I'm hoping others like me are rooting around in the SDK notes looking for juicy tidbits.
Currently my favourite has been the Core Location framework. At an initial glance it just looks like a nice way to utilise the cell and wifi location tech that Apple built in for the Jan update. However! After examining one of the header files i came across this method.
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/CoreLocation/Reference/CLLocation_Class/CLLocation/CLLocation.html
Dig down and you'll see it provides an altitude read only variable.
Wots dat mean den?
It means Apple is preparing for an iPhone with a GPS module. Not saying when it's going to appear, but i think i'd be happy to bet a few beer tokens that in June we'll see a hardware refresh with an integrated GPS.
How do i know this, well first of all WIFI triangulation has no concept of how high the WIFI routers aerial is above sea level, so that's not going to help. Secondly Cell towers, whilst it's possible they have a precise height for each of those, the accuracy when each of your triangulation points is within a couple of hundred metres of you is crap to useless and when you can easily get higher than those points you then have the issue of are you above the cell towers on a hill or below them in a street. As GPS triangulation points are many miles in orbit of earth, its extremely unlikely that you are above them and the accuracy as such can place your altitude to within 10 to 20 Metres.
I am stoked by this news and hope there's more to find once we rip this API apart.
Cheers
M.
Currently my favourite has been the Core Location framework. At an initial glance it just looks like a nice way to utilise the cell and wifi location tech that Apple built in for the Jan update. However! After examining one of the header files i came across this method.
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/CoreLocation/Reference/CLLocation_Class/CLLocation/CLLocation.html
Dig down and you'll see it provides an altitude read only variable.
Wots dat mean den?
It means Apple is preparing for an iPhone with a GPS module. Not saying when it's going to appear, but i think i'd be happy to bet a few beer tokens that in June we'll see a hardware refresh with an integrated GPS.
How do i know this, well first of all WIFI triangulation has no concept of how high the WIFI routers aerial is above sea level, so that's not going to help. Secondly Cell towers, whilst it's possible they have a precise height for each of those, the accuracy when each of your triangulation points is within a couple of hundred metres of you is crap to useless and when you can easily get higher than those points you then have the issue of are you above the cell towers on a hill or below them in a street. As GPS triangulation points are many miles in orbit of earth, its extremely unlikely that you are above them and the accuracy as such can place your altitude to within 10 to 20 Metres.
I am stoked by this news and hope there's more to find once we rip this API apart.
Cheers
M.