InstaMapper GPS Tracking

[imrtt]

The beta program is now closed. We are hoping to be in the App Store within the next few days. Thanks to everyone who has contacted us.

 

[aggies2010]

Still having the same problem with the new beta, it doesnt appear.

 

[t0mat0]

My impression is that the GPS in the iPhone is quite a bit worse than in many other phones. Even Motorola i425, a $40 prepaid phone, works better in some respects. Acquisition times are long -- 20 seconds and longer, compared to about 5-7 seconds on the BlackBerry Pearl. The accuracy is poor. In daily life the location capabilities of the iPhone seem adequate because cell tower triangulation and the wifi database (look up Skyhook on wikipedia) can provide a rough location. Unfortunately we cannot use those as we need better accuracy.

iPhone OS 2.1 will expose speed / heading through the API. It remains to be seen how accurate those will be. The hardware in the iPhone may not have the capability to compute speed / heading directly from GPS signals. If they do the computation in software and rely on position changes over time, the accuracy won't be that good.

A few questions.
1) What about using a Bluetooth/external GPS system, so this would work with v1 iPhones also?
2) Wouldn't interpolation be fairly decent? Is there any need for it to be so jerky? Couldn't it move the position at an estimated speed, with jumps to the regular fixes?
3) Sounds like big acquisition times... But then if you're starting off inputting a to and from, you've got enough time to handle that.
4) how do you handle incoming calls/Texts?

 

[MadGoat]

My impression is that the GPS in the iPhone is quite a bit worse than in many other phones. Even Motorola i425, a $40 prepaid phone, works better in some respects. Acquisition times are long -- 20 seconds and longer, compared to about 5-7 seconds on the BlackBerry Pearl. The accuracy is poor. In daily life the location capabilities of the iPhone seem adequate because cell tower triangulation and the wifi database (look up Skyhook on wikipedia) can provide a rough location. Unfortunately we cannot use those as we need better accuracy.

iPhone OS 2.1 will expose speed / heading through the API. It remains to be seen how accurate those will be. The hardware in the iPhone may not have the capability to compute speed / heading directly from GPS signals. If they do the computation in software and rely on position changes over time, the accuracy won't be that good.

I aquire a true GPS signal in under 10 seconds and it always points me out within 5-15 feet.

I use the iPhones GPS for geocaching so I can tell you it's very accurate. It brings me within spitting distance of my target.

 

[SlapMonkey]

My impression is that the GPS in the iPhone is quite a bit worse than in many other phones. Even Motorola i425, a $40 prepaid phone, works better in some respects. Acquisition times are long -- 20 seconds and longer, compared to about 5-7 seconds on the BlackBerry Pearl. The accuracy is poor. In daily life the location capabilities of the iPhone seem adequate because cell tower triangulation and the wifi database (look up Skyhook on wikipedia) can provide a rough location. Unfortunately we cannot use those as we need better accuracy.

iPhone OS 2.1 will expose speed / heading through the API. It remains to be seen how accurate those will be. The hardware in the iPhone may not have the capability to compute speed / heading directly from GPS signals. If they do the computation in software and rely on position changes over time, the accuracy won't be that good.

Yeah, I'm a little baffled about this. I know David Pogue pretty much said the same thing, then some Apple Engineer(?) in an interview (forgot his name) said that no, Pogue was wrong and the GPS technically is fine, now this developer saying no it's worse than other phone GPS' and can't compute speed and heading.... yet, I use G-Spot app to do just that (speed and heading) and it's been very accurate. And apps like AirMe when I snap a photo and upload it to Flickr has me at the exact spot of the photo (literally within a foot or two.) So, i'm not sure if the InstaMapper folks missed something, or I've been getting lucky or what?

 

[imrtt]

InstaMapper software is finally available from the App Store. Search for "InstaMapper".

 

[genshi]

I just downloaded this app and thought I'd try it out going from my temporary night job to home. I had originally thought the "map" part would also be shown on the iPhone but you have to create a free account on the InstaMapper site in order to see the data mapped there...

That being said, it was surprisingly accurate! It got my speed right, tracked me on all the twisty side streets that I take and even showed the shopping center parking lot I had to cut through! Pretty nice.

Good job InstaMapper!

 

[GTDaveMac]

The hardware in the iPhone may not have the capability to compute speed / heading directly from GPS signals. If they do the computation in software and rely on position changes over time, the accuracy won't be that good.

I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that ALL GPS units rely on position changes over time to computer a heading and direction.

It's just that the iPhone SDK didn't give this data directly to apps in the API, so apps would have to compute it themselves. The 2.1 update should solve this.