This guy has successfully engineered a GPS Module to interface with the iPhone and iPod Touch, bringing true GPS to the devices made by Apple, Inc. This should be an exciting project for anyone wanting to use their iPhone as a GPS device. Imagine the ability to cache Google Map’s directions and follow the route in real time. This functionality would fit in nicely with a car holder for the iPhone. The current GPS feature Apple released in January 2008 actually triangulates the positional data based on the relative position between the device and cell phone towers. GPS triangulates position using satellites in orbit, and is thus more accurate (around 3-6 meters). Seems like the project has moved into the final design phases, so a GPS solution for the iPhone should be on the market by next year hopefully!
Apple followed through again this year, with another release of the popular iPod Line this Wednesday at a press event hosted at the Apple Inc. Campus in Cupertino, Ca.
Is the iPod Touch a Hero?
Apple Inc. released a stripped down, yet enhanced version of the iPhone today called the iPod Touch. This is the first iPod to be able to connect to WiFi networks. So far, it seems the only differences between it and an iPhone is the absence of the phone element and the availability of a 16GB Hard Drive. The 8GB iPod Touch can hold up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video, while the 16GB version holds 3,500 songs, 20,000 photos, or 20 hours of video. The iPhone Touch is only available in the color black and features a 3.5-inch multi-touch display. Battery life for music playing can last up to 22 hours, while video playback will only last 5 hours.
Will the iPod Touch feature the same Apps that the iPhone has been endowed with? You can bet on it. This means a whole new level of gaming and organization that previous iPods lacked. WiFi doesn’t just come in handy for viewing websites with Safari, but I can make iTunes Store purchases over wireless networks as well. The iPod Touch will not be available at launch, but later in September.
I’ve been thinking about purchasing an iPhone for months now. This post contains some research I’ve done concerning the iPhone, so other prospective buyers can learn the truth behind the hype…
Steve Blue’s Opinion
I am certainly not ready to purchase an iPhone. I think Apple made a poor decision going with an exclusive cell phone service. C’mon Steve Jobs, if the iPhone is so revolutionary with it’s features, why couldn’t Apple be revolutionary with it’s business practices as well and offer the phone on multiple wireless services? And while there are hacks out there to disable the AT&T Activation, anyone who has a laptop that will connect to wireless networks can do much more than the iPhone is capable online. The iPod began the current Podcasting craze, but the iPhone doesn’t follow up with the ability to capture video with the onboard camera. If the phone can receive YouTube, how come I can’t submit videos as well? The iPhone has Google Maps but no GPS. The iPhone runs a flavour of OS X but doesn’t even have copy and paste! Many users are commenting about how tasks cannot be accomplished in batches. For instance, I cannot delete more than one e-mail at a time. It seems like Apple cut corners throughout the entire device. The $599 price tag plus switching to AT&T for a $79.99 a month 900 minute calling plan would mean that I would be spending over $2000 in the next two years for a new phone. This is over $800 more than my calling plan and cell phone cost with my current service.
I am going to wait patiently until the next revision of the iPod, which will hopefully occur in the next six months. I think certain iPhone innovations will make it onto the iPod. I am also curious to see how Apple updates the iPhone and fixes certain issues users are having. The iPhone certainly has a lot of potential…
But don’t take my word for it. Decide for yourself whether or not the iPhone is suitable for you…
The iPhone Remote Project will allow users to stream music and videos direct from a Mac to the iPhone, browse files, run Applescripts remotely, capture iSight images, and search in Spotlight.
