"GPS Assist" software for the Mac

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Level 3

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"GPS Assist" software for the Mac

Here's hoping that someone might have a solution to my problem: I have just bought a Sony DSC-HX9v camera (good, expensive!) with GPS location tagging of images. When photos are put into iPhoto and doing I (for info), a small Google map appears for each photo giving its location anywhere in the world. It works, and is really useful to me. The software to get GPS Assist (see below) for the Mac is not available from Sony, (although the box says it is!). But they tell me that it might be available from another source. So my question is, does anyone know of such a source?

To explain: It takes up to 1 1/2 minutes for the camera to capture at least four satellites so it can do its triangulation. This is sometimes inconvenient if a rapid shot is needed and the GPS feature has not been used for some hours. GPS Assist is a software that (I think) can be downloaded on to the the memory card. Capturing the satellites is a lot faster. It is available for Windows and I believe it is called "PMB Portable".

I have searched for a Mac version but no luck. Anyone have any ideas please?

Posted on Oct 13, 2011 8:50 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 13, 2011 9:21 AM in response to SteveKir

Googling "Sony GPS Assist Mac" found these:

http://blog.brixandersen.dk/?p=153

http://www.sony-mea.com/support/faq/438005

All the PC application does is put the information on a memory card in the correct format.

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Answer 2

SteveKir Author

Level 3

565 points

Oct 13, 2011 10:16 AM in response to Keith Barkley

Thanks. I had found the first but it didn't work.

As it happens, at the same time I asked my question in dpreview forums and was given the following:

On a Mac:

Plug in camera via USB and turn it on.
3 drives will mount (internal memory, SD card, and PMB Portable drive)

Open the PMB Portable drive, and run the Mac version of the software (no installation required)

If you have an Internet connection, the GPS assist data will be updated automatically, no user intervention required.

So, it works quite well on the Mac, and you don't even need to install any software on your machine.

This seems similar to the second of your two google finds but is much simpler. And it works.

Thank goodness for forums!

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Answer 3

Oct 13, 2011 10:19 AM in response to SteveKir

Of course, it would have been nice if Sony could have given you the correct information!

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Answer 4

Aug 16, 2014 6:45 AM in response to SteveKir

Here is a solution to update th GPS data every time you use uour memory card on your mac. http://www.underdoug.ca/2014/08/12/update-sony-gps-assist-data-on-mac-automatica lly/

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Answer 5

SteveKir Author

Level 3

565 points

Aug 16, 2014 7:37 AM in response to dougransom1

dougransom1 wrote:

Here is a solution to update th GPS data every time you use uour memory card on your mac. http://www.underdoug.ca/2014/08/12/update-sony-gps-assist-data-on-mac-automatica lly/

This is very interesting and exactly what I need, but my iMac does not have a folder:

~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions

It doesn't even have a folder:

~/Library/Workflows

I have also looked for them in the other Library:

<my mac>/<my internal HD>/Library

iMac 2011, Maveracks 10.9.4

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