Built-in GPS Receiver Module Working on Sprint HTC Mogul

Built-in GPS Receiver Module Working on Sprint HTC Mogul

When I got my Sprint Mogul in Oct 2007, there were posts and rumors online about Mogul’s built-in GPS module, but that it has been deliberately disabled.  It was disabled perhaps because Sprint had planned to launch their own paid navigation service which is based on cell tower triangulation.  Other posts have said that the hardware doesn’t have this GPS module at all.
I regularly check HTC’s website at http://america.htc.com/mogulupdate/, and as I have updated to the latest ROM (version 3.56.651.0 with ROM date 6/16/2008, screenshot below.), I was pleasantly surprised by a new feature that I had already written it off – the built-in GPS module is working!
Screenshot of my Mogul's Device Info with ROM v. 3.56.651.0
Screenshot of my Mogul

I had previously purchased a Bluetooth GPS receiver and had been using it with my Dell Axim x50v PDA and then the Mogul.  It worked great, but the drawback was that I didn’t want to carry the receiver with me everywhere, so I left it in my car’s center console.  This way, I only had GPS functionality when I drive, and I guess that’s pretty much the only time I *needed* GPS.

With the newly-discovered built-in GPS module, however, it’s as if I have just got a new gadget…. for free!  Now I can install more apps that take advantage of GPS and have access to a whole new realm of location-sensitive services and applications.  I can get a GPS fix away from my car.  Imagine the possibilities.

Aside from Google Map, Microsoft Live Search and TomTom, I have also installed GPSToday.  It provides the functionality to easily get a GPS fix, show your coordinates in longitude/latitude as well as street address (in the US).  One cool innovative feature is that it can pool your query your contacts and show them on a map.

I have only played around with GPSToday for 2 days, but I’m hoping to use this built-in GPS module to do some geocaching, or even periodically and automatically publish my location on Twitter, Facebook, or my website.  This is going to be exciting.

[Update:] Another pretty cool program is Noni GPS Plot [http://aeguerre.free.fr/Public/PocketPC/NoniGPSPlot/EN/index.php].  One notable feature is its ability to display and record your GPS coordinates.  You can export the plot as a series of points in KML format that can be imported in Google Map and Google Earth.  This can be useful when you want to document where exactly you have been on a trip (or spy on a cheating spouse).

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