Apple Working to Leverage New 'M7' Motion-Sensing Chip for Mapping Improvements

[TMay]

While the features that the article mentions do make sense, I doubt that M7 co-processor is a revolution. I suspect that it's a technical necessity.

First, the quoted article is probably technically incorrect in saying that "Now fitness apps that track physical activity can access that data from the M7 coprocessor without constantly engaging the A7 chip. So they require less battery power."

Fitness apps run on A7, therefore they can't do anything without "engaging the A7 chip". Most likely the accurate story is that M7 is used for collecting data from the sensors when fitness apps are not actually doing anything (and A7 may go to sleep) and from time to time when the apps need the data they get it from M7 (or from the flash memory where M7 saved the data).

The co-processor itself does not add much (if anything) to the type of data that may be collected. It's all about the sensors. I do not know if those are usually placed on the main APU (SOC) or not. If they were moved to M7 there might be some power savings there.

However, the reason why Apple may need a co-processor could be because of the chosen A7 architecture. With two big cores, it's difficult to save power when you need to perform simple computational tasks required for registering sensor data. On the other hand, Samsung may utilize the features of their big/little core architecture where they would simply run one little core on the main APU to do what M7 does. because they can do that.

Weak argument. M7 can be repurposed in other Apple devices that have less processing power. That's why Apple decided it was worth it to spit off those functions and that will work as an advantage to Apple in the long run.

 

[gadgetguy03]

Love it. Any and all improvements to Apple maps and ways of improving "Find My ______" features are welcomed.

Maybe it will also make Find My Friends and location-based reminders less of a battery drain. I'd use them more if it weren't for the fact of having to recharge a couple of times during my workday.

 

[e-coli]

The M7 will also be a main interface component between iWatch and iPhone as well as iWatch and a future AppleTV. Could also help with indoor location finding.

Should be really interesting.

 

[mr.steevo]

What if you are the passenger.

...or on the bus.

 

[g88bo]

Weak argument. M7 can be repurposed in other Apple devices that have less processing power. That's why Apple decided it was worth it to spit off those functions and that will work as an advantage to Apple in the long run.

maybe some field tests for a potential processor for the rumored iwatch?

 

[Ugg]

As others have already said, I love Apple for continually striving towards a cohesive and coherent OS. With Android, you get occasional bursts of brilliance but the long game will always belong to Apple.

 

[Casiotone]

Only do it at stop lights. Sometimes, even pull over completely. Never while car is in motion.



I have. These are known networks. The optimum network is through the cable company in my area, and they have public hot spots.

For the record, this hardly ever happens and is hardly a huge deal, its just nice to see a new feature that I've thought about. Sometimes the ipad does that when the kids are on a long trip and netflixing a movie. It then stops the movie until a better connection is remade. I always have to explain to them whats happening and explain why the ipad is not broken. Ah kids!

iOS 7 is much smarter about this. It will switch to 3G much more quickly on a weak Wifi signal than on previous versions.

There was an option to turn this feature on in iOS 6 betas that was removed at the last minute. I'm guessing it's permanently on in iOS 7.

It's not perfect and it may takes a few more seconds than you'd like before switching to 3G, but it's better than before.

 

[e-coli]

For example: Obama and the IRS scandal

Oh jeez. Here we go.

----------

So Apple announce a finger print scanner and show how you can unlock your phone with it - WOW. The spent no time explaining to consumers how cool this feature could be. Where was paypal, square, banks showing the cool uses of this feature for consumers.

Apple is meant to show us how cool their features are. This lacked that completely.

They've specifically stated there will be no API for the sensor, and that it is only used by the phone's OS.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

iOS 7 is much smarter about this. It will switch to 3G much more quickly on a weak Wifi signal than on previous versions.

There was an option to turn this feature on in iOS 6 betas that was removed at the last minute. I'm guessing it's permanently on in iOS 7.

It's not perfect and it may takes a few more seconds than you'd like before switching to 3G, but it's better than before.

I didn't know that either. Are you saying that on a weak signal, my 4s will switch back to 3G or do I need to turn that feature on? Either way, I like that the new ios will do it well.

 

[PlanetFree]

Yay! More opportunities for Apple to collect data about us.

Yeh you had better switch to android if you dont want your data to be harvested Google have a great record of looking after user privacy oh wait.... /s

 

[avanpelt]

This is all well and good; but they need to focus on improving the data first and foremost. I'm not going back to the Apple Maps app until the map data is a lot more current than it is today.

Case and point, pull up the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Apple Maps. You'll see a mockup of the airport runways in the Apple Maps app when you zoom into the airport on the map. Now, switch to satellite view. Surprise! There's another runway on the north side of the airport that shows up in the satellite view but is nowhere to be found in the standard map view in Apple Maps (Runway 07L-25R).

It's really pathetic when the satellite view is more current than the default map view.

 

[840quadra]

True. But it's still part of why I'm in the Apple ecosysytem and not Android. Yes, they both collect information about us. (I would bet Google collects the most). Apple uses that information to give us a better experience. Google will also provide you key information to improve your experience, but they are also heavily leveraging that info for advertisments etc.

FWIW, Apple's iAds are also location aware.

 

[crackbookpro]

While the features that the article mentions do make sense, I doubt that M7 co-processor is a revolution. I suspect that it's a technical necessity.

First, the quoted article is probably technically incorrect in saying that "Now fitness apps that track physical activity can access that data from the M7 coprocessor without constantly engaging the A7 chip. So they require less battery power."

Fitness apps run on A7, therefore they can't do anything without "engaging the A7 chip". Most likely the accurate story is that M7 is used for collecting data from the sensors when fitness apps are not actually doing anything (and A7 may go to sleep) and from time to time when the apps need the data they get it from M7 (or from the flash memory where M7 saved the data).

The co-processor itself does not add much (if anything) to the type of data that may be collected. It's all about the sensors. I do not know if those are usually placed on the main APU (SOC) or not. If they were moved to M7 there might be some power savings there.

However, the reason why Apple may need a co-processor could be because of the chosen A7 architecture. With two big cores, it's difficult to save power when you need to perform simple computational tasks required for registering sensor data. On the other hand, Samsung may utilize the features of their big/little core architecture where they would simply run one little core on the main APU to do what M7 does. because they can do that.

You misunderstood my post at the end Lilo and took a quote out of context. Anyways, reread my whole post... Touch ID is what will change the world(create a new revolution of quick purchasing), not the M7. M7 has more to do with in-car-use for certain functionality & better battery life due to the new chip.

What I was getting at about the "revolution" tid bit is - your wallet will go bye bye's... so, this has nothing to do with the M7 processor, and everything to do with the purchasing of Authentec. Apple will utilize this new bio-metric scanning tool to create a new way of a "consumer purchase" online & at brick n' mortar stores.

And, yes, this will start a revolution of 'changing the way we buy things'... Touch ID just hasn't come into fruition yet. Give it 18months...

 

[crazy dave]

...or on the bus.

Well ... it potentially can be used as a parental control setting (i.e. not on by default) - yes it means that the person in question would miss out on texting, or at east be forced to use hands free (Siri) to text or interact with the phone even while a passenger in a moving car or bus, but that might be worth it if a parent feels it a necessary safety concern ... or to be fair if the person themselves feels it necessary (i.e. setting it up so they they themselves won't habitually text while driving). And if they've set it up for themselves they can turn it off when they are merely a passenger or have given the phone to a passenger. It seems plausible and workable. Since it would be a setting it would mean it would not necessarily have the same impact because people would have to make use of it, but could still help.

 

[Z.childers]

The M7 will also be a main interface component between iWatch and iPhone as well as iWatch and a future AppleTV. Could also help with indoor location finding.

Should be really interesting.

I absolutely agree here. I think the coordination between the M7 with iPhone 5s and so-called iWatch will be a killer feature that works well in Apple's business plan of continually selling iPhones. With iWatch being rumored for early next year, I expect to see some dual-marketing that emphasizes both of these after the holiday rush for original 5s shipments.

Ultimately, this will be used for the "cracked" method of operating the true Apple TV if it ever appears. Future 5s owners will essentially be beta testers to better a technology for even greater uses just around the corner. All of this, of course, makes me even more excited to be part of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Tiger8]

You got something that interesting to hide?

You really care that millions and millions of "online-people" have digital-info about them available?

Ever got the interesting info of you neighbour?
Did he ever get the interesting stuff of you?

This "THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME!!" nonsense is really getting irritating.

Please, switch off internet, no more GSM and no more GPS.

That would be best.

Well, if you live a very ordinary cookie-cutter life, good for you.

The biggest fallacy privacy violators tell you that only people who break the law have something to hide. This is absolute bull. There are a lot of law-abiding citizens who value their privacy for multiple reasons. How about people working on new inventions, writing new novels, or simply working on secret projects? Should their privacy be taken away from them? What about those who are active political figures and are target for assasination by extremist groups? Isn't their privacy part of their security? I can go on and on but obviously in your simple view of the world, no one deserves privacy.

Next -->

 

[PJC23]

Nike Fuel Band

I think this is going to eat into Fuel band sales since it sounds like the nike app will do everything that the fuel band does currently add to that the fuel band iOS exclusive. I don't see the fuel band lasting in its current state or at all if the iWatch pans out to be equipped with all the sensors that its rumored to have
The only thing that the Fuel band will do for me now is act as a wrist watch...

 

[lilo777]

You misunderstood my post at the end Lilo and took a quote out of context. Anyways, reread my whole post... Touch ID is what will change the world(create a new revolution of quick purchasing), not the M7. M7 has more to do with in-car-use for certain functionality & better battery life due to the new chip.

What I was getting at about the "revolution" tid bit is - your wallet will go bye bye's... so, this has nothing to do with the M7 processor, and everything to do with the purchasing of Authentec. Apple will utilize this new bio-metric scanning tool to create a new way of a "consumer purchase" online & at brick n' mortar stores.

And, yes, this will start a revolution of 'changing the way we buy things'... Touch ID just hasn't come into fruition yet. Give it 18months...

Yes, I did (misunderstood). I saw the part of your message quoted in some other message and I wanted to reply. So I found your message and got the part that I objected to without reading the rest of the message. My apologies.

 

[TWSS37]

I think this is going to eat into Fuel band sales since it sounds like the nike app will do everything that the fuel band does currently add to that the fuel band iOS exclusive. I don't see the fuel band lasting in its current state or at all if the iWatch pans out to be equipped with all the sensors that its rumored to have
The only thing that the Fuel band will do for me now is act as a wrist watch...

Disagree, as an owner of a fuel band, it tracks everything I do on my wrist which requires no thought. I don't take my phone everywhere; I certainly don't hold my phone while working out unless it's running.

 

[aarond12]

I wonder if this chip could also be used to monitor earthquakes... Seriously!

 

[TMay]

Disagree, as an owner of a fuel band, it tracks everything I do on my wrist which requires no thought. I don't take my phone everywhere; I certainly don't hold my phone while working out unless it's running.

I agree both the the iPhone 5S will do a lot of the same data collection as the fuel band and also that one won't necessarily replace the other.

The iPhone will benefit from whatever devices/sensors are available to collect data from. The Fuel Band will certainly be one of those.

 

[legacyb4]

And that's the benefit of owning both the hardware and software side of things which people tend to forget; Apple can develop their software to support their hardware and vice-versa rather than waiting like Samsung is for 64-bit "next year" not knowing if the OS will be there when the hardware is...

The M7 chip, fingerprint scanner, and 64 bit processor don't exactly blow my mind right now. But two or three years from now when they provide a lot more functionality, we will see apple start to pull away from the competition.

This is the first major fork in the road. Apple knows what path they are on. They are going to leave everyone else behind

 

[HiRez]

Since it knows when you are driving, I would like the ability to set an autoreply for text messages (and maybe calls) while driving. Or, automatically have it enter a hands-free mode to read you the message and reply with dictation.

 

[Sandbag1]

Now how's that for hypocrisy?

 

[FreeState]

This is all well and good; but they need to focus on improving the data first and foremost. I'm not going back to the Apple Maps app until the map data is a lot more current than it is today.

Case and point, pull up the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Apple Maps. You'll see a mockup of the airport runways in the Apple Maps app when you zoom into the airport on the map. Now, switch to satellite view. Surprise! There's another runway on the north side of the airport that shows up in the satellite view but is nowhere to be found in the standard map view in Apple Maps (Runway 07L-25R).

It's really pathetic when the satellite view is more current than the default map view.

I must be missing something because they match 100% for me.