Here are my thoughts and plans concerning software I am aiming to develop on my empeg... Feel free to comment as you see fit... and I will also note that how far I get with all this is a completely different matter (*grin*)

I have been waiting for my tuner module to arrive before I installed the empeg in the car as I have only one DIN slot... but I have had it for a while and have been pondering how I would like to use it/what else it needs...

I would like a Nav system in it... my thoughts on how to develop it go as follows. I have aquired a gpsTripmate from delorme for US$50 which plugs into a serial port and has NMEA ascii output. I have got it working with gpsd on a laptop and am planning to try and build gpsd for the empeg.

The idea would be to take Kit's overlay hack and generalise it to allow overlays of data coming in via an entry in /dev... first step

Step 2 get gpsd working on the empeg and outputting to the overlay simple lat/lon (/speed?)

Step 3 - allow for a simple database of waypoints to be uploaded to the empeg that would be matched against current position and a label added to the overlay when the current position "matches"

Step 4 - provide a simple directional arrow graphic via the overlay pointing to the next waypoint

Step 5 - work out how to mix audio to allow audio instructions on reaching waypoints

Step 6 - work out how to intercept IR signals and try and grab one for switching to and from nav mode (ie turning the overlay on and off)

Step 7 - try and do this with other stuff... eg: voice recorder for taking notes... simple web/wap access...?

The idea (if you can see through my rambling) is that I want to keep the current software intact... by using the overlay technique with the ability to overlay the entire display software modules can be developed in parallel with the current player... eventually if you wanted to rewrite the player itself it just becomes another thing that uses the overlay or is overlaid...

Anyway, let me know what you think... for my own purposes I have tried to make sure the steps are each small achievable steps that let me move further each time... adding functionality each time and thereby hopefully keeping a good chance I won't become disillusioned (sp?) with the whole thing...

Cheers

Kim