GPS Related iPhone Announcements

Update, watch a video of the iPhone 3G GPS in action. — We’ll trickle through some of the location/GPS related announcements made regarding the 3G iPhone and the iPhone 2.0 software announcements… It is pretty clear location based services are a big part of Apple’s strategy for the second generation iPhone.

• Demo of the SDK (software development kits) highlights the “Location API”. They are showing an example program called “Nearby Friends” that pulls contacts out of your addressbook and will list which of your contacts/friends are within a 10 mile radius of where you are.
• The demo location based application was created within about 10 minutes.
• Disney talking about applications– great place for a location based iPhone app– very cool if it could tell you where the short lines are etc.
• Even with the existing “accelerometer” hardware in the first iPhone, you could “point” at a location with your iPhone, and knowing the coordinates be able to get info on what you are pointing at.
• eBay on the iPhone… find auctions near me.
• I’d personally love to see custom preferences/settings of the iPhone itself based on location… When I’m at home turn the ringer on.. if I’m not at home, set to vibrate mode.
• We’ve talked about Loopt’s iPhone comments before … “who needs a PND when you get GPS on something like the iPhone”. And now they are developing a location aware social network application for the iPhone. Little surprise there! And it will be free!
• (Not really location related) TypePad gets native blogging app— what about WP?
• New app from the AP can show you news items that are topical to where you are.
• The new contacts application, part of the MobileMe program, includes Google Maps integration.
• And there it is… “GPS Support” is now integrated into the iPhone 3G… it is official “for real” now. They are using a combination of cell towers, wifi networks, and GPS satellites to determine location.
• No navigation applications were announced, but there is still plenty of time to ponder that…
• Oh…. and then there is this…. TomTom for iPhone.

Located in Cell Phone GPS, GPS on Jun 9, 2008