4 ms·

Text-Based Google Directions

TigerUniversity 8mo ago
A minimalistic directions service aimed at users of feature phones/dumb phones, terminal-based browsers, low-bandwidth connections, screen readers etc. Best suited for public transport directions. No JavaScript requirements.
jmclnx 8mo ago
Very Nice, this is very much needed
THansenite 8mo ago
As someone who is currently enamored with Meshtastic devices, several of which have built in GPS, this is making me wonder of future iterations of the software and being able to somehow utilize the directions on the mesh.
a456463 8mo ago
Love this! Thank you
lostmsu 8mo ago
How exactly does this work? Does it use Gmaps API?
- purplehat_ 8mo ago
  Yes, to self-host it you will need a Google maps API key. In the related links at the bottom, https://gdir.telae.net/links.html https://gdir.telae.net/links.html, the Git repo https://github.com/pafoster/gdir.telae.net https://github.com/pafoster/gdir.telae.net is available along with some other cool things.
staffordrj 8mo ago
Reminds me of GOOG-411! Used to use that all the time back in the day before I got a smart phone. https://youtu.be/J937N9m-XtE?si=-rsbP3Nm6GRGpZGQ&t=185 https://youtu.be/J937N9m-XtE?si=-rsbP3Nm6GRGpZGQ&t=185
- escapecharacter 8mo ago
  GOOG-411 was insanely cool.
Melatonic 8mo ago
Very cool
regus 8mo ago
This takes me back to the MapQuest era, printing out directions and reading them while driving.
- gojomo 8mo ago
  Competitor MapBlast's 'LineDrive' directions were my favorite printable option – both the abstract overview and the turn-by-turn abstract clips. https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/remembering-linedrive/ https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/remember...
- 1970-01-01 8mo ago
  Exactly my thought. MapQuest had a big print button for A to B directions in the late 90s, before Google even existed. I can't find the print button anywhere on their site today. https://web.archive.org/web/20000229210717/http://www.mapquest.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20000229210717/http://www.mapque...
lukeasch21 8mo ago
As the developer of an app that uses SMS as a transport medium for a WebView "browser" UI [1], I'm very appreciative of Peter Foster for hosting this service! The site design is highly compressible and text is kept to a minimum - you can usually get directions in just a few texts. [1] https://github.com/lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser https://github.com/lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser
k26dr 8mo ago
hey guys. love the service. paypal donations are down. wanted to donate and couldn't. just a heads up.
felixguendling 8mo ago
Similar just based on open source + open data https://social.tchncs.de/@Jbb/116082509413974306 https://social.tchncs.de/@Jbb/116082509413974306
tonymet 8mo ago
it would be fun to use AI to change this to 1990s directions like "Make a left at Eastside high, drive until you see taco bell, turn right down the alley , i'm the 3rd garage with the blue door".
Ibanez2323 8mo ago
I really like this. One note to the developer (could not find contact info): The country list dropdown shows Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". This is probably accidental as likely from another source, but could need some review.
- bandrami 8mo ago
  That's a can of worms (along with the northern border of India and everything between Lebanon and Egypt) that will get you a million angry emails no matter what you do.
  - iberator 8mo ago
    Taiwan is a country. This is not some contested area but well established 80+ years old government with strong ties to NATO etc. No single CCP Soldier or clerk out there. Pure Independent nation
    - bandrami 8mo ago
      Well, no, it's very much a contested area, with a neighboring nuclear-armed power claiming it is not independent, a nuclear-armed global hegemon very deliberately being ambiguous in its statements about Taiwan's status, limited diplomatic recognition, and no UN membership. It's literally anything but simple or cut-and-dry.
      - iberator 8mo ago
        CCP has zero clerks, soldiers or government buildings in Taiwan or anything at all. That's the prime indicator that Taiwan is as much Independent from China as from India or UK :) Goverment+ people+ 100% control over it's territory. Sounds like proper COUNTRY for me :)
- pafoster 8mo ago
  Many thanks for the feedback and for flagging this up. I've tweaked the drop-down.
llacb47 8mo ago
Gmaps api is pricy, hopefully this doesn’t go super viral or the dev will have a big bill to pay
pafoster 8mo ago
Developer here. Thanks for all the kind feedback!

A minimalistic directions service aimed at users of feature phones/dumb phones, terminal-based browsers, low-bandwidth connections, screen readers etc. Best suited for public transport directions. No JavaScript requirements.

jmclnx 8mo ago

Very Nice, this is very much needed

THansenite 8mo ago

As someone who is currently enamored with Meshtastic devices, several of which have built in GPS, this is making me wonder of future iterations of the software and being able to somehow utilize the directions on the mesh.

a456463 8mo ago

Love this! Thank you

lostmsu 8mo ago

How exactly does this work? Does it use Gmaps API?

purplehat_ 8mo ago
Yes, to self-host it you will need a Google maps API key. In the related links at the bottom, https://gdir.telae.net/links.html https://gdir.telae.net/links.html, the Git repo https://github.com/pafoster/gdir.telae.net https://github.com/pafoster/gdir.telae.net is available along with some other cool things.

staffordrj 8mo ago

Reminds me of GOOG-411! Used to use that all the time back in the day before I got a smart phone. https://youtu.be/J937N9m-XtE?si=-rsbP3Nm6GRGpZGQ&t=185 https://youtu.be/J937N9m-XtE?si=-rsbP3Nm6GRGpZGQ&t=185

escapecharacter 8mo ago
GOOG-411 was insanely cool.

Melatonic 8mo ago

Very cool

regus 8mo ago

This takes me back to the MapQuest era, printing out directions and reading them while driving.

gojomo 8mo ago
Competitor MapBlast's 'LineDrive' directions were my favorite printable option – both the abstract overview and the turn-by-turn abstract clips. https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/remembering-linedrive/ https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/remember...
1970-01-01 8mo ago
Exactly my thought. MapQuest had a big print button for A to B directions in the late 90s, before Google even existed. I can't find the print button anywhere on their site today. https://web.archive.org/web/20000229210717/http://www.mapquest.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20000229210717/http://www.mapque...

lukeasch21 8mo ago

As the developer of an app that uses SMS as a transport medium for a WebView "browser" UI [1], I'm very appreciative of Peter Foster for hosting this service! The site design is highly compressible and text is kept to a minimum - you can usually get directions in just a few texts. [1] https://github.com/lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser https://github.com/lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser

k26dr 8mo ago

hey guys. love the service. paypal donations are down. wanted to donate and couldn't. just a heads up.

felixguendling 8mo ago

Similar just based on open source + open data https://social.tchncs.de/@Jbb/116082509413974306 https://social.tchncs.de/@Jbb/116082509413974306

tonymet 8mo ago

it would be fun to use AI to change this to 1990s directions like "Make a left at Eastside high, drive until you see taco bell, turn right down the alley , i'm the 3rd garage with the blue door".

Ibanez2323 8mo ago

I really like this. One note to the developer (could not find contact info): The country list dropdown shows Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". This is probably accidental as likely from another source, but could need some review.

bandrami 8mo ago
That's a can of worms (along with the northern border of India and everything between Lebanon and Egypt) that will get you a million angry emails no matter what you do.
- iberator 8mo ago
  Taiwan is a country. This is not some contested area but well established 80+ years old government with strong ties to NATO etc. No single CCP Soldier or clerk out there. Pure Independent nation
  - bandrami 8mo ago
    Well, no, it's very much a contested area, with a neighboring nuclear-armed power claiming it is not independent, a nuclear-armed global hegemon very deliberately being ambiguous in its statements about Taiwan's status, limited diplomatic recognition, and no UN membership. It's literally anything but simple or cut-and-dry.
    - iberator 8mo ago
      CCP has zero clerks, soldiers or government buildings in Taiwan or anything at all. That's the prime indicator that Taiwan is as much Independent from China as from India or UK :) Goverment+ people+ 100% control over it's territory. Sounds like proper COUNTRY for me :)
pafoster 8mo ago
Many thanks for the feedback and for flagging this up. I've tweaked the drop-down.

llacb47 8mo ago

Gmaps api is pricy, hopefully this doesn’t go super viral or the dev will have a big bill to pay

pafoster 8mo ago

Developer here. Thanks for all the kind feedback!