TrafCam for Palm OS handhelds
First introduced back in 2001, TrafCam for Palm OS was the first platform
that we used for our GPS Speed camera warning system. The initial program
was quite basic, and has evolved over the last three years.
The latest version of TrafCam for Palm OS is now available, and includes
the following features:
- Runs on the latest devices that use Palm OS - The PalmOne Tungsten range,
the Garmin iQue, and others. We maintain a full list of compatible devices that
you can check by clicking the link.
- Supports additional GPS receivers - the in-built GPS receiver on the
Garmin iQue, Bluetooth GPS receivers, and so on.
- Camera warning range can be distance-based or time-based
- In a warning, the display shows current road speed, direction and
distance to camera, and where known, camera road number, camera
direction, and speed limit.
- Optional "minimum alarm" speed - below this speed, alarms
will be silent to reduce annoyance
- Makes more use of the colour displays found on most modern PalmOS
PDAs - "Night Mode" gives a more restful red on black display. On
some devices, bitmaps are shown in "high-density" mode to improve
the display clarity.
- Includes roadname and speed limit information on many cameras, giving
you more information on whether a camera is relevant to you.
- Includes a "large speedo" feature - when there is no camera
warning, a large speedometer is displayed showing your current speed
from the GPS receiver.
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The camera warning screen shows the typical display as you
approach a speed camera.
The easy-to-read screen shows (from top left):
- your current road speed (30 mph in this example)
- the distance to the camera location (0.4 miles here)
- the camera type ("Gatso")
- where available, the applicable speed limit (40mph here)
- where available, the road name that the camera is on (A500 in this example)
The large arrow shows the direction to the camera, helping you decide if it is relevant to you.
On the latest version of the software , where available the camera
direction is also shown on the screen, and an extra option allows you to silence warnings where
the camera is pointing in a different direction.
We try to make the display as clear as possible, to reduce the time
that you have to take your eyes off the road ahead.
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When no camera location is in range, the software can be configured
to show a large digital speedometer.
At a steady speed, the indicated speed from your GPS receiver as
shown on the TrafCam display will
generally be much more accuracte than a car speedometer, which can be
affected by factors such as how worn your tyres are, and in fact many
car manufacturers design speedometers to read a little high.
On the far right of the display, a bar-graph indicates the strength of the
GPS position signal received.
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The new software makes more use of the colour LCD displays that are
common on modern Palm OS PDAs. The picture left shows the software
running in "night mode", where the display is red on black.
This provides a more restful display when driving
in the dark.
If your road speed exceeds a set speed warning, it will be drawn
in red to highlight the warning.
If your PDA supports double-density bitmap displays, TrafCam will take
advantage of this and display the various digits in that mode. To keep the
download size to a minimum, some images are not displayed in double density,
such as the large speedo digits.
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A future version may offer the choice of different colour displays
on a black background, to help the software match the colour of your
car dashboard. We are also considering having the software switch
automatically between the two screen modes at certain times.
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Please note that devices based on the Palm Operating System (Palm OS) only
run one program at a time, switching between programs very quickly when you
choose one from the menu. This means that it is not possible to run TrafCam
at the same time as any other program on a PalmOS device. This specifically
includes using routing and navigation programs on any device, including
the Garmin iQue range. Also note that the current version of TrafCam for
Palm OS must be installed in the device memory, not on an expansion card.
To buy TrafCam version 2 for Palm OS, go to our Buy
page and fill out the form. Please ensure that your device is compatible
prior to purchase.
For the eagle-eyed, please note that the screen-shots are done with an old test
database. The camera indicated is an actual camera, but the road name has been changed
with the opening of a new by-pass. On the current database, this camera will show with
no road name as it is no longer called the A500. Screen shots are taken using the
Palm OS Simulator on a PC, and overlaid onto device images. The actual display is
drawn by the TrafCam program.
©TrafCam Ltd 2005. This page last modified Tuesday June 24 2008.
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