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GPS apps banned?

The article quotes a developer as saying that the SDK agreement bans people from writing GPS navigation applications. That can't possibly be right, can it?
 
I would love to see a turn by turn solution for the iPhone. Better yet I would love to see one for the OS X platform, this would be helpful in making the ultimate mac car. Currently there is RouteBuddy but that is not yet an in-car solution.

I would be one of the first to buy this type of application because I plan to integrate a mac mini into my car with GPS, AM / FM, etc capabilities.
 
Anyone else finding that GPS drains their 3G iPhone faster than their car can charge it? I've had this experience in two different cars

You have a 12V car charger which is using the firewire pins which doesn't charge the iPhone 3G at all.

You need to buy a new car charger or wait for the 12V to 5V dock connector adapters from third parties.
 
Unless this is sarcasm, wasn't July 28th 2 1/2 weeks ago, so no, not older than 2 months.

Sorry, I could see how my phrasing is confusing. I meant it to mean its an older article, not something that came out today. I realize July 28th isn't two months ago.
 
Some sort of Google Maps GPS would not be so bad for the first iPhone. Not say a location specific one like "turn right in 20 feet", but something to announce directions as they approach, so I don't have to hit the next step while I'm traveling somewhere.

I really wouldn't be that surprised if google didn't put something like that together in the next maps update. Especially considering all of the effort and features that they have put into both the regular versions of google maps in the past year.
 
I really wouldn't be that surprised if google didn't put something like that together in the next maps update. Especially considering all of the effort and features that they have put into both the regular versions of google maps in the past year.

But remember, cell reception != GPS reception. GPS reception is basically anywhere, whereas cell tower reception is far from. Downloadable maps is a must! It would be fine in the city though...
 
Re: "Complicated"

There is nothing compicated about it -- that has not already been addressed elsewhere.

My 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander has GPS and navigation. However, in order for navigation to work, there is a legal disclaimer that tells the driver to pay attention to driving and they are not responsible for you getting into a collision if you are paying too much attention to GPS navigation and not the road. You then must touch the "OK" or "Agree" button to have navigation.

This is NOT a 1-time deal. I must do this each and every time I start the engine.

So, such a legal disclaimer "spash screen" is all that's necessary to get around Apple Legal's "complicated" concerns.
 
Agreed

I want Apple to have their own GPS ... and it's better be free

Agreed, this is (should be) a HUGH feature of the iPhone and I'd like to see if FULLY integrated BY APPLE (and also think it should be standard - included free).

If done RIGHT, it will blow away all other devices, moreso than the iPhone already is, and it will become a NEED, rather than a want/decision for so many people that use GPS in their vehciles.

Currently we have one in our Land Rover AND I always get them in my rental cars from Hertz. BTW: The Hertz "Neverlost" is a really good one!
 
If I'm going to have my battery drained, I'd much rather prefer the voice to sound like "Ginger" from Gilligans Island. Even though I'm sure she was at least partly responsible for misguiding the S. S. Minnow into that fateful storm.
 
I'm not sure who started the "antenna is to small" spiel but really enough now IPhone works fine. That antenna will put me right next to the lamppost at work I'm parked next to. Or if that is to urban for you it puts me at my exact location in the local parks I visit. You can't do that with cell tower triangulation.

In any event I do believe the hold up is simply a matter of software. That is #1 the iPhone OS is way to buggy for anything more than a modestly complex app. Second; we have the issue of the already mentioned unfinished API. So I expect to see such apps towards the end of the year when 2.1 stabilizes.

Oh in case anyone is wondering, yes I'm one of those interested in such an app. Especially if it offers up both land and marine data for the great lakes and upstate NY regions. That would be one extremely handy data set.



Dave
 
There is nothing compicated about it -- that has not already been addressed elsewhere.

My 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander has GPS and navigation. However, in order for navigation to work, there is a legal disclaimer that tells the driver to pay attention to driving and they are not responsible for you getting into a collision if you are paying too much attention to GPS navigation and not the road. You then must touch the "OK" or "Agree" button to have navigation.

This is NOT a 1-time deal. I must do this each and every time I start the engine.

So, such a legal disclaimer "spash screen" is all that's necessary to get around Apple Legal's "complicated" concerns.
Here in Europe, I've never seen such a spash screen.
 
You have a 12V car charger which is using the firewire pins which doesn't charge the iPhone 3G at all.

It's a Griffin PowerJolt made specifically for iPhone which I bought last month.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TS267LL/A?mco=MTIxODk3Mw

It chargers the iPhone fine without GPS turned on. I've seen this behavior on two different cars, one an older Honda and one a 2004 Buick. And like I said, the iPhone normally holds a charge fairly well (need to charge it about once a day, using the 3G pretty frequently).
 
Agreed, this is (should be) a HUGH feature of the iPhone and I'd like to see if FULLY integrated BY APPLE (and also think it should be standard - included free).

If done RIGHT, it will blow away all other devices, moreso than the iPhone already is, and it will become a NEED, rather than a want/decision for so many people that use GPS in their vehciles.
Should indeed be a HUGH feature! :p
 
The article quotes a developer as saying that the SDK agreement bans people from writing GPS navigation applications. That can't possibly be right, can it?

If this is the case, Apple needs to loosen up. Tom Tom should sell the software for the jailbreakers at least!
 
Say we get GPS, then we still need...

There are a couple of things missing even when we get GPS.

MISSING ITEM #1: A car charger. The existing Belkin type solutions do not work (iPhone states it will not work with them when you turn it on). I even bought a newer Belkin car adapter and it will power the iPhone but not charge it. So we need a car charger that actually works. And specifically I'm talking about the ones with the audio line out in the base so I can have charging and audio in a single iPod dock connector.

MISSING ITEM #2: A rotating cradle. Apple isn't making the iPhone consistent with rotation. Sure, it supports rotation with web pages and photos. But annoyingly, this doesn't work with the home screen or videos or phone. If I mount my iPhone in portrait, most of the interface works but videos play sideways. You get the point. If Apple won't make the UI always adapt to orientation, then we need a 90-degree rotating cradle.

EDIT: This might work, I'll buy one and try it.
 
Typically the GPS chip in cell phone is NOT accurate enough due to its small antenna

Bullcrap.

The largest parts of an external GPS receiver are the battery and the circuit board the chip's on. The chip itself and the antenna are the size of a nickel.
 
There is nothing compicated about it -- that has not already been addressed elsewhere.

My 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander has GPS and navigation. However, in order for navigation to work, there is a legal disclaimer that tells the driver to pay attention to driving and they are not responsible for you getting into a collision if you are paying too much attention to GPS navigation and not the road. You then must touch the "OK" or "Agree" button to have navigation.

This is NOT a 1-time deal. I must do this each and every time I start the engine.

So, such a legal disclaimer "spash screen" is all that's necessary to get around Apple Legal's "complicated" concerns.
Having such a splash screen isn't enough to keep you from getting sued. It's enough for Mitsubishi to ship because they're selling cars and they considered the sales benefit of this feature to be worth the risk-- it's not nearly as essential to Apple.

I'm starting to believe that it was for legal reasons that Apple banned turn-by-turn. They don't want to get sued over bad directions-- and you know they will be. Apple's a lawsuit magnet for some reason...
I'm not sure who started the "antenna is to small" spiel but really enough now IPhone works fine. That antenna will put me right next to the lamppost at work I'm parked next to. Or if that is to urban for you it puts me at my exact location in the local parks I visit. You can't do that with cell tower triangulation.
Have you tried it in deep urban canyon? Smaller antennas in these kinds of receivers are particularly susceptible to multipath reflections.
I would be one of the first to buy this type of application because I plan to integrate a mac mini into my car with GPS, AM / FM, etc capabilities.
When you do, please post to these forums about it. I've been "planning" to do the same thing for a very long time, but have never gotten around to it. I'll be interested in hearing your experiences.
 
Bullcrap.

The largest parts of an external GPS receiver are the battery and the circuit board the chip's on. The chip itself and the antenna are the size of a nickel.

QFT. The antenna is fine.. its the google maps software that isnt designed for GPS. Like when it says im in a field somewhere, and im on a highway... Thats just the software not having the sense to know where roads are, and keeping you ON them.

If you notice on a Garmin, if I miss an exit, it still assumes you took the exit for about 10 seconds, then recalculates. Instead of the iphone recalculating, you see a hesitation. The garmin software keeps your "car" on the road at all times because it knows thats where you would be driving.

The iphone is going to be a good GPS nav... better than garmin? Doubt it.
 
Bullcrap.

The largest parts of an external GPS receiver are the battery and the circuit board the chip's on. The chip itself and the antenna are the size of a nickel.
While there's room to argue about what is "accurate enough", his statement is certainly not bullcrap. Conversely, the antenna in most automotive GPS systems is a couple inches across and significantly larger than a nickel.
 
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