Here we go, the first honest to goodness GPS solution for the iPhone. Having already brought the solution to the
PSP, Nav N Go have now worked their iGo My Way 8 magic into Apple's touchscreen devices. The prototype on display at CeBIT supports turn by turn directions and location finding via a WiFi key or fob. The WiFi key receives the GPS data and retransmits over WiFi while the fob offers the option to directly attach the unit to the iPhone or iPod Touch's docking port. Expect to hear more about these official 3rd party apps during
our coverage of Apple's SDK launch event later today.
Update: Reader Owen S. just noted that Nav N Go is using
Gomite's adapters to receive the GPS signal.
[Thanks, Andras]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Owen Stevens @ Mar 6th 2008 4:06AM
Assuming this is wireless, it could prove better than gomite's efforts, i'll be convinced once i see the unit...
xbit @ Mar 6th 2008 4:10AM
Nice to see the iPhone catching up with other phones.
happy_penguin @ Mar 6th 2008 4:44AM
Don't mark my words on this but I think the thing is this: The iPhone was designed as a device with a certain look first. Then they figured out what features could be put into the device with the given form factor with the kind of battery life they were looking for. There have to be tradeoffs to get the form factor. So there are things that are not going to make the first design because it physically can't be done. When it comes to this type of device I think Apple hit the mark. It's desirable because of it's appearance and part of the functionality is in fact the form factor. I like how my iPhone fits in my pocket. I like how it feels in my hands and the features it has. Sure it could be better but I think it will take time to come up with a device that has all the features people want in the form factor that is the iPhone. You can't get this form factor in a Windows Mobile device. But then again, the iPhone can't replace a Windows Mobile device with all of it's features. That's why there are choices. People will buy what fits their needs.
Saad Rabia @ Mar 6th 2008 4:56AM
happy_penguin, I will not mark your words..
happy_penguin @ Mar 6th 2008 5:19AM
I wouldn't want you to do that, Saad. It's just something that I kinda ponder upon in my mind. :) I believe it to be true but that doesn't make it true.
Camperton @ Mar 6th 2008 4:13AM
I don't get it. You need Wifi for this to work?
Byzil Mystwing @ Mar 6th 2008 4:14AM
nono, the wifi one connects to the phone wirelessly using WiFi so that it doesn't have anything directly plugged into it. The dongle doesn't use wifi and just plugs straight in.
Camperton @ Mar 6th 2008 4:16AM
Ok I see. Thanks.
Owen Stevens @ Mar 6th 2008 4:16AM
i've actually just realised gomite have a similar device almost ready to go...
http://gomite.com/
jahan @ Mar 6th 2008 4:19AM
I guess thats why Stevo been keeping the lid on 3rd party apps, because that doesn't look "iphone-y" at all.
Adam @ Mar 6th 2008 4:28AM
I agree that it doesn't look "iphone-y" but hell if it means people dont have to suffer by not having pretty standard functions like GPS, then F it.
Adam @ Mar 6th 2008 6:15AM
@Adam
since when is built in GPS a "standard" feature on mobile phones?
Raheem @ Mar 6th 2008 7:02AM
Every phone I've seen or indeed sold, with GPS are absolutely tragic attempts, so forgive me if I don't share your view, Adam. (The top Adam, not the bottom Adam... although that's no reflection on who's who out of the Adams. :|)
ljinsane @ Mar 6th 2008 1:22PM
@raheem...I guess you never heard of the Att tilt...lol
Raheem @ Mar 6th 2008 3:22PM
I actually haven't. AT&T don't provide to London, England.
Phoenix @ Mar 7th 2008 4:57PM
Well then you haven't heard of the HTC TyTN II, T-Mobile MDA Vario III, the O2 XDA Stellar or that random vodafone thing.
It's all the same hardware
Raheem @ Mar 9th 2008 5:21PM
After working for O2 and having to act as a pimp for them for the XDA Orbit, I would never have trusted any such device for GPS, however I didn't know they did the Stellar (been outta the game for a while) - I will definately give it a look on your recommendations :)
QUOW @ Mar 6th 2008 4:38AM
Goddamn it...RIGHT after I pass on the iPhone and get a Blackberry 8820
Sui @ Mar 6th 2008 4:48AM
They are working on a wifi GPS dongle just because Apple restricts the access to the built in bluetooth device?!
This is sooo ridiculous!
QUOW @ Mar 6th 2008 4:54AM
Newsflash: There's no internal GPS. Never has been, and never will be...until the midsummer $400 upgrade model.
bucyaj @ Mar 6th 2008 5:32AM
Hes not talking about that, he is wondering why they couldn't get a dongle to interact via bluetooth. the reasons being I thing that the bluetooth profiles are not up to the job
Chris @ Mar 6th 2008 12:14PM
Why can't the GPS receiver just send the coordinates directly over wifi to the device? Why does it need a wifi receiver attached?
Sean @ Mar 6th 2008 2:55PM
For this to work on the iPod Touch as well as the iPhone, it has to use wifi, since the Touch doesn't have Bluetooth.
trumpton @ Mar 6th 2008 5:25AM
What a bodge!
Pouya @ Mar 6th 2008 5:48AM
That elevator music sure made the video number one.
Michael @ Mar 6th 2008 9:33AM
seriously!?!? wtf? why is the music so loud you can't hear the voices. the conversation must be so inconsequential however edited that video decided to drowned it out...of course they could have just left it out altogether and made the elevator music easier to hear...
Joe @ Mar 6th 2008 10:26AM
I think the music makes it a number 2!
Blu-Ray John @ Mar 6th 2008 6:02AM
In a way it's better if these sort of things come as options - it let's those who don't want certain features to keep a slim light-weight device while stil giving the option for future add-ons. And you might only want this kind of thing in a car so it's far better that it's removable.
Like with the iPods beign criticised for not having built in FM radio - I bought one so I didn't have to listen to the radio! The FM radio is a removale add-on which is sensible.
David @ Mar 6th 2008 6:38AM
I don't know about others, but I don't need a GPS to find the Eiffel Tower when I'm in Paris :-P.
anoldcarsnickname @ Mar 6th 2008 6:50AM
You bought an iPod so you wouldn't have to listen to the radio? Right, so other MP3 players force you to listen to the radio right? As for the slim size, I'm not entirely sure but I don't think an fm receiver is such a big chip that they would have to rethink the entire design.
I always found it annoying that Nokia cellphones didn't have a built-in radio receiver but that it was bult into the headphonecontroller.
Dyranios @ Mar 6th 2008 6:47AM
:P
sully @ Mar 6th 2008 11:06AM
Exactly, I refuse to get any sort of GPS unit on the basis that I like maps and finding my way. My iPhone is now actually the perfect form of what I like, get your general area from the locator and then use real maps. But I'm the sort of navigator that actually preferrs to *gasp* plot a route manually. So if I don't want a satnav/GPS, I don't want to have to pay for one.
Amir @ Mar 8th 2008 1:50AM
@anoldcarsnickname
Crack open an iPhone and tell me where you'd put the chip.
Stephen Tsai @ Mar 6th 2008 7:42AM
The dongle will prevent you from charging the iPhone will in use. I wonder why the company is using wifi instead of bluetooth. Hopefully there will be a bluetooth version of software available after the SDK is released. I already have a matchbook sized bluetooth GPS receiver that has a 20 hour battery life, which I use with TomTom software on my Palm. I think a separate receiver placed on the dashboard gets a better view of the sky/satellites than a dongle, depending on where you plan to mount your device for viewing/operation.
kfernandes29 @ Mar 6th 2008 2:12PM
I think it's Wi-Fi based instead of Bluetooth because the BT stack in the iPhone is crippled. It doesn't even support A2DP (which kinda sucks but I have a dongle attached for my BT Earphones) so I doubt it supports Serial Port connections over Bluetooth.
Owen Stevens @ Mar 6th 2008 9:11AM
actually there is a mini usb port on the bottom to allow for charging and gps use at the same time :)
syd @ Mar 6th 2008 8:44AM
I enquired whether Tomom was planning an iphone satnav upgrade, but they said they had no plans to.. I bet as soon as this one (or another) is launched they will be quick to get in on the act to. Its what I have been waiting for, needs a kit with iphone holder, charger and Bluetooth (/wifi)reciever. GREAATT..
Blaktornado @ Mar 6th 2008 11:00AM
Wait. It connects to the Dock Port?
This is very promising for the hopes of a Microphone and Skype for iPod Touch!
And also a 3G adapter for all you iPhone 3G wanters.
ferg @ Mar 6th 2008 11:38AM
wow! does the music come with it too? then, not only will i not be able to hear anyone talking to me, but i'll want to shoot myself in the face in the process! yay elevator music!
SireB @ Mar 6th 2008 1:17PM
Why wait?! You can buy Pat Metheny at any local record store!
wwoodard @ Mar 6th 2008 3:50PM
So I have to stick on a dongle and have something else dongle-ing from my key chain to get this to work? Yuck... My VZNavigator is totally self contained within the phone - just open the lid and go to the app. And this simplicity - always at hand, no fussing whatsoever - is what makes my phones version a killer app...
mcubed @ Mar 6th 2008 4:56PM
I've done GPS on the phone before. I travel for business, and the idea of always having my GPS and Phone with me in one device was nice. The problem however is that the most important time to have GPS while driving in a strange place is during phone conversations. I tried 3 Symbian GPS options, and all didn't work well while in a phone call.
How does this APP propose to handle incoming outgoing phone calls while navigating. That is a key feature for me, and resulted in my purchase of a Garmin Nuvi. This way I can have good GPS nav while chatting up some business deals as I drive to the next meeting.
Kevin_S @ Mar 6th 2008 8:52PM
im confused, if the ipod touch can only connect 2 wifi, then how is it going 2 give u directions in the car? no-one i know has wifi in their car!!
Phoenix @ Mar 7th 2008 4:58PM
Idiot.
You get a GPS unit that sends the GPS data OVER WIFI to your touch which is nearby
Think bluetooth, only with WiFi
Martyhead @ Mar 6th 2008 10:29PM
wtf is up with the jazz music?
Der_Hexer @ Mar 7th 2008 9:27AM
I talked to the guys at the cebit fair yesterday and they told me, that the dongle thing presumebly won't be released. The wifi thing is the one they are counting on. The idea behind the gps-wifi-stick is, that it simply runs within safari. There is running a complete tiny webserver with all the maps, etc. on the stick which does all the "mathematics" and simply draws it as a webpage on the iphone/ipod touch or any other device that has wifi and a web-browser. They said it will take about 3 months for them get it to final stage.
Chagrin @ Mar 7th 2008 7:05PM
I like the whole idea but what about battery life. How are you supposed to charge the iphone/itouch with the wifi adaptor plugged it, because we all know the battery like sucks
Cassini @ Mar 8th 2008 7:16PM
Wow, that's really nifty - GPS for iPhone as an add-on. Or Apple could, ya know, just build it in.
Yeah, no iPhone until 3.5G and GPS are in there.