KMaps FAQ
From Kmaps
Is KMaps just a simple application?
No. KMaps has grown and will continue to grow into J2ME Mobile Location Services Platform.
Check out the current Location Services that KMaps offers. KMaps now features multitude of Location Services, from Location Aware Messages and Location Tracking to Location Aware Social Networking, Location Aware Dating and KMaplets. The number of Location Services supported by KMaps is growing with each release making KMaps the most complete Mobile Location Services offering on the market. And, this is just the beginning. In a short time period KMaps has grown into a Location Services Platform that is among the top when it comes to the user base.
All KMaps Location Services are running inside the single KMaps Location Services Platform that offers a unified environment for deploying Location Services. KMaps Location Services Platform provides the host for Location Services and standard API making it easy to write and deploy new Location Services. All new Location Services benefit from the underlying KMaps platform. For example, each new Location Service can use Location Aware Messaging provided by KMaps Location Services Platform out of the box.
The standard platform is what differentiates KMaps from the other mobile location based applications as Location Services offered by the other vendors are mostly dispersed among many applications that don't benefit from the standard platform and the standard API set. You only have to install and run KMaps to access all of its numerous services. You don't have to install and maintain several separate applications to achieve the same usability. The standard platform makes KMaps Location Services development and deployment quick and easy. Having the benefit of the standard platform, the number of features and services added by KMaps in the short time period highly outnumbers the number of services that the other mobile location applications are capable of developing and deploying during the much longer time periods.
Moreover, with the introduction of KMaplets and Open Location Aware Publishing Interface, KMaps has become open for the external Location Aware Content. The individuals and the web sites are now able to create their own Location Aware Content and publish it as KMaplet for KMaps users to see on their KMaps enabled phones. This way, KMaps adds the location dimension to advertising, publishing and blogging. There are no other mobile location applications and platforms on the market that are open to external location aware data feeds and that have this level of flexibility when it comes to the location awareness. Read how to View KMaplets on KMaps enabled Phone.
Will KMaps ever use A9 Maps, Yahoo Maps or any other Location Services provider?
KMaps currently uses Google Maps as maps and location enabler for its location services. However, KMaps is written in such a way that Google Maps provider can be altered with any other maps and location services provider if needed. In other words, it is possible to get A9 and Yahoo Maps together with A9 and Yahoo Local Search on KMaps, but there are no plans for that at the moment.
Does KMaps in any way modify the original Gogle Map images or Search results?
KMaps does the same your PC browser does... As the matter of fact, you may consider KMaps to be a specialized type of mobile HTTP Browser for Google Maps. KMaps pulls the original Google Maps and doesn't do any additional image processing. KMaps also parses the original Google XML Search Result Data and displays it in the format acceptable for viewing on a mobile device. No images or data values are being modified, not to mention the fact that it would be against Google's Terms of Use. Again, all images and search results are copyright of Google and their partners.
Will KMaps be ever ported to other phones?
KMaps is currently running on Blackberry and Treo(600, 650) phones. KMaps also runs on Palm based PDAs (Tungstens, LifeDrive...)
Port to other phones is coming very soon. One of the reasons KMaps was written in Java (J2ME) is portability which makes support for new phones easy.
In the meantime, if you don't have Blackberry or Palm based Phone, you may want to check at MGMaps for another take on Google Maps for mobile phone implementation...
What Mobile Platforms will KMaps be ported to first?
Blackberry port is currently in the final testing phase... If you own Blackberry and are interested in testing KMaps, please, send an email [mailto:ivan.mitrovic@gmail.com?subject=KMapsberry]
Will KMaps be released as J2ME API?
Yes. KMaps Location Platform J2ME API development has started. This will enable developers to integrate Maps and Search via KMaps API into pretty much anything mobile. If you want to write a mobile game that will have Google Maps as a backdrop, you will soon be able to do so. Of course, as the things stand now, you will be allowed to integrate KMaps J2ME API into non-commercial products only.
<panic>With each new release KMaps.prc is growing in size! It is taking over my phone, my handheld, my car and my house!!!</panic>
It feeds on your fear of new features... Move it to SD...
As for Java... Read [this thread] on how you may move Java on SD... It requires a bit of time but is well worth it! You'll save a lot of space.
Why not Mapping with Browser?
I don't consider browser to be an appropriate platform for people on the go who usually need to get information in as less clicks as possible and who operate in such a dynamic environment where usability is paramount. Sure, Browser is a good User Interface option when you are sitting in the chair and operate an input device. However, people on the go need another type of platform that can compute and cache...
Why do I get messages that I "have to" upgrade?
KMaps joins taxes and death for the simple reason that I am doing this development alone and I can't afford to support several versions and branches of the application while in early stages of the development. I know you will have understanding for this. "Have To" nature of KMaps upgrades will last as long as the core module is not completely developed and debugged. Once the core part is done correctly, full blown versioning will be normal.
Who is behind KMaps?
Me - at the moment, as I am currently in the talks to get some help.
Is there such a thing as free software?
Yes, but it doesn't hurt if you donate.
