'Podmaps' to Provide Mobile Maps and Directions

[MacFly123]

Not to me. What are we supposed to do while driving? Get out your ipod touch, plug in our earphones while driving? Forget about listening to traffic etc? You know there is no external spkr on the touch?

Not for me.

I'll stick to my Tom Tom TYVM!--))

I was thinking of it going through the car speakers while it is docked in my car and charging, but your point is true! Just a poor substitute all around.

 

[guzhogi]

Makes sense. The basic technologies were already there, someone just had to put it all together.

I think someone said something about walking tours. Something I've been thinking of for a while now would be like you know those maps they pass out at the museum, zoo, where ever? Maybe make a tablet computer that functions as an electronic map. It'll be a little like Google Earth where you can see the area from above or straight on. Add GPS location so it'll show you where you are on the map and an accelerometer so if you turn it around, it'll automatically adjust. Nothing quite like looking at a map not knowing it's upside down. Maybe add directions to a certain place. Like if you're at a zoo, find directions to the monkeys or if you're in a museum, how to get to the Van Gogh exhibit. Maybe add like a tour thing where if you're at a certain location, you can read/hear something about what you're seeing.

 

[Small White Car]

I guess everyone who says this is a dumb idea has never been to a museum.

Because if they had, they'd know that people already pay good money to rent dedicated devices that do EXACTLY this.

It sure would be nice to get a podcast right on my own iPod while I'm at home instead of paying to rent moist headphnoes that a hundred other people have already worn.

Acutally, to replace what the museums have, you could do that with a normal audio podcast. (I'm sure they're out there even now.) What this idea does is go past that and add a map of the museum to the audio instructions.

What's not to like?

 

[mainstreetmark]

So does this mean that Apple is going to crap out on iPhone 2.0 with GPS AGAIN??? This may be kind of cool, but it can't recalculate or track where you are, so it would be pretty worthless I think. EVERY freakin phone has GPS and iPhone 2.0 better. I do NOT want to see another scenario where there are SERIOUS missing features on the iPhone, especially in the second version!!! GET IT RIGHT WITH IPHONE 2.0 APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So all that yelling and exclamation points is your way of telling Apple, via us instead of feedback, that you want the next iPhone to contain a GPS Antenna, as well as a cellphone radio and WIFI unit? Will you also spew exclamation points when the price rises, the thickness increases and the battery life decreases?

Statements like "EVERY freakin phone has GPS" make your entire post suspect, since I have yet to see one. They might exist, but it's hardly ubiquitous.

--
EDIT: some googling reveals that some smartphones have a piece of hardware that manages GPS. I don't know the technology behind them, but a) it appears to be extra cost and b) it doesn't appear to be true GPS. Will it work when you're out of cellphone range?

 

[tuneman07]

Anyone? please?? anyone know about this downloading maps for off line use? I can't find any info on this anywhere online. I don't see why its so tough to get a map area stored on an Ipod touch.

 

[MacFly123]

So all that yelling and exclamation points is your way of telling Apple, via us instead of feedback, that you want the next iPhone to contain a GPS Antenna, as well as a cellphone radio and WIFI unit? Will you also spew exclamation points when the price rises, the thickness increases and the battery life decreases?

Statements like "EVERY freakin phone has GPS" make your entire post suspect, since I have yet to see one. They might exist, but it's hardly ubiquitous.

--
EDIT: some googling reveals that some smartphones have a piece of hardware that manages GPS. I don't know the technology behind them, but a) it appears to be extra cost and b) it doesn't appear to be true GPS. Will it work when you're out of cellphone range?

Ok, first of all, I think the 5 billion feedbacks they have already gotten about GPS and countless press about it lacking is enough for them to figure it out. But yes I have sent it.

Second, the chip advances will let them probably include these highly wanted features and keep it the same size, same battery life, and same price since they are going to discount it again soon anyway, if not improve on all those.

Third, I don't know exactly all the smart phones that do currently have GPS, and I don't even really care. All I know is there sure seemed to be a lot of examples of ones that did when we found out the iPhone did not. And even if there aren't a lot, this is not the time or the market for Apple to play keep up, they must lead strong.

Fourth, I'm really not that pissed. You can interpret my text as you will. All I know is I am not alone, not even remotely close. I have been waiting since before iPhone 1.0 to buy iPhone 2.0 so I want these highly demanded features.

Thanks You like my smiley better?

 

[JDOG_]

err...

Is there a link to this patent somewhere?

I see the pictures but no links. It's not turning up on the Govt. patent search or on the Googles.

----

EDIT: D'oh. Here it is.

 

[JCastro]

It is what it is. It is another tool. It isn't going to please everyone and not everyone will use it. I would rather have the opportunity to use it if, when and how I choose than not have it available at all. I would much rather the iPhone have full GPS but it doesn't. Hopefully it will on v2 though!! Until then...thanks for possibly giving us another tool!

 

[Slipperyskates]

Another thought: Google Earth now has a lot of street level photos at places everywhere. It would be very cool to have this implemented as well.

 

[spazzcat]

If it was like any other GPS it wouldn't require me to control it and it would be docked in my car being charged at the same time. What's the problem? No problem at all, just amazing.

Still don't get the point and think there a lot more people that agree? There how many different stand alone GPS units out there....

 

[momoe]

This will drive lots of commercial sales of ipods to Museums, City Tours, Arboretums, Botanical Gardens, etc.....Where you or I might go through an iPod every two years or so, these types of institutions will be lucky to get 3-6 months out of one. Lots of sales for Apple.

Podmaps aren't necessary for this application... many museums (Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc) are already using video podcasts for self-guided tours that can be sync'd to iPods.

momoe

 

[bretm]

iPhone already has this

Ummm the iPhone already does this. Minus the audio. EXACTLY what they're describing.

Go into maps and choose directions and a start and end. Then from the resulting overview page simply press start. You'll get a page by page zoom in of the route, with chapters (back and forward) that works exactly as described, except you have to read the audio, not hear it.

If you haven't been using this, you might find it's actually a better route chosen than most GPS units. And yes, it does show real time traffic and estimate time based on traffic.

 

[trip1ex]

Another added feature for my GPS-less iPhone, I'll take it! Google maps (now enhanced) is very nice though I must say. I use it quite a bit. I wish I could get a nice GPS-like stand for my car that'll play tunes/hands-free talk/give directions thorugh my car speakers.

Yeah I like the weighted stand my wife got for xmas along with the gps. You just set it on your dash and it doesn't move. Works quite well actually. Best thing next to having one built into your dash.

They need something like that for the iPhone.

 

[nagromme]

Sounds like a neat addition to non-wireless iPods--the low-cost, non-OS X ones that will never get GPS or GPS accessories. Many cars have steering-wheel iPod controls anyway.

But more likely it sounds like "just another patent" that Apple doesn't really intend to go anywhere with. But they have an idea so they patent it.

The OS X devices (Touch/iPhone) will surely be heading in a REAL GPS direction--whether internal or external, and whether from Apple or third parties. So I don't see "podmaps" on those platforms really taking off even if Apple does do something with the concept. It sounds like something neat for a Nano (or even a Shuffle with audio only).

 

[i0Nic]

I don't like this. I'd much rather them put a GPS chip into the iPhone and have decent turn-by-turn software with voice prompts. Hopefully this patent is just for the ipods and current iphone and in the near future they plan to implement GPS into the iPhone.

 

[ydb1914]

Happy valentine day for all MacLover ... and for every's mac lover Users

Joyeuse Saint VALENTIN a tou ceux qui aime leur mac ... et au mac qui aime leur utilisateurs....

Moi j'ai pas de mec mais j ai un mac !....

n'oubliez pas de prendre une serviette....on se fume un....

SAME TO YOU

 

[twoodcc]

seems like a neat idea. still not sure exactly how it would work though

 

[EagerDragon]

Not sure about this .... True GPS would be better.

If you take a wrong turn, or the roads are not clearly marked, or you are distracted by some event, it maybe hard to follow the directions and still reach the destination.

GPS allows for all of that and still gets you there walking or driving, make no difference, it still gets you there.
Put the GPS chip in, it wont use any battery if you turn it off when not needed.

I also don't want any ads when I am trying to get somewhere and have to pay attention to the road. Likely this would have ads.

3G, GPS and the all time killer app (Video iChat on the iPhone) that would sell the iPhone to Just about everyone.

 

[Stampyhead]

So does this mean that Apple is going to crap out on iPhone 2.0 with GPS AGAIN??? This may be kind of cool, but it can't recalculate or track where you are, so it would be pretty worthless I think. EVERY freakin phone has GPS and iPhone 2.0 better. I do NOT want to see another scenario where there are SERIOUS missing features on the iPhone, especially in the second version!!! GET IT RIGHT WITH IPHONE 2.0 APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psh, GPS is so completely pointless. Some of us don't want unnecessary stuff like that cluttering up our phones. If you are so hopelessly bad at finding your way around that you need a satellite to tell you where you are, then maybe you should stay home and not venture out into the dangerous world. In the meantime the rest of us will read maps and street signs and use our own intelligence to find our way around.

 

[gnasher729]

No they won't. The small, hysterical minority for whom lack of GPS is a deal-breaker will throw a tantrum, and everyone else will just buy an iPhone, because GPS isn't a big deal for them and they'll be quite happy with everything else the phone does.

Anyone who has ever been in sales knows that if the customer doesn't have the money to buy something (or no interest because they already own a similar product), they won't say so but come up with any kinds of reasons why they won't buy it. They say they don't buy because it has no GPS. If it had GPS, they would find some other reason.

 

[MacFly123]

Psh, GPS is so completely pointless. Some of us don't want unnecessary stuff like that cluttering up our phones. If you are so hopelessly bad at finding your way around that you need a satellite to tell you where you are, then maybe you should stay home and not venture out into the dangerous world. In the meantime the rest of us will read maps and street signs and use our own intelligence to find our way around.

You are right. It is pointless. I'm sure it will never catch on. I'm also sure it would totally clutter up your phone being that it would be inside in the same form factor if not smaller, seamless in the GUI, and automatically switched off if not in use. You remember long ago when people use to actually memorize phone numbers??? Well now they are nothing but clutter stored in your phone as pointless contacts. It's called convenience!

P.S. I am actually very good at directions, and quite intelligent just for your info.

 

[bacaramac]

I would have to agree this would be great for a day at the zoo, mass transit, museum tour. Do not see the use as car GPS.

You could use the Wifi feature on iPhone/Touch to download the podcast when you arrive or download it ahead of time at home.

Your iPhone can already tell when your at starbucks, so why not other places.

Hopefully we will see the patent for ordering fastfood, starbucks, etc via iPhone/Touch.

 

[bigjohn]

In the meantime the rest of us will read maps and street signs and use our own intelligence to find our way around.

I'm sure that works great in KS, not so much in places with cities. My GPS gets me realtime

I agree, I don't need GPS in my phone, just on my dash.

 

[MattInOz]

Psh, GPS is so completely pointless. Some of us don't want unnecessary stuff like that cluttering up our phones. If you are so hopelessly bad at finding your way around that you need a satellite to tell you where you are, then maybe you should stay home and not venture out into the dangerous world. In the meantime the rest of us will read maps and street signs and use our own intelligence to find our way around.

I reckon your dead right!

Oh Dead reckoning they have accelerometers so as long as you know the starting point they could be really useful for knowing how far you've gone.
And each corner is a chance for it to reset.

Why build in a GPS that takes up space when you could have a GPS in your car that talks to a portable that can use dead reckoning from there.

What a bluetooth link is max 10feet so the start position is going to be within that range. No gps well get to find there house on google earth to set the start location.

This works for everyone
Have an iPod then it just plays on a time basis running fast or slow then you will have to manually push the play forward or back.
have an iPhone/Touch then it could use dead reckoning, to maintain timing and keep track of diversion.
Have a GPS with bluetooth then it can be more versatile.

Pick your level and your price.

 

[hugodrax]

Other than a walking tour I cannot see how this is all that useful. GPS units are so accurate and inexpensive these days, podmap seems sort of late to the game.

Because its going to be based on a new series of satellites that Apple will launch. It will stream the podcasts and pinpoint your location to an accuracy of 2 centimeters.