Is it expected any app like TomTom is going to use google maps? I'd figure you'll be downloading 500megs or so of maps to install on the iPhone. Wouldn't then any license issue be resolved if they are not using google for live navigation? And seeing how much map updates cost for GPS devices, I'd imagine the app to be at least $99+ on an iPhone. But if the app some how uses google online maps, then I'd not want to pay that much since the map information is free.
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Gps
- Thread starter WhySoSerious
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No, they wouldn't (can't) use Google maps to do a navigation app... because TomTom owns TeleAtlas where Google gets their mobile info... and TomTom wrote the rules.
So yes, TomTom has their own data, somewhere around a gigabyte for the US, and you would download it to the device.
So yes, TomTom has their own data, somewhere around a gigabyte for the US, and you would download it to the device.
elbirth: I actually recently read about a GPS device that was going to be able to tell you exactly what lane to be in. Cant remembe the name of it though....
Maybe they will. It might be so they stay the right side of a monopoly legal problem.
I guess it doesn't fit into their strategy - Google provides a whole load of layers on top of it - it created the KML standard in effect, and it has a fair bit of work that adds on - Panoramio, Street View etc.
Google it seems will provide a huge user base to help Tele Atlas update its maps. Google in return strengthens there position. It's not like there are too many other companies out there that Google can turn to, due to Nokia's acquisition.
With Google's work on Street View, why couldn't they start making their own maps? If they had a decent tracking system, they could port/mesh on the data from it to a map. I've always wondered about their acquisition of the modelling company. I can see part of it in Google Earth, and some potential in the small scale as a on-birds eye - more angled framewire building view for cities, but it could be part of a larger picture.
It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to create their own maps? Talking about huge data sets - if they had the satellite data, they could map on the gps requests from iPhone users, say, and then with an average of the data, then kind of recreate the roads through a kind of gps trail. Kind of hard to describe. A bit like pointillism.
I think you could pretty much recreate the map data, once you had the street view data, and were able to make sure it was aligned to known co-ordinates. Any which way, the LBS , GPS and Photosynthesque areas are going to explode pretty soon...
It can pin point your location way more precisely than cell tower triangulation, plus it can do motion tracking. It can track your rate of speed, elevation, distance traveled, etc.
Does that answer your question?
It can pin point your location way more precisely than cell tower triangulation, plus it can do motion tracking. It can track your rate of speed, elevation, distance traveled, etc.
Does that answer your question?
You pointed out something else also - GPS isn't stuck with a top down view. Streetview, forward looking road view, satellite view at an angle, elevation view...
There is a lot of usefulness gained with only a medium level of fix from a GPS chip. Plus, as Skyhook mentions - within range of multiple wi-fi hotspots, your fix can be better than what you would get from a GPS (It'd be an interesting experiment to map this on say a map of London, the BTOpenzones, the Skyhook known wifi spots, and the Cloud spots). The phone has back up and fall back systems as well. Nothing like pulling over, and looking up at a few signs to get a fix. Apple surely hasn't completely given it's hand away LBS/map wise? Or will HTC and Android 1UP Apple in this area?
So iPhone 2.0 is out and Google Maps App hasn't changed in a year. Does that seem peculiar to any of you? I would have loved to see streetview or some better (AJAXy) route finding or turn by turn or the new bus/transit trip finder available on google maps for mobile (google.com/gmm). But no, same old app. What gives? No iphone love from google because they are hot for andr*id?
No one is fixated on turn by turn. The issue is that the Google Maps app hasn't changed for a year despite google adding a ton of new maps features over the last year... but thanks for reading.
Most probably, yet I've read around and there are suggestions that the Tom Tom software for the iPhone is likely to cost around £59, so almost US$120. The reasoning behind the price is so that they are still able to make enough money, as even the cheapest Tom Tom device is still over £100.
That doesn't make sense. They are setting it high so they make "enough" money? Software doesn't cost all that much for them to make since they already have most of it developed either for the nav units or for their special nav software package. All they have to do is adapt it to the iPhone. After they do that, everything is profit, even if they charged $2. What you might be getting at is the idea that they don't want the iPhone product to cannibalize sales of their other, more expensive products. For instance, someone saying to them selves "hey, I could buy an iphone and tomtom software for less money than a standalone GPS". But really, it's an open market, and if they don't do iPhone well and for a reasonable price, someone else most likely will. I would be pretty happy if Google Maps was modified just a tad so that it would highlight what the next turn was in the directions list. This would take such little work on Apple/Google's part but for some reason the Google Maps App has gone virtually unchanged for a year despite google adding MANY MANY features to their maps since then.
You can get TomTom 6 software for a PDA or Smartphone, and it's 100 bucks. Expect to see similar pricing for the iPhone version.
I cant wait for it...
-Will require screen to be on at all times,
and the battery will last for 5mins tops... cool
Which means we will be seeing car mount + car charger accessories