Existing users, 
iPhone OS 2.0 Maps app much improved
Posted 10 July 2008 @ 11am in News
As we noted with regard to early beta releases of iPhone OS 2.0, the new software/firmware iteration includes dramatic improvements to the bundled Maps application, in terms of both functionality and accuracy.
The updated application includes a new live location tracking feature that will automatically track the user’s current location in the Maps application on a persistently updating basis. So, for instance, driving down Broadway in New York with an iPhone would result in a constantly moving blue, pulsing ball indicating your current location. This makes the iPhone’s “Locate Me” function feel much more like a real GPS — even on first-generation devices.
iPhone Atlas staffer David Martin took a newly updated iPhone for a test drive (literally) in the the Houston Metro this morning. His notes:
- The Maps app would quickly locate me — first from a wide perspective of the surrounding area — before zooming in on me at my current location. It did so after asking if if could use my current location. I was prompted to either accept or deny that request.
- Location appears to work better near major freeways and seemed to work less accurately the further away I got from such a roadway. (probably the result of more saturated cell tower coverage in areas close to major roadways)
- The map was overlaid with a blue circle. You can tap the circle to zoom in.
Feedback? info@iponeatlas.com.
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2 Comments
Posted by smokeonit
10 July 2008 @ 2pm
the tracking on 1st generation iphone 2G is done by WPS, wireless positioning service, which reliess on wifi beacons!
cell tower signal are a last resort and are not very precise… as stated in the article the radius started with a general overview of the neighborhood… once it zoom in to street level accuracy that’s WPS tracking…
even on the iphone 3G the assisted GPS relies on WPS to get a first accurate first fix…
of course the area had to been scanned by the WPS company that scans the area for apple/google maps, they’re skyhookwirless. and the new improved A-GPS system is called XPS 2.0, using GPS, WPS and cell tower triangulation for the first position fix, cell tower triangulation if the area isn’t covered by WPS…
to check if the area has been scanned for WPS-coverage use:
http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/coverage.php
or
http://www.loki.com/support/coverage-map
loki.com also works with firefox 2.x.x to give laptops a quick location and the ability to search for services nearby in google maps….
Posted by smokeonit
10 July 2008 @ 2pm
and it’s cool to know that the iphone osX 2.0 (1.2) does live tracking with WPS on the first generation iphone 2G! i was hoping that it did, but the keynote by steve jobs didn’t mention anything in that regards, only mentioning the live tracking with the iphone 3G and GPS…
in densely populated areas with lots of wifi beacons flying around live tracking based on WPS is super cool since it works much faster and needs less power than GPS or A-GPS… the wifi module in the iphone 2G/3G is active anyways…