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Digital Compass (Magnetometer) Confirmed in Next iPhone?

This will be great for geocaching... as of now, you have to start walking in the direction you want to go to see which way the compass points. This way, you can just rotate and it'll make things much easier.
 
Wow retard

MacGohil said:
The copy machines and RIM, Palm and Zune R&D centres start cranking once again.... ;)
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the G1 has had this.

So maybe apple should unplug their photocopiers. Whats next on Apples plate a iPhone-s with slideout keyboard. No other phone has that.
 
Magnetometer!!!???!!!!

ballmer01.png


Sounds awesome. I'm sure I'll be in line to get an iPhone as soon as the next one is released. :D
 
ruinfx said:
uh why is it so hard to believe that the next iphone will have a compass in it when the g1 already has one?
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Every new hardware feature makes buying apps more complex, having a phone with numerous different hardware versions and software that only work on some of them is a bad strategy. That is the main problem with windows and Google phones, users buy almost no software for them compared to the iPhone.

So adding new hardware to the iPhone is a big step, even normal things like video, mms and a compass.
 
Bonte said:
Every new hardware feature makes buying apps more complex, having a phone with numerous different hardware versions and software that only work on some of them is a bad strategy. That is the main problem with windows and Google phones, users buy almost no software for them compared to the iPhone.

So adding new hardware to the iPhone is a big step, even normal things like video, mms and a compass.
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A good idea would be for iTunes to know what device you have, and only display compatible apps. That way there would be no confusion. I don't think it's very unreasonably to implement.
 
Bonte said:
That is the main problem with windows and Google phones, users buy almost no software for them compared to the iPhone.
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The App store is how old? How long ago was it that Steve Jobs was saying "no apps allowed" and still managed to roll out a successful phone?

There is an effect with funneling everyone through the app store that gives it more exposure/news coverage that for now has a snowball effect.
 
MacRumors said:


"Examples .. pointing your iPhone's camera at a building and the phone telling you what building it is by combining GPS, accelerometer and compass information .. even overlay graphics and text on top of the image to provide additional information."
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Remember just ten years ago when we watched the movie Terminator and data appeared on his vision every time he looked at something and we thought to ourselves: IMPOSSIBLE! in the real world. But perhaps this right here is just the first step ........
 
Geocachers rejoice!

A compass will be a great addition to any geocaching application. At present, GPS apps depend on motion to compute bearing. This is fine when you are moving fast (jogging, running or driving) but when walking slowly the iPhone gets confused by GPS signals bouncing off of trees. The addition of a compass will allow geocache app programmers to improve their apps.
 
Not fussed about the compass, more interested if Apple will allow TomTom or similar software to run on the next gen Iphone. Unless you live in one country and do not travel, Google maps is fine, but once you roam data charges get damn expansive. I dumped my current iphone 3G for a HTC touch hd, just so i could run tomtom (live and travel around europe, so lots of roaming). Part of me thinks that apple will only allow google maps as they get a cut from the $$. though have not been following the rumours around the new phone.
 
MH01 said:
Not fussed about the compass, more interested if Apple will allow TomTom or similar software to run on the next gen Iphone. Unless you live in one country and do not travel, Google maps is fine, but once you roam data charges get damn expansive. I dumped my current iphone 3G for a HTC touch hd, just so i could run tomtom (live and travel around europe, so lots of roaming). Part of me thinks that apple will only allow google maps as they get a cut from the $$. though have not been following the rumours around the new phone.
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Tom Tom is apparently just hiring programmers for the iphone.
 
sticky said:
No Hazkan, the camera doesn't come into it.. the screen shows you the stars so you can name them when you look around the sky holding the iPhone in front of you.

If this story is true, I'm very excited to update my Pocket Universe astronomy application!
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Ah. I had an application in mind which would mark the visible stars on the screen and name them instantaneously. But this idea is pretty neat anyways...
 
kdarling said:
Only rumor. Some company in Amsterdam is hiring iPhone programmers, and as usual, the net goes crazy.
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What about Gomite? Just went off the radar - they and others were showing the potential for a GPS accessory, to do GPS on an app, then they went quiet...

Even if TomTom doesn't get in early to the tbt app market, there will be others no doubt - building up from basic apps, no? There were rumors about devs having a SatNav app on tester iPhones already, so why not have a tbt app ready by WWDC?
They'll want to showcase the OS - And I'd imagine they'll showcase tbt.
 
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