area with iTunes, 2) Sync iTunes, 3) Startup Geosphere 4) Select "More", 5) Select "Shared Files", 6) Select the file of interest, 7) Select "Import", 8) Select the preferred group for download, 9) Done.

 

I would say the shared file approach is quicker than the box.net method as long as there isn't too much other stuff happening during the sync step.

 

If I use Safari to go to the mobile box.net site I am able to navigate and operate everything. If I navigate in Safari and download a gpx file I get the option to open with Geosphere. I would say that the problem posed by the OP is a Geosphere browser issue since it appears that Safari works fine. Due to the many interfaces available in Geosphere there appears to be an abundance of methods to work around the issue.

[+Play Cache]

I've always used Box.net, DLg PQs to my email, then uploading to Box.net, then opening Geosphere, going to the Box.net File Sharing under Data, and then selecting and DLg into the Group of my choice.

 

After reading your posts I tried going directly to the Pocket Queries tonight from the Geosphere data tab. Can it really be that easy? My goodness, it DL'd directly into my Group of choice without all of the intermediate steps. If it is really that easy, I think I'm glad this hiccup happened so I'd get frustrated and reach out for help and learn that my old way should be replaced with this more direct way!

 

Thank you both for taking the time to respond. Hopefully this thread will help someone else, too.

[+user13371]

I wasn't going to say it, but... I really couldn't understand why either of you (or anyone else, really) would go through all the extra steps to get your PQs into Geosphere. Glad this work around is more direct and easier for you...

[+user13371]

... the shared file approach is quicker than the box.net method as long as there isn't too much other stuff happening during the sync step.

Dropping something into the shared file area in iTunes is almost instantaneous, the files show up on the iPhone almost instantly without going through a full device sync. And if you DELETE something from Geophere's file are on the iPhone, you'll see it vanish from iTunes just as quickly.

 

And Chuck, since you have iOS 5... you don't even need to plug your iPhone into the computer. Turn on "Sync Over WiFi" and the only time you'll need to plug the phone in will be to charge the battery

Edited December 21, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+chuck4564]

... the shared file approach is quicker than the box.net method as long as there isn't too much other stuff happening during the sync step.

Dropping something into the shared file area in iTunes is almost instantaneous, the files show up on the iPhone almost instantly without going through a full device sync. And if you DELETE something from Geophere's file are on the iPhone, you'll see it vanish from iTunes just as quickly.

 

And Chuck, since you have iOS 5... you don't even need to plug your iPhone into the computer. Turn on "Sync Over WiFi" and the only time you'll need to plug the phone in will be to charge the battery

I was just going to comment about my own post, the sync step, and you beat me to it.

 

How does the speed of data transfer compare between wired and wireless? The GPX file of all the caches in my GSAK database is about 200MB so the amount of data isn't trivial. With the wired approach the slowest part of the process is Geosphere reading the file, not the data transfer to the phone. If I'm at the computer anyway there isn't much difficulty in connecting the phone. I tend to keep my phone close to fully charged most of the time.

[+thebruce0]

Also note that if you view any cache (from the Target or Search tabs, eg) in the browser ("Show in Browser" button), then if you click the GPX File button just below the listed coordinates on the web page, it will automatically download that cache's GPX file (typically with a few more logs, depending on your GC.com settings, iirc) and update your offline Geosphere waypoint data.

 

Geosphere is still, IMO, the very best geocaching app for iOS.

[+user13371]

...How does the speed of data transfer compare between wired and wireless? ... The GPX file of all the caches in my GSAK database is about 200MB so the amount of data isn't trivial.

I don't know because I haven't paid attanetion. On anything that takes more than a few seconds I just let it run in the background while I'm off on something else.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Portland Cyclist