iPhoto 6.0.5 Hidden Google Maps Integration And Possible Apple GPS-enabled Device (Camera/iPod/PDA/Phone)? [Archive]

MacRumors

Oct 4, 2006, 09:37 AM

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

MacTelChat has found hidden references in iPhoto 6.0.5 (http://www.mactelchat.com/articles/237-iphoto-6-0-5-shows-evidence.html) that show Apple is preparing iPhoto for integration with Google Maps. It appears as though a hidden button in the interface would allow hidden GPS attributes about a photo to link with Google Maps and show where in the world a picture was taken.

This news comes as AppleInsider revisits a patent application (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2103) discovered in September by MacNN (http://www.macnn.com/blogs/?p=98) for a "multi-functional handheld device." According to the patent, the device could contain a multitude of hardware features, including:

- Microphone
- Force Sensing
- Camera
- GPS
- Cellular radio

AppleInsider also notes that Apple may be behind a survey conducted in the spring, which asked users to "rate their preference of form factor designs for a next-generation Internet handheld device."

aricher

Oct 4, 2006, 09:39 AM

Looks like having a Google exec on the board is paying off. Googlemapping your photos is a fun diversion and makes for some great mash-ups. The handheld device sounds promising as well.

QCassidy352

Oct 4, 2006, 09:39 AM

whoa. Something very apple-like that I never would have thought of, but really like the sound of!

4np

Oct 4, 2006, 09:39 AM

Any clues as of when this multifunctional devices will be presented?

woxel1

Oct 4, 2006, 09:40 AM

Oh man, that multi-functional handheld device is so on now!

spicyapple

Oct 4, 2006, 09:41 AM

Introducing Apple Galileo™. :) All-in-one PDA, digital camera, phone and mp3 player.

longofest

Oct 4, 2006, 09:43 AM

gentle reminder of how many patents we have seen come and go without anything coming of it. However, we have quite a coincidence this time...

mdntcallr

Oct 4, 2006, 09:43 AM

G4scott

Oct 4, 2006, 09:47 AM

iPhone, anyone?

justflie

Oct 4, 2006, 09:47 AM

WHEN WHEN WHEN?! lol, that is the question. This device would be so cool, i'm in the market for a new cell phone and this would fit the bill very nicely...
Probably have to wait til january though. :(

Markleshark

Oct 4, 2006, 09:48 AM

Heres to 2007... *Beer*

Maestro64

Oct 4, 2006, 09:48 AM

EGT

Oct 4, 2006, 09:49 AM

Roll on proper GPS unit syncing with OS X. :D

Clive At Five

Oct 4, 2006, 09:54 AM

That has got to be one of the most irrelevant features I have ever heard of. If there is some sort of Multi-Function device Apple is working on, I sure hope there are more OS X integration instances than iPhoto / Google GPS syncing.

Interesting, yes. Neat, yes. Useful... not really. Apple does have a tendency to turn what we usually see as irrelevant into something we almost nearly rely on (I can't imagine a week at work without my iPod).

*shrugs*

-Clive

notjustjay

Oct 4, 2006, 09:59 AM

I picked up a SonyStyle catalog last week and I noticed that Sony is also announcing a GPS add-on for their cameras. Presumably it would do the same thing. I guess the idea being you can track the locations of your photographs as you travel on vacation.

To each his own, I guess, but I thought that seemed pretty silly when Sony was producing it, and I still think it's silly even with Apple at the helm. I mean, sure, it's cool, but would I pay a couple hundred bucks for that? No. Definitely an early adopter toy.

However, I do happen to be in the minority of folks that has a good GPS receiver (in my case for geocaching (http://www.geocaching.com)) so it might just be that since I already have invested good money into existing devices that provide me the means of doing the same thing, I'm reticent to spend more on the same thing. It would be neat to see more integration between, say, Bluetooth enabled GPS units (which exist) and digital cameras.

Bonte

Oct 4, 2006, 10:04 AM

Using GSP and Iphoto only makes sense if the photo's have the GSP location information as part of the photo. So that mean that the Camera taking the picture has a GSP reciever in it, which is great outside, but GPS does not work indoors

Correct but the GPS can make an assumption based on time and movement of the user and even retroactively add the info to the photo's. Can the GSM signal be used to help find the location?

Oh man oh man, i want this. It sounds great to look at a picture and instantly be able to track the satellite view of the area. :eek:

bokdol

Oct 4, 2006, 10:05 AM

macam

Oct 4, 2006, 10:06 AM

Abstract

Oct 4, 2006, 10:07 AM

Using GSP and Iphoto only makes sense if the photo's have the GSP location information as part of the photo. So that mean that the Camera taking the picture has a GSP reciever in it, which is great outside, but GPS does not work indoors

Yeah, that, and this would work better for world travellers. Who wants to see a map where every photo points to the same house or area? In many ways it's a pointless feature, but in some cases it will be a lot of fun, such as vacation photos. :)

andiwm2003

Oct 4, 2006, 10:07 AM

That has got to be one of the most irrelevant features I have ever heard of. .......................

not irrelevant to many others. a lot of people use it for trips through the country where they take pics of buildings, scenery. there are even enough professional uses like scouting out the locations for a new golf course, new hotels, camp sites, movie set locations and many more.

there are already other solutions for it though.

you just have to have the time between your GPS device and your camera in sync. there are programs that map the automatically the pics to the gps location via the time when they where taken. sony has a dedicated gps but in priciple it works with all of them.

seems that technology is then just integrated in iphoto. sounds neat.

bjdku

Oct 4, 2006, 10:11 AM

iPhone, anyone?

Absolutely, that is exactly what this is!

chicagdan

Oct 4, 2006, 10:11 AM

i guess i am the only one that finds this a bit wierd. and rubs me the wrong way. so somewhere in googles databases my life is recorded on where and when i was there? i bet the government would love to get a handle on that.
:(

Yep, I'm with you on that. It already bugs me that my Prius has a black box for accidents and a GPS built in (for the nav system.) Why do we *trust* this government to not ask companies to turn that information over (just like they asked for our phone records) and for these corporations getting billions in tax incentives to eagerly comply? Now if you carry a GPS, government will be able to know where you are at any moment. I'm not buying it unless Apple includes a pledge with the product that they will fight to protect my legal rights if any government agency asks for these records without probable cause.

longofest

Oct 4, 2006, 10:13 AM

not irrelevant to many others. a lot of people use it for trips through the country where they take pics of buildings, scenery. there are even enough professional uses like scouting out the locations for a new golf course, new hotels, camp sites, movie set locations and many more.

there are already other solutions for it though.

you just have to have the time between your GPS device and your camera in sync. there are programs that map the automatically the pics to the gps location via the time when they where taken. sony has a dedicated gps but in priciple it works with all of them.

seems that technology is then just integrated in iphoto. sounds neat.

What I'm thinking here is that the GPS is integrated into the camera. So when you take a pic, the GPS coordinates are recorded in the metadata so you know where it was taken.

bjdku

Oct 4, 2006, 10:13 AM

mi5moav

Oct 4, 2006, 10:18 AM

Yes, this would work well with Apple QuickCam video camera tag first/tag next/tag last approach. I would then be able to video tape my vacations import to iphoto/imovie and it would pop up and then allow others QuickCam users to see and interact ala youtube for Apple... very cool, nice find.

Evangelion

Oct 4, 2006, 10:21 AM

KDE's Digikam already supports GPS-mapping

macam

Oct 4, 2006, 10:25 AM

You are foaming at the mouth. :)

HELL YEAH BABY!!!!! iPhone is the one thing that I have been waiting for - for like an age man!!!! If it has these features then - I don't know what I'm going to do - I'm going to be wanting to travel around and use this bad boy and also be at home to able to use my mac....

Who needs a social life when you have an iPhone - you can make new friends and get there quickly!

Woo hoo!

Macam

slffl

Oct 4, 2006, 10:26 AM

This would be awesome!

twoodcc

Oct 4, 2006, 10:28 AM

This would be awesome!

wow. i agree. i hope something comes out of this

bendejo

Oct 4, 2006, 10:30 AM

Yep, I'm with you on that. It already bugs me that my Prius has a black box for accidents and a GPS built in (for the nav system.) Why do we *trust* this government to not ask companies to turn that information over (just like they asked for our phone records) and for these corporations getting billions in tax incentives to eagerly comply? Now if you carry a GPS, government will be able to know where you are at any moment. I'm not buying it unless Apple includes a pledge with the product that they will fight to protect my legal rights if any government agency asks for these records without probable cause.

Most (if not all) new cell phones in America have built in GPS as a result of an FCC mandate for Enhanced 9-1-1 capability in mobile devices. Apple may simply be taking this required expense and turning it into a way to get more value in their device by linking it with a built in camera/iPhoto/GoogleMaps. This certainly seems like one of those "why didn't anyone else do that?" sort of (in retrospect) obvious moves that Apple is great at.

But the fact remains, most new cell phones in the U.S. at least already have GPS built in so the location of the phone can be tracked by emergency responders. It's hardly something new being developed by Apple that will make the iPhone any more subject to governmental data-mining abuse than any other mobile phone.

andiwm2003

Oct 4, 2006, 10:30 AM

What I'm thinking here is that the GPS is integrated into the camera. So when you take a pic, the GPS coordinates are recorded in the metadata so you know where it was taken.

could be. but honestly i don't think that's a good thing. it just makes the equipment more expensive, clunky and less capable than dedicated devices. after all you don't need that feat all the time. only once in a while and then you bring the extra gps. cramming a gps in nowadays small P&S or even DSLR's is just expensive and complicated.

my two cents.

AvSRoCkCO1067

Oct 4, 2006, 10:36 AM

meh......

ditto - am I the only one who isn't a fan/simply does't care for GPS units?

Maestro64

Oct 4, 2006, 10:41 AM

How many cameras out there support this. Some cell phones with camera & GPS exist, Motorola just intro a new Nextel phone with camera and Navigation.

I am not sure I am going to pay all the extra money to have the GSP antenna and chips added to cost of my camera. I think I can remember where a picture was taken.

7on

Oct 4, 2006, 10:42 AM

sounds like the perfect device to make "Mac-only"

jameshopkins

Oct 4, 2006, 10:45 AM

wow. i agree. i hope something comes out of this

This sounds like a gimmick for the consumer user

firsttube

Oct 4, 2006, 10:45 AM

sounds like the perfect device to make "Mac-only"

Agreed, too bad that's not going to happen. Maybe initially, but it reminds me of another "breakthrough" digital device. I just can't seem to remember the name of it. :rolleyes:

Abstract

Oct 4, 2006, 10:46 AM

OMG! That would be awesome - a phone that's a GPS Navigation that you could load where you're going in the phone with relevant picture pointers 'you are now passing MacDonalds on your right handside' and picture flashes up on your phone of the location taken by another user of Googlemaps... while you're driving in the car...

That's way more than I thought the iPhone would be... if it is the iPhone.

If it is then Apple will have pulled another 'miracle of modern technologies' off!

I think this is good thing!

Macam

You are going to be so disappointed when they announce the phone and you realize that they just released a phone. Yes, the phone is designed by Apple and has a nice UI, maybe one somewhat unique feature, but you're essentially going to be getting a fairly regular phone with a feature that most people would never use often.

I realize that it hasn't been released yet, but the iPhone will never live up to the hype. The number of people who have said they're waiting for it to be released in order to buy it is staggering.......and a bit scary. I wouldn't be waiting for a product when I haven't seen a photo of it, when I haven't seen a features list, a technical specs page, or even a release date. That's crazy.

Vagelturf

Oct 4, 2006, 10:46 AM

There is a space in the market for a new kind of gadget. I'll call it the jPod. That's j for "journal".

The jPod is the opposite of the iPod. The iPod mobilizes the sounds and images on your computer. You can take them with you for your own use or for others around you. The jPod captures the sounds and images from you and others around you and puts them on your computer.

More here:
http://homepage.mac.com/bagelturf/files/c1b0b98d3be7c344e88595a68ba4fc53-409.html

sartinsauce

Oct 4, 2006, 10:47 AM

This makes perfect sense. It's actually a very elegant solution. Expect to see it integrated into Aperature as well.

More and more cameras (and photographers) are getting into this GPS metadata thing. I've started to see GPS units that mount onto a camera's hotshoe and sync up to the photos with a cable.

It's great that someone thought of scripting a button that inputs that metadata into an online map system. It's a simple script for sure. Still, it save me from having to copy and paste coordinates into Google Maps.

I wouldn't count on this having anything to do with a new apple product. It looks like it is just an added function, increasing the user experience. That's the kind of thinking that makes OS X the great operating system we all know and love.:D

slffl

Oct 4, 2006, 10:53 AM

I think there's a huge market for this. Anyone who is into taking pictures would enjoy this.

There's a website (or used to be anyway) that was being developed before Google came into the picture that integrated pictures using GPS data onto a map of the US. I can't remember the name of it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

kingtj

Oct 4, 2006, 10:59 AM

Hype often makes a good product look worse upon release. Nothing new there.... But why would people get excited over Apple releasing a cellphone, despite having no real info on the details of it yet?

Simple! Most of us are frustrated with the horrible user interfaces on cellphones, and the lack of usability. I've owned several that made dialing numbers on the keypad too much of a chore. My Razr I use now is decent, but even it has horrible engineering flaws - like putting small buttons down the side that always get pressed accidently when the phone is on a belt-clip. You end up accidently changing the settings for the ringer, etc. My Treo 650 had serious problems with call volume being too low. Almost every Treo owner had to pay extra for a shareware program called "VolumeCare" just to fix that! I'm just hoping Apple can overcome a lot of that, and build a cellphone with an elegant but logical UI!

You are going to be so disappointed when they announce the phone and you realize that they just released a phone. Yes, the phone is designed by Apple and has a nice UI, maybe one somewhat unique feature, but you're essentially going to be getting a fairly regular phone with a feature that most people would never use often.

I realize that it hasn't been released yet, but the iPhone will never live up to the hype. The number of people who have said they're waiting for it to be released in order to buy it is staggering.......and a bit scary. I wouldn't be waiting for a product when I haven't seen a photo of it, when I haven't seen a features list, a technical specs page, or even a release date. That's crazy.

clintob

Oct 4, 2006, 11:02 AM

Whether you're a fan of GPS or not, I'm convinced Apple is just laughing themselves silly at every production meeting. I don't know who's responsible, but somehow, when other companies come up with fiarly useful, or at least utilitarian apps and features, Apple just ALWAYS comes out with something just a little bit cooler and little bit more fun.

Useful? Who knows. Half the crap in OS X isn't really "useful" in the real world sense, but it sure is fun!

clintob

Oct 4, 2006, 11:03 AM

My Razr I use now is decent, but even it has horrible engineering flaws - like putting small buttons down the side that always get pressed accidently when the phone is on a belt-clip.

Well, I suppose that's what you get for using a belt clip.

crees!

Oct 4, 2006, 11:06 AM

What would be cool is if you took a trip then you could view/sort your photos by geographic location. Then when playing a slideshow there could be some integration with Google Earth.

timnosenzo

Oct 4, 2006, 11:09 AM

ditto - am I the only one who isn't a fan/simply does't care for GPS units?
funny, my post was deleted.

anyway, I definitely think this sounds pretty gimmicky. it might be kind of neat if its free, its not something I would spend any money on...

ariel

Oct 4, 2006, 11:12 AM

Yep, I'm with you on that. It already bugs me that my Prius has a black box for accidents and a GPS built in (for the nav system.) Why do we *trust* this government to not ask companies to turn that information over (just like they asked for our phone records) and for these corporations getting billions in tax incentives to eagerly comply? Now if you carry a GPS, government will be able to know where you are at any moment. I'm not buying it unless Apple includes a pledge with the product that they will fight to protect my legal rights if any government agency asks for these records without probable cause.

Um hello...

GPS units do NOT broadcast out to the world your location. They recieve only.

Now, your cell phone broadcasts out your location to the world, but you don't seem too worried about that now do ya?

Now, if indeed this is an iPhone, then you're already broadcasting your location so who cares... but GPS units all by themselves only receive signals from satelites.

Mooganic

Oct 4, 2006, 11:21 AM

It would be better if Apple concentrated on getting IPTC metadata stored in the picture file itself and made iPhoto aware that IPTC comments etc. actually existed. currently Mac OS X and iPhoto are somewhat retarded in their ability (i.e. inability) to handle this type of info.

I certainly would find that more useful than Google maps integration.

lmalave

Oct 4, 2006, 11:27 AM

ditto - am I the only one who isn't a fan/simply does't care for GPS units?

It's a technology with a LOT of potential once it's on a handheld device, especially when coupled with mobile Google maps. For example, you could do a quick search for the nearest Starbucks, nearest movie theater, etc., and get directions to go there (maybe even with a full navigation system like cars have).

The photo integration is definitely interesting, but by no means a "killer" app. The killer app for GPS is definitely providing local information and directions. I would definitely love to have that on my iPhone. The main thing I use the web browser on my phone for is precisely to look up movie times or try to look up directions when I'm in a pinch. If the iPhone provided a GPS-enabled Google Mobile application that made it much faster to get the information I'm now getting somewhat slowly and clumsily, that would definitely be something I would pay a little extra money for...

BornAgainMac

Oct 4, 2006, 11:30 AM

Cool, perhaps a Apple branded digital camera. iEye. (I know. Terrible Name)

ClimbingTheLog

Oct 4, 2006, 11:41 AM

This isn't new, EXIF has location tags for a while; but most of the existing solutions only record location and altitude, not azimuth. I think I've written here before explaining that if only a camera included azimuth tags (and of course the already-recorded zoom and lens size tags) a company like Google could harvest the web for images and build a virtual world with QuickTime-VR like technology that would allow one to virtually visit and travel through anywhere on earth, if somebody had taken of a picture of the right spot. You have issues of lighting, seasons, etc, but if people set their cameras' clocks this can be handled too. Actually if you have GPS the clock can be set from the GPS signal, so that's better too.

ChrisA

Oct 4, 2006, 11:43 AM

Using GSP and Iphoto only makes sense if the photo's have the GSP location information as part of the photo. So that mean that the Camera taking the picture has a GSP reciever in it, which is great outside, but GPS does not work indoors

Maybe you can use the map interface to ADD the GPS infor to the photos. For example, first you select a few photos. then you select "change location" and then click on a map of where the images were taken. Later you can search on the location

McScooby

Oct 4, 2006, 11:45 AM

as much as GPS meta-tagging would sure have the wow factor on the '07 release of iPhoto. the recent rumour only mentions that iPhoto has a missing button that contains a link that goes to google maps.

Linking this tidbit, to a supposed handheld device that apple is developing combined with the yet to be seen iPhone seems to be blowing things out of proportion, somehow the cynic in me says that all the next release may do is link your keywords / album names to google maps without the precise location where a photo was taken. It sure will be a busy MW'07 if it does transpire though!

whatever

Oct 4, 2006, 11:45 AM

Well, it looks like there will be alot of new features and devices soon from apple.

lets hope apple keeps up the good work, advancements in technology, software and hardware will continue making users lifes easier.

things like smart device/cell phones, itv media center hubs (also HDTV including Blu-Ray), continuing development of more software and making apple an all media type system where all aspects can work seamlessly.

looking forward to the new stuff apple comes with.
I know this is off track, but if companies like Apple with the delivery of video content via the web and the cable and dish networks offering a wider array of on demand offereings, the day of hard media (DVD, Blue Ray, DVD-HD) are coming to an end. I for one have hundreds of DVDs, but haven't bought one in months, because either I see the movie in the Theater (the ulitimate experience) or I catch it in HD from cable. My DVDs are just taking up space in my house.

Sony and others can do what they want to try to force upon us another technology, but just like DVD-Audio, they're all doomed to fail.

I now return you to normally scheduled discussion.

ChrisA

Oct 4, 2006, 11:51 AM

I think I can remember where a picture was taken.

Then you will be able to tag the photo after in is in the computer with location. If the camera had a GPS then it could tag the photo.. Either way then you could search, years laters for "photos of my daughtrer taken in France between 2007 and 2010." and they'd pop up. Location tags are a good thing.

jsw

Oct 4, 2006, 11:54 AM

gentle reminder of how many patents we have seen come and go without anything coming of it.
Indeed. Often patents are filed defensively to prevent others from taking a good idea, even if the patent holder opts not to develop a product.

I hope we get what we all think we're getting, but we've been mislead before....

Daringescape

Oct 4, 2006, 11:55 AM

I would just like a Microsoft Streets and trips equivalent for the Mac. There is nothing out there that comes close - You know Apple could come up with something even better.

iGary

Oct 4, 2006, 11:56 AM

We use something very similar for a site I 'm consulting on, if I understand correctly.

We take aerials with a Nikon D200 that has a GPS hooked into it on the aircraft, so every image has a GPS stamp in the EXIF.

Those images get loaded into an SQL database and a bunch of PHP scripts that match the images with a Tele-Atlas map - each location gets loaded up and given its own page depending on location - one main aerial image, a map with a crosshair showing the location, weather based on zip code.

This sounds like fun for iPhoto.

cherrypop

Oct 4, 2006, 12:00 PM

This is so 1984.

I'm totally pro-GPS imprints on photos, but we're eating up technology that has two very different sides to it potentially.

hidden references in iPhoto 6.0.5[/url] that show Apple is preparing iPhoto for integration with Google Maps. "

macam

Oct 4, 2006, 12:05 PM

You are going to be so disappointed when they announce the phone and you realize that they just released a phone. Yes, the phone is designed by Apple and has a nice UI, maybe one somewhat unique feature, but you're essentially going to be getting a fairly regular phone with a feature that most people would never use often.

I realize that it hasn't been released yet, but the iPhone will never live up to the hype. The number of people who have said they're waiting for it to be released in order to buy it is staggering.......and a bit scary. I wouldn't be waiting for a product when I haven't seen a photo of it, when I haven't seen a features list, a technical specs page, or even a release date. That's crazy.

Dude, I fully realise that this is a pipe dream... and that it might not happen - but seriously - don't be a buzz kill!? These forums are all about dreaming.

In my reality - I fully expect the iPhone to be a phone. I just hope that it's a good phone... I will probably buy it... I'm just an apple freak - I bought the iPod before it got really popular... I just want to be one of the first to have one... having the extra features will be a frickin bonus if you ask me... how awesome would it be - come on admit it if this phone had all the features you would seriously consider getting one! No?

Macam

e28

Oct 4, 2006, 12:24 PM

I think embedded gps is an excellent feature for a camera(phone).

If you check out smugmug (http://www.smugmug.com/hack/maps-overview), they have the ability to mash up your photos to google maps - but you currently have to tell it where each picture was taken. With embedded gps information in the metadata of the photo, this could work automatically (or as steve would say - "otomatically").

Maestro64

Oct 4, 2006, 12:32 PM

Not trying to shoot down a good idea here, however, I do not see using GSP and Google maps as a mainstream use of Iphoto or some other PDA type application. I do see some very specifice uses where this can be very useful.

However, the technology is to problematic at this point, like I pointed out GPS does not work indoors, and someone pointed out that it could easily assume the nearest location you were at outside before going indoors. This assumes you keep the devices on all the time and not just turn it on when you went indoors. For the most part Cell phone does this, but a camera which most people use to take picture will not be. So all you got is location that camera was last outdoors which could be 100's if miles away.

Some did hit on the idea that might work and is was that website where people posted pictures form cell phone and they were linked to a google map location so people could see points of interest. All this feature allows people to do is have it all done for you verse having to remember where you took the picture and then find the location on google maps and attach it.

quigleybc

Oct 4, 2006, 12:37 PM

I'll put this article in the "ya right" category.

slffl

Oct 4, 2006, 12:39 PM

All I really need is the ability to tag a photo using Google Maps/Earth. It would be nice to have it tagged when I take it, but if I'm able to use an integrated iphoto/google maps to tag photos, and then be able to integrate the photos into google maps/earth, that's good enough for me.

achie25

Oct 4, 2006, 12:45 PM

Introducing Apple Galileo™. :) All-in-one PDA, digital camera, phone and mp3 player.

Would be AWESOME! Exactly what I have been wanting. You know it is only a matter of time. I'll take 2 please!!

Maestro64

Oct 4, 2006, 01:08 PM

Introducing Apple Galileo™. :) All-in-one PDA, digital camera, phone and mp3 player.

And what we all get is is 4 things in one that do not work as they should. I understand convergance of technology, however a phone needs a keypad, (maybe not later when voice tech works better) a PDA needs a larger screen to view thing and maybe write on, a camera needs good lens capable of zoom and other adjustments you do not get with fix lens and finally MP3 plays need stereo head sets which a Phone does not.

So put this all together does not give use a great solution. I beleive in time this will change, But i rather have a phone that works great a phone verses where we have not.

I blame the "Kids" becuase they all seem willing to accept lesser quality for more gagets. The phone companies spent billions of $ and 30 year making your phone calls clear and now everyone is willing to give up thier land line for a cell phone for lesser quality and cost more.

peharri

Oct 4, 2006, 01:24 PM

Absolutely, that is exactly what this is!

Of course it isn't.

That said, a portable device that happens to include a mobile phone radio (and is presumably usable as a phone - that doesn't make it a phone any more than a car is a pick-up truck) would be a possibility.

I'll accept that.

Something like the Nokia 770, but with GPRS/EDGE/UMTS in addition to 802.11. Yeah. I can go with that. Some of the supposed prototyped/patented designs kind look like a Nokia 770 too.

For the reasons I've outlined ad-nausium though, something that competes directly with what the bulk of Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, etc's, business strikes me as improbable.

But a pocketable gadget that successfully integrates various pieces of personal technology and wireless networking seems, well, it's the kind of thing Apple might call a mobile version of "me" ("me" being the user) wouldn't it? They could call it... Mobile Me...

Now, who has that trademark?

tny

Oct 4, 2006, 01:29 PM

Using GSP and Iphoto only makes sense if the photo's have the GSP location information as part of the photo. So that mean that the Camera taking the picture has a GSP reciever in it, which is great outside, but GPS does not work indoors

1. The GPS receiver could cache the last known (outdoor) position and use that in the meta tags for the photo.

2. Folks are working on getting GPS to work indoors on a small chip: see <http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=3053> especially this paragraph:

In the Taylor system, the GPS receiver is relieved of the burden of searching out the satellite frequencies, demodulating satellite navigation data, and computing satellite coordinates, because this information is provided over a separate wireless link. Of course, in the cell phone environment, a separate wireless link is readily available. Over the last few years, cellular handset makers such as Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Qualcomm cooperated in the adoption of standard formats for A-GPS information interchange. We now have A-GPS standards for GSM, CDMA, and US-TDMA wireless technologies.

BobVB

Oct 4, 2006, 01:31 PM

But the fact remains, most new cell phones in the U.S. at least already have GPS built in so the location of the phone can be tracked by emergency responders.

Actually I was told by someone that should know that all the GSM networks don't support the GPS subcarrier and calculate your position by tower triangulation instead. Since GSM is the dominate form in the industry in the us (unless Sprints bigger than I think) most phones probably don't have GPS built in. (just an interesting factoid)

And yes a cellphone/camera/GPS thingee would be cool but they can't forget the essentials and a phone without voice dial is a phone not worth having no matter what other features it might have. I mean don't all states have a 'handsfree only' while driving law by now?

840quadra

Oct 4, 2006, 01:31 PM

Tagging maps with photos and vice versa is nothing new.

A friend of mine is working on this project (http://www.grapheety.com/index.html) called grapheety (http://www.grapheety.com/index.html). A community related group in which you can meet people in your local area, and tag maps for all kinds of uses.

I am curious what apples reasons are for google maps integration, however if it gave users the option to tag photogenic locations, put maps on their ipod (without doing it other ways) including integrated pictures (pictures of landmarks or buildings in that area), I would love to see this!

peharri

Oct 4, 2006, 01:34 PM

You are going to be so disappointed when they announce the phone and you realize that they just released a phone. Yes, the phone is designed by Apple and has a nice UI, maybe one somewhat unique feature, but you're essentially going to be getting a fairly regular phone with a feature that most people would never use often.

The basis of the "iPhone" rumour is that Apple would release something that is just a phone integrated with an iPod. This has generated excitement because many Apple enthusiasts would like to see Apple's energies directed at this. People will exaggerate their RAZR's flaws in the believe that Apple can fix anything.

It is not based upon the idea that it is actually a good idea for Apple to do this, and right now Apple doing this would prevent them from licensing iTunes in future and thus consign the iTS to oblivion as the minority provider of online music. No device that competes with mainstream Motorola or Nokia products is ever likely to leave the Apple design studios.

So anyone expecting a "regular phone" (with or without a built-in iPod and/or camera) from Apple is more likely to be disappointed than someone expecting something groundbreaking that happens to incorporate mobile phone technology.

FreeState

Oct 4, 2006, 01:34 PM

tjwett

Oct 4, 2006, 01:42 PM

Mitch1984

Oct 4, 2006, 01:58 PM

This is how I think it'll work.

You'll search for a location and then you click "Photo's took in this location."
Providing people who've took photos in that location have shared there photo's.

Imagine searching Google Maps/iPhoto for Photos in your favourite nightclub?

nagromme

Oct 4, 2006, 02:08 PM

GPS is one of the least-discussed potential Apple gadget features, but one of the ones I'd most be interested in! (Not for iPhoto, although that would be cool :) I want a GPS for street navigation and for geocaching.)

amancalledsun

Oct 4, 2006, 02:12 PM

Flickr already stores location information for photos - not GPS-based, but you can browse maps and assign pictures to a specific location where you took them, and then search/browse all users shared photos by location. I could see iPhoto doing something similar, with the add-in of recognizing GPS data.

donlphi

Oct 4, 2006, 02:13 PM

npflood

Oct 4, 2006, 02:17 PM

Microphone and cellular radio... sounds like a cell phone to me...
Add a camera, it's hard to find a cell phone without one these days...
GPS? Yep, most of them have that too, can't find a Sprint one without it.
Hmmm, sounds like a pretty standard cell phone complement, why not add the geo-coordinates to the EXIF data when taking a picture. I think this takes about 3 lines of code and makes sense... most cell phone makers could add this in a firmware update.

benpatient

Oct 4, 2006, 02:36 PM

This will just be a metadata field embedded in the EXIF data of cameraphone photos taken by iPhone users that have paid for the GPS service.

When you sync your iPhone up with you mac later on, the images will be put into iPhoto and through that will be able to link to GoogleEarth.

Since the "camera" will be the cell phone's built-in camera (with stunning 1/4" lens, I'm sure), the quality of the images will make this a novelty feature. Add to that the complexities of international cell phone access charges and GPS service, and the Mac-only limitation of the GoogleEarth connection (unless Apple also announces iLife for Windows, and it's free, or at least iPhoto is free).

Meh

globalhemp

Oct 4, 2006, 02:37 PM

iPhone to "borrow" from Disney Mobile's (http://disneymobile.go.com/) GPS Enabled Family Locator(TM)

http://www.globalhempstore.com/images/disney-mobile-family-locator.jpg

The Disney Mobile phone is a family-oriented phone service. Apple's upcoming "iPhone" will of course be marketing to the masses. However, some features will most likely be "borrowed" from Disney Mobile and of course built-upon / improved, such as Family Locator(TM).

After viewing the following, you should notice a that Apple's iChat and iPhone will be nearly one and the same! So, rather than locate your kids, your kids become your Buddy List. The Buddy List will be organized into groups: family, work, friends, etc. In addition, Apple could fairly easily implement more into the mapping feature, such as nearby Apple stores, Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.

In additon, Disney Mobile has downloadable extras such as:
- Ringtones
- Images
- Themes
- Games -- think new iPod Games!
- Movies.com Movie Finder: $2.99/mo subscription service with movie info, times, locate theater, etc... all or which could be integrated with mapping service to actually locate the closest theater.. heck, even someday purchase tickets via your mobile phone or even make reservations at restaurants such as Chili's with your iPhone!

From Disney Mobile Web site:

Family Locator allows you to locate your kid's phone with GPS technology and display a map of the location.

First Select Menu
Then, select Family Center
Then press OK
Scroll to Family Locator
Then press OK

The first you you use the service, you'll be required to enter your PIN, then agree to the terms of service...

Select the kid's phone you wish to locate
Enter your PIN
Press OK
The application begins to search... the following results are displayed:

Joey is near:
1231 Any Streer
Los Angeles, CA
- Accuracy 10 yards

After receiving an address, you can access an area map to get a better view of the location of your child's phone.

From the location page... select Map.
An area map will appear with a shaded circle indicating the reported location and accuracy range.
Use the NAV KEY to view surrounding area.
Then you can zoom in and out... by pressing ZOOM.
Select a different zoom level by using the NAV KEY

This feature is also available on the web which allows you to locate your kid's phone with GPS technology and display a map right from your computer without using your phone.

Google Maps are already available for mobile phone: Just visit www.google.com/gmm (http://www.google.com/gmm) on your mobile or desktop web browser.

lmalave

Oct 4, 2006, 02:59 PM

My roommate is taking a geography class in college right now. (Just an FYI, he is an older student in his 30's).

His teacher works for google on their maps. He has slipped in class several times saying Apple is working on putting GPS into the iPod. (He, the teacher, knows this because it is what he does full time for Google).

Anyway, this looks like the GPS in iPhoto is not related to the iPod, but eh you never know, iPhoto does work with the iPod in a way now as it is...

Yeah, that makes no sense. I mean, i guess the iPod could be loaded with GPS navigation software, but that's still much less useful than putting it in a device like the iPhone. Plus, in the context of this thread, an iPod can't take pictures, whereas an iPhone almost certainly will be able to.

Probably the professor was was told it's the iPod, which would set constraints on screen size, etc - but actually the GPS is going to be in the iPhone....

sigamy

Oct 4, 2006, 03:12 PM

Does every rumor point to the iPhone? Come one people...there's nothing to see here. More and more cameras are including GPS recievers. Especially high end digital SLRs that pros use.

This is just a natural extension of increasing the amount (and quality) of the metadata that is tagged and collected with digital images. The recent updates to iPhoto and Aperture allow for Aperture to use your iPhoto library as a source.

Aperture also has a new export plug-in API to allow for connection to third party services like Flickr and iStockphoto. Google maps will be next. Then, look for these same or similar plug-ins to make their way down to iPhoto in iLife '07.

I'm just as excited as the next guy for an iPhone but come on guys...this is getting a bit much.

Maestro64

Oct 4, 2006, 03:45 PM

[QUOTE=globalhemp]iPhone to "borrow" from Disney Mobile's (http://disneymobile.go.com/) GPS Enabled Family Locator(TM)

http://www.globalhempstore.com/images/disney-mobile-family-locator.jpg

Yeah and Disney is shut down the service after 8 months with little or no interest in the service. And is going to cost them $30 million to shut it down. As a Disney and Apple sharehold I think it is a bad business model to be in.

jettredmont

Oct 4, 2006, 03:52 PM

Most (if not all) new cell phones in America have built in GPS as a result of an FCC mandate for Enhanced 9-1-1 capability in mobile devices. Apple may simply be taking this required expense and turning it into a way to get more value in their device by linking it with a built in camera/iPhoto/GoogleMaps. This certainly seems like one of those "why didn't anyone else do that?" sort of (in retrospect) obvious moves that Apple is great at.

Well, someone (or rather, many someones) else have done that on the device side already:

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/03/hidden_gps_photo_feature_on_th.html

I actually thought this was more widespread (cell phones tagging GPS location), but the page linked above says that Sanyo was the first to offer this in the US, last March. So, hmm.

The other approach used for this purpose is to time-synch (within reason) a handheld GPS tracker and your camera's clock, then run software afterwards which plots the pictures on the GPS trail from the tracker. This has been around for ages, but is about five steps beyond what the average Joe would be able to do to enjoy space-mapping of pictures.

Still, aside from sites like Flickr that display the GPS data, there's not much use for it yet. This is where Apple's classic whole-widget approach would pay off: make it easy to get the data into your photos, make it easy to see the data visually, and make it easy to search for the data via Spotlight et al.

Anyway: has anyone tried entering the Latitude/Longitude EXIF info in a picture, import it to iPhoto, and see what happens?

globalhemp

Oct 4, 2006, 03:53 PM

Re: Yeah and Disney is shut down the service after 8 months with little or no interest in the service. And is going to cost them $30 million to shut it down and as Disney and Apple sharehold it think it is a bad business model to be in.

Yeah, this is like saying selling legal music downloads is bad since Wal-Mart has not been as successful as Apple.

Granted, I would most likely never purchase a Disney phone. However, I would certainly consider purchasing an Apple phone. Apple knows as well as its user base than an Apple phone has to work and have cool features either not available elsewhere or features that "just work." Google has been built on the Apple model of simple is better. Powerful features are available, but not placed front and center as akward apps made by less successful companies.

dernhelm

Oct 4, 2006, 03:53 PM

[QUOTE=globalhemp]iPhone to "borrow" from Disney Mobile's (http://disneymobile.go.com/) GPS Enabled Family Locator(TM)

Yeah and Disney is shut down the service after 8 months with little or no interest in the service. And is going to cost them $30 million to shut it down and as Disney and Apple sharehold it think it is a bad business model to be in.

You must be kidding. I first saw a commercial for this just yesterday during the baseball playoff. It seemed like a pretty cool thing to me. I hadn't heard about it before then, though...

notjustjay

Oct 4, 2006, 03:55 PM

I would think gps information embedded in a photo would be a bad thing. So some kid posts a picture of him and his friends on Myspace and some creep downloads the picture, now they can look up where the picture was taken. Seems like a lot of invasion of privacy.

I would think that would be easy to solve, by having sites strip EXIF (or maybe just that tag) before posting on public web pages. Or simulate the "selective availability" that was originally on civilian GPS and have the picture's lat/long tag be accurate only to within a few hundred meters, or some such.

Of course, it's not like the kids in question don't already post way too much information. Birthday, age, grade, school, teacher name, and a bunch of pics of themselves and their friends too... someone out there could have a field day. Literally.

ariel

Oct 4, 2006, 03:56 PM

[QUOTE=globalhemp]iPhone to "borrow" from Disney Mobile's (http://disneymobile.go.com/) GPS Enabled Family Locator(TM)

Yeah and Disney is shut down the service after 8 months with little or no interest in the service. And is going to cost them $30 million to shut it down and as Disney and Apple sharehold it think it is a bad business model to be in.

I think you have that wrong - slightly - they're shutting down the ESPN thing...

"The Walt Disney Co. will spend about $30 million to shut down its Mobile ESPN wireless telephone services, but remains "excited" about its family-oriented Disney Mobile phone service, Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on Monday."

jettredmont

Oct 4, 2006, 03:59 PM

could be. but honestly i don't think that's a good thing. it just makes the equipment more expensive, clunky and less capable than dedicated devices. after all you don't need that feat all the time. only once in a while and then you bring the extra gps. cramming a gps in nowadays small P&S or even DSLR's is just expensive and complicated.

my two cents.

Every cell phone sold in the US has to have a working GPS device in it, and the GPS has to be "on" at all times.

Cost and power consumption are hardly issues. The only extra cost is adding an interface to the GPS unit to get the latest location data (which might be the front door of the building you're in if you're inside). The only extra power consumption is that needed to initiate and react to that poll, which is negligible (obviously).

But, yes, adding such a feature on a straight digicam or DSLR wouldn't necessarily make much sense. However, compared to the cost of an external GPS, which records "breadcrumbs" constantly (instead of just when you take a picture, because it doesn't know when you take a picture) and has enough memory and battery to hold said breadcrumbs throughout a, say, two-day road trip, integrating a low-power GPS into a camera doesn't sound all that far-fetched. But, I don't see camera makers doing that until GPS-locating of photos shows signs of taking off, which it doesn't, yet.

RichP

Oct 4, 2006, 04:10 PM

Hmm.. Just remember that, while the technologies Apple may use in a cell phone will not be new or novel in themselves, their execution and use will be.

There were MP3 players before the iPod, it was the execution of the technology, not th technology itself...

dernhelm

Oct 4, 2006, 04:23 PM

dernhelm

Oct 4, 2006, 04:25 PM

Every cell phone sold in the US has to have a working GPS device in it, and the GPS has to be "on" at all times.

Yes, but would be better if the GPS were not reliant on the Cell network being available.

jettredmont

Oct 4, 2006, 04:37 PM

http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/iPhotoToGoogleEarth.html
http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/Geotagger.html
http://oregonstate.edu/~earlyj/gpsphotolinker/extras.php

Hmmm.

bloodycape

Oct 4, 2006, 04:41 PM

If it is a simple GPS device like the Garmin iQue(sp?) it won't do well as most cars these days can get equipped with them at a fair price. The place that this device might do well is Korea, seeing as many of their mp3/video player manufactures have included GPS integrated or as an add on on their player. Like the new Cowon P5, and N2.

Now if it is a gps system in a camera now that would be interesting but kind of pointless? Unless someone can give a reason why it maybe good.

And gps on a phone is nothing new as Nextel and Verizion already have this option. Unless it is google maps for a phone that isn't a pda things may get interesting.

miketcool

Oct 4, 2006, 04:42 PM

ive been saying it for awhile now, but my prediction is an apple phone with google. wap is complicated, open the phone to the internet!

bloodycape

Oct 4, 2006, 04:43 PM

DillWaters

Oct 4, 2006, 05:00 PM

As a software engineer myself, it seems conceivable... if not likely, that this button was put in for the developers of iPhoto to make sure they were correctly deciphering the GPS EXIF tags. Perhaps it was never made into a feature because Apple didn't explore the ramifications (security, advertising, competiveness, etc) of shuttling users from within iPhoto over to Google.

I think assuming this portends some future gadget or reading anything into it is rampant speculation about nothing.

-Dill

EDIT: I also note that my copy of iPhoto 6.0, released in January, has this hidden button as well... so it's been there for a while now.

ariel

Oct 4, 2006, 05:10 PM

Yes, but would be better if the GPS were not reliant on the Cell network being available.

Maybe some cell network genius should come on here to explain things, but my understandin is that GPS and the cell phone system are 2 different things.

The GPS system receives information from satellites orbiting the earth and cannot receive inside buildings - it is all line of sight stuff - must be within the range of at least 3 to triangulate. GPS units transmit NOTHING back to the satellites... they only receive.

The Cellphone system also triangulates your position but does it based on the nearest 3 antenna... not the same satellites, but ground based antenna. The phone constantly alerts the towers that it is turned on so that it can receive the calls.

greg6028

Oct 4, 2006, 05:42 PM

Introducing Apple Galileo™. :) All-in-one PDA, digital camera, phone and mp3 player.
I nice to have models on here!
Nice name, great functions if true!!

Bonte

Oct 4, 2006, 05:43 PM

But, I don't see camera makers doing that until GPS-locating of photos shows signs of taking off, which it doesn't, yet.

This feature needs a iTunes like integration to really take off and i think Apple is in the best position to pull this off. iPhoto can be made to work with all GPS enabled camera's and why not a PC version, Apple only needs a business model to make this step and the iPhone can be it.

GregA

Oct 4, 2006, 06:49 PM

Using GSP and Iphoto only makes sense if the photo's have the GSP location information as part of the photo. So that mean that the Camera taking the picture has a GSP reciever in it, which is great outside, but GPS does not work indoors

My father has a map in his car. When he's in a tunnel or carpark, I believe it switches to using motion sensors to determine where he is. This is pretty accurate.

most new cell phones in the U.S. at least already have GPS built in so the location of the phone can be tracked by emergency responders. It's hardly something new being developed by Apple that will make the iPhone any more subject to governmental data-mining abuse than any other mobile phone.

Assuming apple's not making a camera ... perhaps Apple will simply make the iPhone record your location during the day. Then when you sync at night, it can upload where you were that day (integrated with google maps?). And it'll then optionally sync that data (your location) with the time your pictures were taken. That way we don't have to buy a new camera yet :)

RodThePlod

Oct 4, 2006, 06:57 PM

Abstract

Oct 4, 2006, 06:59 PM

Hype often makes a good product look worse upon release. Nothing new there.... But why would people get excited over Apple releasing a cellphone, despite having no real info on the details of it yet?

Simple! Most of us are frustrated with the horrible user interfaces on cellphones, and the lack of usability. I've owned several that made dialing numbers on the keypad too much of a chore. My Razr I use now is decent, but even it has horrible engineering flaws - like putting small buttons down the side that always get pressed accidently when the phone is on a belt-clip. You end up accidently changing the settings for the ringer, etc. My Treo 650 had serious problems with call volume being too low. Almost every Treo owner had to pay extra for a shareware program called "VolumeCare" just to fix that! I'm just hoping Apple can overcome a lot of that, and build a cellphone with an elegant but logical UI!

Treo 650 has a low call volume. So? It's not a flaw that's specific to all mobile phones. My friend's phone is too loud!

And UI improvements. Well........Sony Ericsson is definitely king of mobile phone UI right now, Motorola being the absolute worst. I don't know what else Apple can do. I actually have an idea for how get 2 or 3 types of buttons on the front face of the phone without making it a slider phone, but that's really the only idea I'd like implemented that will change the UI. Otherwise, what you'll be getting is a UI from Apple that's similar to what you use now, maybe touch screen (gimmicky).

GregA

Oct 4, 2006, 07:02 PM

[QUOTE=globalhemp]Yeah and Disney is shut down the service after 8 months with little or no interest in the service. And is going to cost them $30 million to shut it down. As a Disney and Apple sharehold I think it is a bad business model to be in.
Shutting down eh?

I would have thought that if Apple was getting into the MVNO business, they'd have been better off doing a joint venture with Disney. Ah well. Which network is Disney using anyway?

penter

Oct 4, 2006, 07:29 PM

THAT IS FLIPPING COOL.

theyre so sneaky... lol

eenu

Oct 4, 2006, 07:44 PM

as i have said a million times (and been ignored)....there was a direct reference to google in the WWDC 06 keynote.....mass colaboration with Google is a dead cert

bloodycape

Oct 4, 2006, 07:48 PM

Treo 650 has a low call volume. So? It's not a flaw that's specific to all mobile phones. My friend's phone is too loud!

And UI improvements. Well........Sony Ericsson is definitely king of mobile phone UI right now, Motorola being the absolute worst. I don't know what else Apple can do. I actually have an idea for how get 2 or 3 types of buttons on the front face of the phone without making it a slider phone, but that's really the only idea I'd like implemented that will change the UI. Otherwise, what you'll be getting is a UI from Apple that's similar to what you use now, maybe touch screen (gimmicky).

You know some of sony's phones are using Symbian OS, the same OS in most of Nokia's N and E series. I don't think touch screen is gimmicky at all it has some use but then again most of the phones with touch screen are some form of a smartphone, like the Treo, Sony 900 series, HTC phones and so on.

I had the Treo 650 sounds was fine nothing I would complain about. But then again there is a software called volumecare that took care of the low volume. And Motorola actually has a good interface but it is on their hard to get and pricey V3X.

dguisinger

Oct 4, 2006, 07:54 PM

People seem to keep forgetting:

E911 support on cellphones is handled via a built in GPS receiver. Usually users don't know its there, and cannot access it.

This sounds like the iPhone.
E911 GPS: Check
GSM: Check
Music: Check
Camera: Check

Not huge news. The only thing it tells us is the limitation most providers put in place regarding what the GPS is available for is removed.

peharri

Oct 4, 2006, 09:26 PM

People seem to keep forgetting:

E911 support on cellphones is handled via a built in GPS receiver. Usually users don't know its there, and cannot access it.

E911 on GSM phones is handled by triangulation at the towers. GPS is not a component common to most GSM phones and certainly not a part of the standard (E911 wouldn't work with older or imported phones if they relied upon GPS.)

I think GPS is, IIRC, built into IS-95 ("CDMA") in some form, as phones have to have some idea of where they are for the system to work (GSM is more "I can hear a tower, I'll talk to that. Ooops! It's complaining I'm too loud, I'll lower my power level", that kind of thing. Very laid back and easy going. Nice.)

This sounds like the iPhone.
E911 GPS: Check
GSM: Check
Music: Check
Camera: Check

Not huge news. The only thing it tells us is the limitation most providers put in place regarding what the GPS is available for is removed.

Well, not really. It looks more like a more general purpose mobile device than a phone. It might have phone functionality, but I doubt that'll be its primary purpose.

dguisinger

Oct 4, 2006, 09:35 PM

E911 on GSM phones is handled by triangulation at the towers. GPS is not a component common to most GSM phones and certainly not a part of the standard (E911 wouldn't work with older or imported phones if they relied upon GPS.)

I think GPS is, IIRC, built into IS-95 ("CDMA") in some form, as phones have to have some idea of where they are for the system to work (GSM is more "I can hear a tower, I'll talk to that. Ooops! It's complaining I'm too loud, I'll lower my power level", that kind of thing. Very laid back and easy going. Nice.)

Actually I have 3 T-Mobile phones, each has GPS for use in E-911. Its a new federally mandated requirement.

blybug

Oct 4, 2006, 09:41 PM

Wouldn't a more obvious (and useful) feature be for iPhoto to "connect" to Google Maps and directly download maps/directions that would then sync to your iPod? PDAs have this kind of functionality, but there's no obvious or seamless way to do the same with your iPod. I'd like a button that brings up a dialog that lets you enter a zipcode or a startpoint & destination then automatically downloads maps and a set of directions that syncs to the iPod.

Neuroguy

Oct 4, 2006, 09:53 PM

I am surprised nobody mentioned this yet. Does anyone realize that (and a quote from Wikipedia)-
In 2002, Woz founded Wheels Of Zeus (note the acronym, "WoZ"), to create wireless GPS technology to "help everyday people find everyday things."

While Wheels of Zeus was closed in 2006, Wozniak immediately founded Acquicor Technology, a "shell" company for acquiring other technologies.

I think that the new iphone/ipod/other appliance may have a lot to do with integrating GPS, or perhaps a GPS chip in mobile computers to help us all find handy things around us, or as Woz said "to help everyday people find everyday things."

I think this is the genius of the Jobs-Woz partnership showing itself again.

After all, how much Segway polo can Woz be playing these days?

Neuroguy

Neuroguy

Oct 4, 2006, 10:41 PM

About my post above:

Woz' new company just acquired, this month, the following company:

Jazz Semiconductor is a US based pure-play semiconductor wafer foundry that serves customers targeting wireless, optical networking, power management, storage, aerospace/defense and other high-performance applications.

Sounds interesting!

Neuroguy

BobVB

Oct 5, 2006, 02:19 AM

Actually I have 3 T-Mobile phones, each has GPS for use in E-911. Its a new federally mandated requirement.

Unless a different e911 came out I don't think that's true. All e911 required is that positioning information was available - it didn't require a specific technology. It differentiates between handset and network technologies but accepts both.

GSM networks do it by cell tower triangulation, a network technology, not GPS, a handset technology.

Maestro64

Oct 5, 2006, 09:41 AM

[QUOTE=Maestro64]

I think you have that wrong - slightly - they're shutting down the ESPN thing...

"The Walt Disney Co. will spend about $30 million to shut down its Mobile ESPN wireless telephone services, but remains "excited" about its family-oriented Disney Mobile phone service, Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on Monday."

I stand corrected, that is what they are doing, I confused my facts. My comment was based on market researched which felt they did not see Disney being successful with the Disney Family phone considering they failed on the ESPN service which is a similar business plan of being an MVNO. Which means they rent time on existing cell networks.

By the way if Apple can not convice Cingular to sale their phone and get T-mobile and Verizon and other to allow the phones to work on their networks Apple will have to do the MVNO.

Apple may make a great phone with great GUI, but they do not control the networks and if the providers and other cell phone makes want to keep them out they can. Look what happen with the ROKR it was delay 18 months because of the network providers didn't like not making money from music downloads

peharri

Oct 5, 2006, 10:17 AM

Actually I have 3 T-Mobile phones, each has GPS for use in E-911. Its a new federally mandated requirement.

No, it isn't, and they may have GPS but that's a coincidence and I can tell you flat out that T-Mobile does not use GPS to locate your phone.

The Federally Mandated Requirement is that the mobile operator is able to locate your position. The technology they use is up to them. GSM operators do it via triangulation. E911 is supposed to work regardless of how old the phone is that you're using. Do you think your 1980s Motorola brick AMPS phone has a GPS receiver in it?

jelloshotsrule

Oct 5, 2006, 12:52 PM

"The Not-So-Silent Cartographer"

hahaha. freaking awesome

KDE's Digikam already supports GPS-mapping

well i guess no one else should do it, improve on it, etc, then eh? i'm still pissed at apple for wasting its time on final cut pro when adobe premiere already existed for the same market

Maestro64

Oct 5, 2006, 02:33 PM

No, it isn't, and they may have GPS but that's a coincidence and I can tell you flat out that T-Mobile does not use GPS to locate your phone.

The Federally Mandated Requirement is that the mobile operator is able to locate your position. The technology they use is up to them. GSM operators do it via triangulation. E911 is supposed to work regardless of how old the phone is that you're using. Do you think your 1980s Motorola brick AMPS phone has a GPS receiver in it?

The company that provides the triangulation technology is True Position. This is the primary solution used today for locating people using cell phones. However, it is expensive to deploy and the reason providers rather use GPS since it does not require them to update their Cell towers.

Sayer

Oct 5, 2006, 04:07 PM

Glad I sold my shares before they started to tumble (divine timing, if ever!).

Steve Jobs is taking a page from his buddy Slick Willy Rodham Clinton: "I did not grant those options..."

Kielzog

Oct 5, 2006, 05:44 PM

I was quite impressed with Microsoft's idea of Photosynth (http://labs.live.com/photosynth/). Apparently it stitches user photo's together and gives a 3D view of a place. Of course a lot of things can be automated if the exact GPS coordinates are known. A GPS enabled camera could provide this and the combination of Google Earth could be just the thing Apple is looking for.

weldon

Oct 6, 2006, 09:50 AM

Check out this cool GPS tracker device from Sony (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0608/06080202sonygpscs1.asp), made to work with digital cameras. The reviewer assumes that it uses the timestamp information to match photos with the GPS tracker log. Apparently the hardware is cool and the software is weak.

Another review (http://scilib.typepad.com/science_library_pad/2006/09/my_review_of_th.html) of the Sony GPS-Cs1

GPSPhotoLinker (http://oregonstate.edu/~earlyj/gpsphotolinker/)is Mac software to geotag photos in iPhoto.

LoadMyTracks (http://www.cluetrust.com/LoadMyTracks.html)allows you to convert the GPS tracker log file to GPX or KML files.

iPhototoGoogleEarth (http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/iPhotoToGoogleEarth.html)allows you to link photos to Google Earth so you can "fly" to that spot on earth. You need to have the photos geotagged already.

Also, GreaseMonkey (http://greasemonkey.mozdev.org/)with some DHTML scripts allows you to geotag photos in Flickr.

BlockRocker (http://www.blockrocker.com/service_flickr.php)can help you with tagging in Flickr.

Here's some general info (http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~rakerman/geocode-photos.html) on geotagging photos.

aafuss1

Oct 7, 2006, 11:59 AM

There's co-ordinates and other GPS related meta-data already in iPhoto 6.
See-http://stashbox.org/997/gpsmetadata_iphoto6.x.jpg
I bet Apple isn't going to release a hardware based GPS add-on anytime soon, but via software plug-ins-Google Maps or other earth/mapping sites.

PhotoSynth type technology in iPhoto would be amazingly cool.

Geo-coded photos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocoded_photo

CraigStanton

Oct 13, 2006, 07:39 PM

iPhototoGoogleEarth (http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/iPhotoToGoogleEarth.html)allows you to link photos to Google Earth so you can "fly" to that spot on earth. You need to have the photos geotagged already.

And to do that without the aid of a GPS device you can use Google Earth 4 and my Geotagger (http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/Geotagger.html). It's a little droplet that gets the coordinates at the center of the GE view and inserts them into any jpegs you drop on it.

calciphus

Oct 20, 2006, 04:51 AM

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but this is most likely for cameras that either have GPS integrated already (and some do) or for cameras like the Nikon D200 or D2X that have a port on the side specifically for hooking up a GPS device like this one:
http://www.redhensystems.com/products/video_collection_hardware/d2x-gps.asp

Since the EXIF standard contains a flag for GPS-data, they just didn't finish the feature yet. They will.

So no, the iPhone isn't going to be a gps camera pda music playing satellite radio streaming HDTV. Get over it. The iPhone already came out, and flopped (how many ROKRs do you see?) My guess is that if Apple really wants to move into that space, they're going to have to serriously look at their market, and their network partner.

Though Cingular has more users, Verizon and Sprint both have the high-speed data networks capable of integrating a phone with iTunes. Cingular simply doesn't. Verizon users spend, on average, more on downloads than any other non-MVNO provider.

Oh, and as for GPS already being in phones, it's there. Every phone sold after 01/01/04 had to have a GPS tracking device installed for use in Emergency situations. Providers were given six years to get a 95% adoption rate. Ever notice that little crosshair in the top? That means you've got a GPS lock. With SiRF-III GPS chips, you can be pretty well underground and still get a signal, esp. when it's repeated by your cell towers.

This isn't an iPhone clue. Get over yourselves.