Posted Oct 15, 2006 at 11:39PM by Max F. Listed in: Accessories Tags: Sony, Amazon, Edia Co. Ltd,
Ó

GPS


We couldn't wait to get our hands on it. Now we'll have to wait longer. The MAPLUS portable GPS bundle for the PSP is sold out on Amazon Japan. Then again, it wouldn't have done us much good because the mapping software only does Japan cities (?) (correct us if we understood the details incorrectly; our Japanese is as bad as our Klingon).

Anyway, about the whole GPS thing. Edia (or Edeia or Edea - it depends on your translator) has a GPS-mapping software that takes advantage of the PSP GPS receiver. Why Japan? Maybe it's because Japan's street names can be hard to figure out, and there are only a few places where streets run in straight rectangular grids. Will there be a US version? Maybe... we'll have to see if Sony sees enough of a demand. (So start demanding already! Hehe.)

For now, it's a good thing there's Deniska's Mapviewer (it's a great map homebrew).

By the way, at the Amazon Japan page, we saw that "Customers who bought this item also bought Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops." Yeah, they may rent fembots out as prom dates, but the Japanese sure know their gaming fun: the GPS unit is actually used in the game! Wow!


[Via Amazon Japan] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

Bookmark / Find this article on:


16 Comments


Sort by:
   by ch7 (Unregistered) - 2006-10-15
 » looks big

looks very big this gps does

   by Kunai (Unregistered) - 2006-10-15
 » Coo!...

Can't wait til it gets out here in Europe!
Any release-date yet?

   by tycn (Unregistered) - 2006-10-15
 » sweet

This is going to be good, unless it costs a lot.

   by lavino (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » I doubt there will be a US version...

For Japanese like to keep good stuffs for their own.. they wouldn't even freaking ship their home grown rice out of japan (and no, those so called japanese Rice bought in America is probably grown inside US) =P

But then I could be wrong... of course I am always wrong... so let's hope I-am-wrong

   by ikarius (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » Good or bad for japanese

I don't know if the fact that it's already sold out in japan means that they all eventually get lost and need something to help. Hehe. Nah, joke aside this is really something I would get to complete my car's PSP adaptation (I don't know how to call it, so, let's call it like this).

Already my PSP can play mp3s, videos, control my car radio (thanks to PSP Universal Remote), tell me the time (duh), display maps and all this joined into a nice entertainment system with emulators (gpSP rocks, as well the SNES and Genesis emus) whenever you are on a pause from a long day driving. Now, include a GPS in the lot ? You got the ultimate car utility ! Ok, there would be need of some other features that probably the PSP won't ever have for some reasons, but at least, it's already something. All that for even less than buying all those stuff for your car !

I mean... you got the choice of paying almost 3,500$ (and I am sure I am waaaaay offf) for all this, or pay what... the PSP is around 250$ now ? Even less ? And it can do all that !

Well, I just hope that lavino is wrong, and that we'll get it !


   Re: anonymous stranger - 2006-10-16
 » lol

lol I hope I don't drive around you.... keep your eyes on the road!
   by sinjinn (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » ..

i dont think the japanese even have street names. Ikarius... u do know that u will have to wait till atleast 2.80 is cracked befor you can take advantage of the gps. aside from that yeah the psp is one great little gizmo.

   by hi (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » camera

hey about the camera, does anyone know if it will require a firmware upgrade as a fact?

   by Advertising -
   by Will this downgrade my PSP 2.81? (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » Racist

Dont be such a racist. Else I want one of those myself. Sony, release it in EUR, please!

   by Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - 2006-10-16
 » Ever been to Japan, Max?

Hello,

This summer I had a round trip of japan visiting 5 major japanese citys. Yes, I speak Japanese, and no, it was no guided tour.
I brought "Minna no Chizu" (the normal PSP map) to get around.
So I have to correct you: In japan, most streets run in rechtangular grids (nearly all of them). However, the smaller streets do not have names. Your adress is allways in coordinates of the grid you live in.
Street name signs are few and far between.

However, with mina no chizu is comftable, because convinient stores and chain restaurants are marked. Since they are everywhere, you can use them for orientation.

With GPS, that problem dissapears completely.


   Re: Max F. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2006-10-16
 » LOL

The only time I was in Japan was when my plane got rerouted to Tokyo. I was there in the airport for 4 hours, and I had a blast.

You caught me. I exaggerate the whole rectangular grids thing, but...

My friends in Japan (I so want to move there; my best drinking buddy is now an English teacher there) confirm what you say - the street scheme isn't that bad. But really, when you look at a map of the older cities, the streets in an area run in grids, but then there are these diagonals, and broken lines, and then getting from one grid to another grid means navigating through curvy streets along rivers... And there are places where this grid runs east-west-and-north-south, but the next grid over is southeast-northwest-and-north-south, and the next grid over is next to a river so it tries to be a grid but has these wobbly bits, and if you're just going on instinct, by the time you get across the three grids, you don't know which direction you're facing. LOL So yes, you're right, they are in grids. But no, I insist it's still a mess. And being a guy, I *never* stop for directions. But being a wuss, I have no sense of direction. Hehe.

I got lost in Fort Dodge, IA.
   by LUV2XLR8 (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » I WANT ONE

I demand to have one. 0_o unless it costs more than 80 dollars

   by FunkMasterFlex (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » O.o

I just got a gps for $1,000 ill get this too i guess T_T

   by JL (Unregistered) - 2006-10-16
 » .

its on its way cant wate

   by hunty (Unregistered) - 2006-10-17
 » britain

in britain (and europe in general), gridded streets systems are actually pretty rare. In britain cities are laid out with a ring road that goes around the outside of the city, and roads going into the middle

just thought i'd let you know ;D

   by si1enc3d (Unregistered) - 2006-10-17
 » pretty cool

ill get it if it comes out here



Add QJ.NET
Add to My Yahoo!
Google Reader Subscribe with Bloglines
Add  to your Kinja digest Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Subscribe with Pluck RSS reader Add 'www.qj.net' to Newsburst from CNET News.com
Subscribe with SearchFox RSS del.icio.us www.qj.net
Add to Technorati Favorite! Add to My AOL
furl! it Stumble for Treehugger!

 Username: 
 Password:
Forgot password
New user registration



Categories
Emulators
Titles
Archives