Driving/walking directions on Band?

Hockeymac18

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I read that the Band can deliver driving/walking directions (vibrate at turns?). But I can't figure out the way to do this. Do you start it from the phone? Is this a feature that will be unlocked later?
 

Hockeymac18

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You are thinking Apple watch. The Band does not currently do this.

Haha, that is most certainly not true. I have zero interest in the Apple band and have never even read an in-depth article about it.

I'm definitely talking about the MS band. Many articles about it have mentioned this feature:
Microsoft Launches 'Band,' Its First Fitness Wearable

Microsoft?s Band is a competitive, feature-packed fitness tracker

Microsoft Band: 5 things you need to know | Other Devices News | TechRadar

Microsoft Band Fitness Tracker and Cross-Platform Health Service Launched | NDTV Gadgets

Based on the articles, it has something to do with Cortana integration. But I'm not sure how to get it going. Do I start it from my phone?
 
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DroidUser42

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I don't see anything like that in the first link.

The second link indicates some added functions are available for "Windows 8.1 users will also get access the company’s Cortana personal digital assistant".
 

Hockeymac18

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I don't see anything like that in the first link.

The second link indicates some added functions are available for "Windows 8.1 users will also get access the company’s Cortana personal digital assistant".

I think you might have missed the mention of it in each article. Just CRTL-F "Driving" and you'll see. Each article mentions driving directions being made available for the Band via Cortana integration.

I'll highlight the postings from each.
Microsoft Launches 'Band,' Its First Fitness Wearable
Microsoft phone users who link their smartphones to their Band can use Microsoft's Cortana electronic personal assistant to take notes or set reminders using voice or to get driving directions and updates on traffic, sports, stocks, weather and more. - See more at: Microsoft Launches 'Band,' Its First Fitness Wearable

Microsoft?s Band is a competitive, feature-packed fitness tracker
Windows 8.1 users will also get access the company’s Cortana personal digital assistant right on their wrist, providing information on driving directions, stocks and more.

Microsoft Band: 5 things you need to know | Other Devices News | TechRadar
You'll also get access to Cortana if paired to a Windows Phone 8.1 - meaning you can take notes or set reminders with your voice. She can also give driving directions and more just like she would from a mobile device.

Microsoft Band Fitness Tracker and Cross-Platform Health Service Launched | NDTV Gadgets
Windows Phone 8.1 users can ask Cortana to take notes or set reminders with their voice from the Band. Using built-in GPS on Microsoft Band, Cortana will also be able to provide driving directions, traffic information, sports, stocks, weather, and more.

Microsoft launches Band, its fitness-focused smartwatch and Microsoft Health app | mobihealthnews
Through Microsoft Band, Cortana can take notes, set reminders, give driving directions, and provide traffic, sports, stocks, and weather updates.

There is nothing special about these articles. I found them from a simple Google search (https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=microsoft+band+driving+directions). Since they're all using the same terminology, they must be grabbing official info from some MS document.

And here is an official MS site that mentions this feature:
Buy Microsoft Band - Microsoft Store
Cortana
Use your voice to take notes and set reminders with Cortana.3 Or ask her to give driving directions and keep you on top of news, stocks, weather, and more. She’s ready to help whenever you need it.

Now that we have this out of the way and that it's obvious that this is a feature that MS has been advertising as part of their Cortana integration with the Band, I'm wondering if anyone knows how to get it going. Has anyone tried it out themselves? Do you start it from the Band itself? Do you start it from the phone and then there's an option to send directions to the band? Neither? I tried saying "Directions to" but didn't see a way to start MS Band navigation...maybe this isn't a feature that is supported yet?

Or maybe this is just poor wording form MS...? Maybe what they mean is that you say "get directions to" and then you have to go to your phone to get the directions from there. In which case, this would be a pretty pointless feature. I want to believe that is not what they mean by this. Right guys?

I have a windows phone (Nokia Icon) and have been using Cortana for certain things so far (sending texts has been cool). Just want to know how to do some of these other features.
 

Chris_Kez

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It's all done by Cortana on the phone. You're just using the Band to feed the request to Cortana. So it's really "use the band to trigger Cortana features". As a test case, long-press the Action button and say "I need directions home".
 

gadgetrants

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Maybe not "exactly" the same thing but when I navigate on an Android phone, it apparently sends turn notifications, which show up automagically on the Band.

​-Matt
 

Hockeymac18

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It's all done by Cortana on the phone. You're just using the Band to feed the request to Cortana. So it's really "use the band to trigger Cortana features". As a test case, long-press the Action button and say "I need directions home".

I tried this on the way to work this morning. It loaded up Here Drive on my phone. I then started Here Drive navigation. And it didn't send any notifications to the Band. I thought it might send out a buzz at each turn, or something like that...but nothing. I'm not sure what I'd have to do to get it going.

Maybe not "exactly" the same thing but when I navigate on an Android phone, it apparently sends turn notifications, which show up automagically on the Band.

It's really odd that it'd work on an Android phone but not work right away on a Windows Phone...I'd think this would be something that would "just work" with my windows phone. Maybe I'm using the wrong app?
 

Chris_Kez

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Maybe not "exactly" the same thing but when I navigate on an Android phone, it apparently sends turn notifications, which show up automagically on the Band.

​-Matt


Can you tell us which Android app you use for navigation, and exactly how the turn notifications appear on the Band? Is each turn accompanied by a haptic buzz? Does it provide street names, distances or just turn prompts? Pics would be helpful.
 

anon(7901790)

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I think it is how Google Navigator and Android passes information to Bluetooth devices. When I had my Galaxy Note II and my Pebble watch, Google Navigator sent updates (to include directions) to my Pebble AND would give me a voice prompt via the Bluetooth built into my car.

However, Here+ Drive and Windows Phone handle it differently. I get voice prompts through my car, but I get all of my notifications on my Band. The exception is texts will go both to my car AND my Band.

This may change with Denim. I'm not sure on that though.
 

Hockeymac18

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I think it is how Google Navigator and Android passes information to Bluetooth devices. When I had my Galaxy Note II and my Pebble watch, Google Navigator sent updates (to include directions) to my Pebble AND would give me a voice prompt via the Bluetooth built into my car.

However, Here+ Drive and Windows Phone handle it differently. I get voice prompts through my car, but I get all of my notifications on my Band. The exception is texts will go both to my car AND my Band.

This may change with Denim. I'm not sure on that though.

What WP8(.1) phone do you have?

I have an Icon and I'm in the preview program (so I should have the most up-to-date version of WP8.1, right?). I've tried using Here+ Drive with my band paired to my phone and it is not sending directions notifications to my band. Is there some setting I need to enable for this to occur? I have Cortana working on my band for other stuff (and I checked in the MS Health App, I do have Cortana selected to send notifications to the Band)

Would appreciate it if you could give a detailed description of how you get navigation started and what you have to do (if anything) to make the Band grab the notifications.
 

anon(7901790)

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What WP8(.1) phone do you have?

I have an Icon and I'm in the preview program (so I should have the most up-to-date version of WP8.1, right?). I've tried using Here+ Drive with my band paired to my phone and it is not sending directions notifications to my band. Is there some setting I need to enable for this to occur? I have Cortana working on my band for other stuff (and I checked in the MS Health App, I do have Cortana selected to send notifications to the Band)

Would appreciate it if you could give a detailed description of how you get navigation started and what you have to do (if anything) to make the Band grab the notifications.

I also have an Icon running WP8.1.1 DP. I guess I should clarify. I get voice prompts from Here+ Drive through my car's Bluetooth, but I do NOT get any direction prompts on my Band. The ONLY notifications that I get on BOTH my Band and through my car's Bluetooth are text messages. I apologize if I confused anybody.

Cortana will only send the notifications that based on the interests you've set up. Cortana is not the app doing the navigation, it is Here+ Drive (or whatever app is being used for navigation). Here+ Drive is a separate app and Nokia would have to add that kind of functionality; Here+ Drive is not a Microsoft product.

Google Navigator is baked into the OS and therefore has tighter integration when it comes to sending out notifications. That was why I got directions on my Pebble when I had an Android phone. I suppose people using iPhones would have a similar experience if they are using Apple Maps; since I don't have an iPhone I wouldn't know about that though.

I hope that clears things up.
 

DroidUser42

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Google Navigator is baked into the OS and therefore has tighter integration when it comes to sending out notifications. That was why I got directions on my Pebble when I had an Android phone.

I was wondering if the navigation app was sending notifications and it was just a happy accident that the band reported them (just like it can report any notification).
 

gadgetrants

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I was wondering if the navigation app was sending notifications and it was just a happy accident that the band reported them (just like it can report any notification).
It's pretty much the case that the Band reports EVERYTHING and anything that shows up on my notification bar. My favorite example (being sarcastic here) is "Ooh, ooh, ooh! There's wifi nearby!!!" Unfortunately on some HTC Verizon phones, that notification is locked on regardless of whether the setting is toggled off on the phone. Pretty annoying.

So yeah I agree that "deeply embedded" system notifications regularly show up for me on the Band, apparently including driving instructions during navigation (in Google Maps).

-Matt
 

anon(7901790)

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Well that's a frustrating conclusion. I wish they wouldn't advertise this capability.

They advertise it because it I true. It will depend upon the OS and/or the navigation app being used. Like I said previously. Here+ Drive is NOT a Microsoft app, it is owned my Nokia (the part that Microsoft didn't buy). It doesn't use Windows Phone notification system, therefore, Here+ Drive won't send turn by turn notifications to the Band. However, Google Navigator is part of Android and is tied to Android's notification system so it can send turn by turn to the Band or Pebble. I can't speak for other navigation apps or smart watches, because I have never used them.

What they should do is put a caveat in the advertisement saying something along the lines of turn by turn notifications will depend on OS and navigation app use.
 

Hockeymac18

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They advertise it because it I true. It will depend upon the OS and/or the navigation app being used. Like I said previously. Here+ Drive is NOT a Microsoft app, it is owned my Nokia (the part that Microsoft didn't buy). It doesn't use Windows Phone notification system, therefore, Here+ Drive won't send turn by turn notifications to the Band. However, Google Navigator is part of Android and is tied to Android's notification system so it can send turn by turn to the Band or Pebble. I can't speak for other navigation apps or smart watches, because I have never used them.

What they should do is put a caveat in the advertisement saying something along the lines of turn by turn notifications will depend on OS and navigation app use.

I'm sorry but I beg to differ with your interpretation. They clearly advertise it as being a feature that is part of Cortana integration with the band, which implies that this should work out-of-the-box on all Windows Phone 8.1 phones. If you read everything that's been reported and even stated by MS, it would be hard to interpret it the way you have.

For example: this is what an article said about the band (many other articles have said the same thing, too):
Microsoft launches Band, its fitness-focused smartwatch and Microsoft Health app | mobihealthnews
The smartwatch’s other features include call notifications, calendar alerts, a timer and alarm, and — if users have Windows 8.1 on their smartphone — access to Microsoft’s intelligent assistant, Cortana. Through Microsoft Band, Cortana can take notes, set reminders, give driving directions, and provide traffic, sports, stocks, and weather updates.

And here is an official MS site that mentions this feature:
Buy Microsoft Band - Microsoft Store
Cortana
Use your voice to take notes and set reminders with Cortana.3 Or ask her to give driving directions and keep you on top of news, stocks, weather, and more. She’s ready to help whenever you need it.

Yes, it may in fact be that this works they way you said. But that doesn't change the fact that they say it can do something it can't do. Because if you read what they're advertising, it definitely sounds like they're saying it can do something it can't. The fact that it happens to, by coincidence, work with an android phone is really unrelated since they're clearly talking about Windows Phone users in their advertising documents.

I'm not that disappointed because this really isn't a big feature for me. But it's still disappointing. I kind of just wish they would never had said it can do these things since it clearly can.t

I still love my band so far, despite this, though (for everything else that it does).
 

Hockeymac18

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Interesting, because here is the Official Microsoft Band site, and no where does it say ANYTHING about driving directions.

Microsoft Band | Official Site

And? They're both official sites for the band. The one you posted is the official Microsoft.com site, and the one I posted was the official Microsoft store page (which mentions Driving directions). They're both official pages hosted by Microsoft.

The fact that one you're taken to before you buy it includes mention of driving directions is interesting, too. It'd be like a listing for a product on Amazon including a feature that the product doesn't support. Sure the official page for that product could omit that feature (since it doesn't support it), but that doesn't change the fact that the page to buy the product (and many, many articles written about the product, in the Band's case) lists a feature that isn't supported.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say with pointing that out. That because it's not there means it's something they're not supporting? I think it's odd that it was ever mentioned if they had no intentions of it being a feature of the band. It's also odd (or ironic?) that it doesn't work on WP 8.1 phones but does work on Android phones.

As I said before, it isn't that big of a deal to me that this feature is missing. What I am annoyed by is their inclusion of this feature in their advertisements and official documents for reference for journalists (essentially advertising via other sites). It was a feature that sounded cool, and I wanted to try it out. I guess my point is I don't really like false advertising (however minor it is), and I just want to make sure other people know that this feature is missing. Maybe some people really were hoping to use this feature? I know I'd be annoyed pretty heavily if I bought something because of a feature that turned out wasn't included.
 
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