News tagged ‘GPS’

We know how the new iPhone 4 compares to the iPhone 3GS. Now it is time to size it against its fiercest competitors from all the major platforms. Take a look at the results against the HTC EVO 4G, Nokia N8, Palm Pre Plus and HTC HD2:

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This week Apple revealed new patent application that describes its new superior advertisement technique. The document entitled "System and method for providing contextual l advertisements according to a dynamic pricing scheme."

Its main idea is that the effectiveness of the modern mobile advertisements can be improved with using unique pricing scheme (when advertiser pays variable price that based "on the likelihood of influencing user behaviour") and special marketing factors that can determine the effectiveness of the ad.

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As you already know iPad 3G became available this Friday. Well iFixIt already obtained it and found out what are the differences between its 3g and Wi-fi versions. Here is what they've revealed.

iPad 3G has a black plastic window for better antenna reception. It also changes the way to open the device - you'll need to start separating from the right side and then go to the top and bottom of it.

iPad 3G has five antennas:

1. One antenna is in the plastic window to handle the cell reception.
2. Another antenna is attached to the LCD frame with the same purpose.
3. GPS antenna is also situated in the plastic window.
4. Wi-fi antenna is in the Apple logo.
5. Bluetooth antenna is situated on the left of the dock connector.

To make 3G connections iPad uses the same baseband processor as in iPhone 3GS, and presumably it's the Infineon 337S3754 PMB 8878 X-Gold IC. For GPS connections device has a Broadcom BCM4750UBG Single-Chip AGPS Solution.

More photos of separated iPad 3G are posted below.

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Navigon created a series of regional U.S. GPS turn-by-turn navigation applications for the iPhone. Each costs just $24.99. This is significantly cheaper than its more comprehensive MobileNavigator North America ($79.99).

These apps divide the United States into three overlapping segments, permitting customers to purchase discounted versions covering their area of the country. Additional regions are available through in-app purchasing for $12.99. Here are AppStore links: U.S. East, U.S. Central, U.S. West.

Navigon reports that сгккуте prices are valid through April 12th. After that date MyRegion apps will cost $29.99 for the application and $14.99 for in-app expansions.

Apple's finally announced the iPad (Apple Tablet). It is perfect for tasks like browsing, email, photos, e-books and videos. It's a half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds (680g), with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD display and it's running a custom 1GHz Apple "A4" chip developed by the P.A. Semi team. The 10-hour battery life and a month of standby is quite exciting.

There will be devices with 16, 32 and 64GB. All iPads will get a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass. There's also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation. iPad supports up to 1024x768 VGA out and 480p composite out through dock adapter cables. There is a camera attachment kit that lets you import photos from your camera over USB or directly through an SD reader.

The device is managed by iTunes, just like the iPhone and iPod Touch. iPad can run iPhone apps: either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen. Developers can also target the new screen size using the updated iPhone OS SDK, which is available today.

The 3G version runs on AT&T and comes with new data plans: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free. Activations are handled on the iPad, so you can activate and cancel whenever you want. Every iPad is unlocked (!) and comes with a GSM "micro-SIM".

The price starts at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model (64GB / 3G) is $829. The WiFi-only model will ship in 60 days, and the 3G models will come in 90.

UPDATE: The 3G version will also have A-GPS.

MacWorld compared nine different iPhone GPS Navigation applications:

• AT&T Navigator
• CoPilot Live N.A.
• GoKivo GPS Navigator
• iGo My way 2009 (N.A.)
• Magellan RoadMate 2010 N.A. Ed.
• MobileNavigator N.A.
• MotionX GPS Drive
• Sygic Mobile Maps U.S.
• TomTom U.S. & Canada

Prices ranged from $4/month to $100 to own. Overall the AT&T Navigator ($10/month) and MobileNavigator ($90) received the best ratings.

Here are some results in tables:

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TomTom navigation application updated to version 1.2. Added features include updates to maps and IQ Routes, advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, integrated iPod player support and support for the iPod Touch and first-generation iPhone 2G.

To use the app on iPod Touch and iPhone 2G, TomTom's car kit is required. This is due to the fact that both devices lack an integrated GPS receiver. TomTom's car kit is a cradle which contains a GPS module, integrated speaker, charger, and line out. It is not required when the TomTom app is paired with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The cost for the kit without the app is $119.95.

Full list of what's new in 1.2:

• Improved search and route summary screens
• Updated map from v8.30 to v8.35
• Updated points of interest database
• Updated IQ Routes database with millions of new measurements
• Added Advanced Lane Guidance in both portrait and landscape mode
• Added Text-to-speech in English US, English UK, English Australia, French Canada, Spanish Latin America
• Added Help Me! emergency menu
• Added iPod player support
• Added support for original iPhone and iPod touch (all models)

The TomTom app is available in App Store for $49.99-$139.99 (link). Price depends on the map coverage. The highest price is for TomTom Western Europe. US & Canada costs $99.99. The cheapest version is for Hong-Kong - just $49.99.

Several NASA scientists are working on a project called Cell-All - compact, low-cost, low-power, high-speed nanosensor-based chemical sensor for cell phones.

The device is about the size of a postage stamp and is designed to be plugged in to an iPhone to collect, process and transmit sensor data. The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The device senses chemicals in the air using a "sample jet" and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi.

Update: Here are new cool photos:

via nasa

Apple has started selling the TomTom Car Kit in the US. The GPS enhancing, car mounted kit ships in two to three weeks - for free - and is going for $119.95.

Navigon has decided to produce a Car Mount for iPhone (just like TomTom). This is a much simpler version that only allows to keep the iPhone in position and charge via the cigarette lighter or USB:

It will be avaliable in October and will cost less than $60. More advanced model with GPS module might appear later.

Dell Mini 3i is an Android-based smartphone for chineese market. It has a 3-megapixel camera and GPS with included software. Chinese site Sina got several photos. Dell Mini 3i looks like a genetic experiment between the Palm Pre and the iPhone:

Here are couple photos taken with Nokia N97 and iPhone 3GS:

The Nokia N97 takes 5MP photos while the iPhone 3GS takes 3MP photos. All the photos in this post are resized, click to enlarge.

iPhone 3GS photos are the left ones, Nokia N97 - right ones.

As for geotagging it was turned on for both devices. The iPhone 3GS successfully geotagged all 8 photos while the Nokia N97 was only able to geotag 2 of the 8 photos. The SIM card was in the Nokia N97, while the iPhone was in offline mode. A possible explanantion is that the GPS signal on the Nokia N97 is weak as discussed on Nokia’s forums.

Take a look at more photos:

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iPhoneclub reports that four regional versions of TomTom iPhone navigation application have appeared in Apple's New Zealand App Store: U.S. & Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.We are expecting TomTom to appear in other AppStores.

Pricing is as follows (Users should set their iTunes Store to "New Zealand" prior to clicking the App Store links.):

• - U.S. & Canada (App Store link): NZ $124.99 (US $84.41)
• - Western Europe (App Store link): NZ $179.99 (US $121.55)
• - Australia (App Store link): NZ $104.99 (US $70.90)
• - New Zealand (App Store link): NZ $119.99 (US $81.03)

The App Store application prices include only the iPhone application and not the companion car kit.

via iPhoneclub

Another developer has just entered the North American turn-by-turn GPS fray, joining Navigon, Sygic, iGO and others in providing an alternative to help iPhone 3GS and 3G users get where they need to go. CoPilot Live North America by ALK Technologies, Ltd. made it to the App Store earlier today and joins previously-published versions of the app for the United Kingdom and Europe.

CoPilot Live has all standart features: turn-by-turn navigation, route optimization, pre-trip planning, an automatic day/night mode and more. CoPilot Live North America is currently priced aggressively relative to competing apps at $34.99. The North American navigation apps by Navigon, Sygic, and iGO are currently priced at $69.99, $79.99, and $79.99 respectively.

CoPilot Live North America App Store link

via macrumors

Rodrigo, a Brazilian developer is working on a project called roqyBluetooth. It enables an iPhone and iPod Touch 2G to communicate with an external GPS receiver.

The connection is established via Bluetooth, the application will be released soon, but only for jailbroken devices.

via ispazio