What Three Words

[Herbie]

1 hour ago, Bluemarlin said:

I must add that one thing I'd find really useful, in any of the navigation apps, would be the ability to set multiple waypoints for any given journey.

I often want to go to a set destination, but would like to stop at/pass several other places on the way. Other than setting each place as a separate journey, I've not yet found a simple way to do this on either Google maps or Waze.

It seems like a fairly basic requirement, and so maybe I've missed something obvious. So, if anyone has found an easy way to do this, I'd be grateful for any pointers.

It's really lashing down here at the moment so I'm not going out to the car for this, but using Google Maps on the PC, adding waypoints is as simple as clicking on the 'Add Destination' button. I assume it will work the same in the car.

[LenT]

2 hours ago, Harrier Man said:.

I like to go orienteering and this is another example of the benefits of W3W. We are often directed to park in a field, the start is in another field that can easily be a mile away. If anyone is injured, their position in the forest or on a hillside can readily be pinpointed. We carry detailed maps but they don't have OS markings on them. GPS co-ords would be possible but numbers can easily be transposed so I much prefer the more user-friendly W3W format.

We enjoy watching a TV series called ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ which details the activities of the RNLI.  On a few occasions they have been able to locate and rescue people who have used their phones to supply a W3W location.

I particularly recall one chap who was stuck in quicksand and communicating with the Coastguard while the rising tide threatened to engulf him!

 

[royoftherovers]

43 minutes ago, LenT said:

We enjoy watching a TV series called ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ which details the activities of the RNLI.  On a few occasions they have been able to locate and rescue people who have used their phones to supply a W3W location.

I particularly recall one chap who was stuck in quicksand and communicating with the Coastguard while the rising tide threatened to engulf him!

 

Come on Len, play the white man....how did it end ?

Don`t miss next week`s thrilling instalment !

[royoftherovers]

46 minutes ago, Herbie said:

It's really lashing down here at the moment so I'm not going out to the car for this, but using Google Maps on the PC, adding waypoints is as simple as clicking on the 'Add Destination' button. I assume it will work the same in the car.

Professional Electricians,NEVER assume anything Sir !

[Moleman]

Just now, royoftherovers said:

Come on Len, play the white man....how did it end ?

Don`t miss next week`s thrilling instalment !

The App crashed!!!  🤣🤣🤣

[Bluemarlin]

4 hours ago, LenT said:

Not an App - but my Garmin satnav has a route planning facility- although I’ve never had occasion to use it.  I expect other satnavs are the same, but I imagine you want to use a smart phone based system

Yes Len (and Maurice), I want to use my phone rather than a dedicated sat nav. I think Herbie may have highlighted the solution though.

[Bluemarlin]

3 hours ago, Herbie said:

It's really lashing down here at the moment so I'm not going out to the car for this, but using Google Maps on the PC, adding waypoints is as simple as clicking on the 'Add Destination' button. I assume it will work the same in the car.

Thanks Herbie, after a quick play around that seems to be the ticket. On the phone it's "add stops". Just need to figure out how to save the route, but I imagine that just needs me to fiddle about with it with a bit more.

[LenT]

15 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Come on Len, play the white man....how did it end ?

Don`t miss next week`s thrilling instalment !

Sorry to disappoint you, John. But the clue’s in the title: Saving Lives at Sea.

I’ve been trying to locate this episode, but to no avail. But as I recall it, (probably imperfectly!), Chummy was strolling some distance offshore rather late in the day, when he strode into a patch of quicksand. The resulting period of thrashing around rapidly trapped his legs.

Realising that the tide was inevitably going to return, he called the Coastguard and gave them the W3W reference. An Inshore RIB was despatched to the location, at which point the water was more than waist high, but by deploying long spades they were able to break the suction around each leg and eventually hoist him into the RIB.

Humans and animals trapped in mud or quicksand is not an uncommon event on Saving Lives at Sea! The only good news is that the victims rarely drift away, so a precise W3W location is very much a life saver.

In researching this event, I came across a few other examples.

In May 21, eight people were rescued by Skegness RNLI from rising tides when a W3W location was able to relocate them over a mile away from the original search area.

In January, Aberystwyth lifeboat helped rescued two people cut off by the tide at the base of cliffs, who phoned in a W3W location.

In April, Wells’ Inshore lifeboat was directed to an individual clinging to a buoy. In July 2020, a stranded kayaker on Loch Ericht in Perthshire used the App to get a lift from a Coastguard helicopter.

In January 21, Cora Thomas, while strolling along the Welsh coast at Ogof Llidw, noticed that a group which had moved on after jumping into the rocks, had left someone behind – who proved to be somewhat damaged. Calling the Emergency Services, she was instructed to download the App. She stated that, even though she was a local, she wouldn’t have been able to accurately describe her location.

And of course, there are numerous other examples involving climbers, fell walkers, cliff fallers and the like.

On the other hand, I also came across articles by techies who thought the App was rubbish and there were far superior systems. I think the main fault – already identified here – is the use of plurals and homophones. Regional accents can also be a problem. Some argue that a numerical system is better – and yet words can always be spelt out. And are easier to remember for most people.

It also seems that there are other such Apps that claim to be superior – but I can only select from the one’s I’ve heard of. And if I haven’t heard of them, that may not be my fault!

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, LenT said:

Sorry to disappoint you, John. But the clue’s in the title: Saving Lives at Sea.

I’ve been trying to locate this episode, but to no avail. But as I recall it, (probably imperfectly!), Chummy was strolling some distance offshore rather late in the day, when he strode into a patch of quicksand. The resulting period of thrashing around rapidly trapped his legs.

Realising that the tide was inevitably going to return, he called the Coastguard and gave them the W3W reference. An Inshore RIB was despatched to the location, at which point the water was more than waist high, but by deploying long spades they were able to break the suction around each leg and eventually hoist him into the RIB.

Humans and animals trapped in mud or quicksand is not an uncommon event on Saving Lives at Sea! The only good news is that the victims rarely drift away, so a precise W3W location is very much a life saver.

In researching this event, I came across a few other examples.

In May 21, eight people were rescued by Skegness RNLI from rising tides when a W3W location was able to relocate them over a mile away from the original search area.

In January, Aberystwyth lifeboat helped rescued two people cut off by the tide at the base of cliffs, who phoned in a W3W location.

In April, Wells’ Inshore lifeboat was directed to an individual clinging to a buoy. In July 2020, a stranded kayaker on Loch Ericht in Perthshire used the App to get a lift from a Coastguard helicopter.

In January 21, Cora Thomas, while strolling along the Welsh coast at Ogof Llidw, noticed that a group which had moved on after jumping into the rocks, had left someone behind – who proved to be somewhat damaged. Calling the Emergency Services, she was instructed to download the App. She stated that, even though she was a local, she wouldn’t have been able to accurately describe her location.

And of course, there are numerous other examples involving climbers, fell walkers, cliff fallers and the like.

On the other hand, I also came across articles by techies who thought the App was rubbish and there were far superior systems. I think the main fault – already identified here – is the use of plurals and homophones. Regional accents can also be a problem. Some argue that a numerical system is better – and yet words can always be spelt out. And are easier to remember for most people.

It also seems that there are other such Apps that claim to be superior – but I can only select from the one’s I’ve heard of. And if I haven’t heard of them, that may not be my fault!

Ecky Thump, that was a good read Len.

Had the Director however, inserted the word "all" between "saving" and "lives" I would not have had to ask the question.

[LenT]

2 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Ecky Thump, that was a good read Len.

Had the Director however, inserted the word "all" between "saving" and "lives" I would not have had to ask the question.

Probably the result of one of the Beeb's economy drives, John.  🙂

[royoftherovers]

5 minutes ago, LenT said:

Probably the result of one of the Beeb's economy drives, John.  🙂

And now they will probably dispose of the love of my life (Martine) for doing something which is just the opposite of those dreary so called stars who read the news with as much depression as it possible to imagine.

The view of the BBC as regards impartiality means not supporting the Government of the day for fear of upsetting anyone. !!

[gdamorini]

20 hours ago, LenT said:

We enjoy watching a TV series called ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ which details the activities of the RNLI.  On a few occasions they have been able to locate and rescue people who have used their phones to supply a W3W location.

I particularly recall one chap who was stuck in quicksand and communicating with the Coastguard while the rising tide threatened to engulf him!

 

In this cases the W3W location is received by the rescue team as GPS coordinates.

[LenT]

1 hour ago, gdamorini said:

In this cases the W3W location is received by the rescue team as GPS coordinates.

That’s an interesting observation, Daniele.  Do you have a moment to expand upon it?

Do you have personal experience of this?  I use GPS location systems without ever getting involved with GPS coordinates, so, for me, they lack the ease of use and familiarity that three words provide.

I would point out that all the emergency services - apart from one - that I came across were actually asking callers to download the W3W App.  Are you suggesting they were doing this in order to provide a code that they would then convert into GPS coordinates?

I can see that this might happen, but I would have thought it raised the possibility that more errors could be introduced by the conversion.  Rather like converting imperial measures into metric.

The one exception (there may be others) was a County in Canada who claimed that if their emergency services were called on 911 from a cell phone, then - provided the reception was adequate - they could locate the phone with even greater accuracy.  In which case, I wonder why all emergency services are not doing this in the first place, instead of losing precious time by asking callers to download W3W?

I have noticed that my newly acquired ‘smart phone’ does have an ‘Emergency’ option that appears when I turn it off?  Is this an automatic GPS location call to a permanently manned reception service?

I must track down the Manual and check it out!  🙂

[Moleman]

30 minutes ago, LenT said:

I have noticed that my newly acquired ‘smart phone’ does have an ‘Emergency’ option that appears when I turn it off?  Is this an automatic GPS location call to a permanently manned reception service?

I must track down the Manual and check it out!  🙂

You can add personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen, like your blood type, allergies and medications. Sign in to your Google Account. Add your emergency info. 

[Moleman]

2 minutes ago, Moleman said:

You can add personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen, like your blood type, allergies and medications. Sign in to your Google Account. Add your emergency info. 

If you save important numbers as ICE, they will appear to the emergency services to use on that screen even if you have locked the phone.

[Moleman]

Just now, Moleman said:

If you save important numbers as ICE, they will appear to the emergency services to use on that screen even if you have locked the phone.

ICE - In case of emergency.

[Moleman]

40 minutes ago, LenT said:

The one exception (there may be others) was a County in Canada who claimed that if their emergency services were called on 911 from a cell phone, then - provided the reception was adequate - they could locate the phone with even greater accuracy.  In which case, I wonder why all emergency services are not doing this in the first place, instead of losing precious time by asking callers to download W3W?

 

This article mentions this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56901363

[LenT]

46 minutes ago, Moleman said:

You can add personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen, like your blood type, allergies and medications. Sign in to your Google Account. Add your emergency info. 

Many thanks for that, Maurice.  Turns out I already have some of that and ELS is already on!  Useful…provided I’m in an area that can use it.

Problem is…I’m nowhere near as smart as my phone!

[gdamorini]

15 hours ago, LenT said:

That’s an interesting observation, Daniele.  Do you have a moment to expand upon it?

Do you have personal experience of this?  I use GPS location systems without ever getting involved with GPS coordinates, so, for me, they lack the ease of use and familiarity that three words provide.

I would point out that all the emergency services - apart from one - that I came across were actually asking callers to download the W3W App.  Are you suggesting they were doing this in order to provide a code that they would then convert into GPS coordinates?

I can see that this might happen, but I would have thought it raised the possibility that more errors could be introduced by the conversion.  Rather like converting imperial measures into metric.

The one exception (there may be others) was a County in Canada who claimed that if their emergency services were called on 911 from a cell phone, then - provided the reception was adequate - they could locate the phone with even greater accuracy.  In which case, I wonder why all emergency services are not doing this in the first place, instead of losing precious time by asking callers to download W3W?

I have noticed that my newly acquired ‘smart phone’ does have an ‘Emergency’ option that appears when I turn it off?  Is this an automatic GPS location call to a permanently manned reception service?

I must track down the Manual and check it out!  🙂

Here is some info on how What3words helps in emergency situations.
If the rescue team does not use What3words they can convert the "three words" into GPS coordinates utilizing a batch converter, the link  is below.

How do I use what3words in an emergency?
    1.    Find the 3 word address for your current location on the free what3words app for iOS and Android. ...
    2.    Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
    3.    The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.

https://what3words.com/products/batch-converter

https://what3words.com/news/emergency/three-words-for-a-faster-emergency-response

In the app you can also set so that coordinates will be sent togheter with the three words:

You can also open the menu and tap 'Settings', then 'Share Settings'. Select Latitude & Longitude, and the format you need (decimals, degrees, mins & secs etc.). Now, whenever you share a what3words address, the Latitude and Longitude will be included.