Download banzai-slider.hqx (69,042 KB)
From: psheldon@utdallas.edu
Subject: BanzaiSlider
This version has more of the feel of sliding the maps as if they
were huge virtual screens that you could zoom in and out of under the
newton window (see BanzaiReader). Another new feature, unlimited zoomout
with newton press pict books.
Compatible with Garmin II and III (set at 4800 baud and with NMEA
sentence filter) as well as Scoutmaster GPS (just set Scoutmaster's
baudrate at 4800).
Rich Drinkard, a beta tester, made some suggestions on activity
sounds and map display and so that is improved. He also requested the
unlimited zoomout. Evidentally his 28meg flashcard on a mp2100 could hold a
very large map to find his way around. I believe we are going to see bigger
than 4 meg flashcards officially supported by apple on the mp2100.
Rich Drinkard reported me experiments that tripmate does speak NMEA
sentences! So, I shall be working on a version for it!
I am working on a mp100 Garmin II III and Scoutmaster version with
limited features.
Notice also the correction in spelling.
This is embarrassing and in no way was intended as insulting. But,
anyone with Japanese bilingual experience would pronounce Bonzai as "bone
sigh" which would hardly get across the feeling of "Live 10,000 years"
battle cry or "hip hip hooray".
Thanks for avoiding this embarrassment are due Jimmie Jenkins with
20 years experience learning the Japanese language. Also, thanks are due to
David Fiedler and Paul S. Hetrick who wished me luck dispite correcting my
bad spelling first.
I stand a Bonzai, duly pruned and thank my senseis.
With Steve Weyer's newt and some helpful correspondence, I have
been developing a newton gps navigator program for some years while doing a
Ph.D. in theoretical physics with intensive background in differential
geometry and carrying on international correspondence. Thanks are due this
sensei, too.
"The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai in the 8th Dimension" movie
inspired the name for my newton gps navigator program. I wanted a
distinctive name that people would remember and I really loved and
recommend that wonderful crazy video.
Who can forget his gallant and wonderful remark when the crowd
insulted his to be genius girlfriend :
"Hey, don't be mean. Remember, no matter where you go, there you are!"
I'd like people to think of that uplifting phrase when they use my
gps program to go somewhere!
The introduction to the movie spoke of his oriental background and
capacity to go in many directions at the same time (he was a neural
surgeon, rock star and race car driver and perhaps more that I can't
remember).
Well, if you pay the $15 dollar share ware fee, you will find out
how you too can do "like Buckaroo Banzai" did, go in many directions or
routes to be found on menus with my menu search engines.
You will, with these routes, be able to adjust your speed to get an
estimated time of arrival, "to aim your car in time as well". This is
useful for actual racers and also for those of us who need to know how few
minutes we actually save by driving recklessly!
But, hey, something other than my program has to make "contact" and
receive "those signals from outer space", the locator signals from our gps
satellites. All gps programs need to be connected to such receivers.
Garmin has cheap $130 gps receiver with serial and NMEA sentence
output for the newton. I use a trimble scoutmaster gps, not so cheap but
"way cool". They got me to understanding this stuff years ago, before other
people had serial cables.
I've got some urls from tidbits and perhaps some of you know of
even cheaper gps receivers that will communicate with a newton. If you are
thinking of buying tripmate for $125 upgrade price, think again, you might
be tempted, in addition, to buy a Hooper for its internal cd. You can't fit
a Hooper in your pocket when you leave your car and don't want your car
broken into.
GPSy (http://www.gpsy.com/) makes cables (I've made my own, but its
a bear for me to figure).
You will need instructions from me to use my program and
instructions are an ongoing pruning process like people do with those
Bonzai trees. The more people I help the better I get at instructing.
For example, you will be able to use maps put in newton press
books. You will learn how to make coordinate systems from Street Atlas USA
3.0 and 4.0 and set them in most recent street map versions from lycos or
mapquest.
Coordinate systems? Aren't they for people who do general
relativity and aspire to go about in the 8th dimension? Hey, your
imagination alone limits your usefulness and "Don't be mean...".
Coordinate systems here associate latlons with points on the map
pictures, it doesn't take a differential geometer or a Ph.D. in theoretical
physics to use these things (only my instructions). In the words of Mr.
John Bignewteye (thanks to Steve Deyo's wit), "Laugha while you can monkey
boy!"
And for only $5 more, you will also get automated route parsers
that will tell your newton not only in what directions you will get where
Buckaroo might have wanted to go, but also predict when you will achieve
the milestone of getting there. My parsing experience started with mac
programs dealing with pictures and sound going to the newton (free ware I
submitted to the infomac archives). Now, with NTK (Newton Inc.'s Newton
Tool Kit), I have continued making parsers on the newton.
And Banzai will get you there by
------------talking-------------
to you.
I will put in some, as yet primitive, speech files, so you won't
have to stare at the map while you drive.
If you don't want to go with the parsers yet, I will merely send
instructions on how to build files for Banzai and how to get the newton
program slurpee. With slurpee, my free ware mac parsers alone (search my
name at our web site for precise and easy spelling of the download links),
you will be able to fill those empty menus you see on the current download.
These menus that you put in are the places you want to go, the maps you put
in, and the routes you have entered for yourself.
Newton press is dynamite, don't miss it! mp2100 will have included
a greyscale version.
Banzai is going to have more advanced versions. For example, my
menus of routes, maps, and places to go are getting so long that I have
started to put in search engines to find things on the menus.
When you get on Buckaroo's winning team, you too will be able to
aim your car in time. You will be able to adjust your speed to get an
estimated time of arrival.
If you don't want to do this, at least rent the video, "The
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai in the 8th Dimension" and start to get the
spirit.
;-)