Candid conversations about using GPS and wireless technology for work and fun.
Posts tagged wi-fi
Video Demo: Sprint Navigation (powered by TeleNav) on the HTC Hero
Oct 12th
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about the HTC Hero on Sprint. With the number of mobile phones that come out each year, it seems like only a few phones generate significant buzz before they launch and the Hero is one of those phones. Sprint launched the Hero yesterday and you guessed it, Sprint Navigation (powered by TeleNav) is available on the phone.
I got my hands on the Hero prior to the launch and took it for a spin and I have to say, I was really impressed with the phone’s performance and overall look and feel. While I was giving the phone a test drive, I decided to shoot this brief video of Sprint Navigation guiding me around here in Sunnyvale. As you can see, the app looks great on the phone and got me exactly where I wanted to go.
In the video you’ll see me using and mentioning a number of features built into Sprint Navigation including a POI search to find the bank I was navigating too. I also mention some of the other categories available in the more than 10 million POIs including gas by price, air ports and Wi-Fi hotspots. I also used the app in landscape mode and decided to try and throw it off by missing some turns to show how quickly it was able to calculate a new route and get me heading in the right direction.
I hope you enjoy this brief video and if you’ve already picked up a new Hero or are planning to, be sure to check out Sprint Navigation. And when you do, don’t hesitate to tell us what you think.
Can GPS and Wi-Fi Work Together?
Jan 28th
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Author—Bob Rennard – CTO and Co-Founder
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Apple’s recent announcement that the iPhone will use Skyhook Wireless’ Wi-Fi location-aware technology has stirred conversation in the press about using Wi-Fi on cell phones vs. using GPS technology.
I tend to agree with Patrick Connelly, an analyst with IMS research, who stated that the two technologies are more complimentary than competitive. However, one will not replace the other.
If you are in an “urban canyon” such as Manhattan, securing a GPS fix may be a challenge, especially with phones that do not use the wireless network to assist the GPS receiver in finding the location (assisted vs. autonomous GPS). In this case, for some location-based services, Wi-Fi access points may be an alternative or complimentary to GPS. However, until Wi-Fi access points reach a critical mass in these cities, the location could still be off by nearly 300 feet, especially if the wireless access point is moved after its location is recorded. This obviously would not work for services like driver navigation but may be reasonable for pedestrians who are not moving as quickly.
In more suburban or rural areas, GPS is still clearly the primary choice for most location-based applications since Wi-Fi access points will be few and far between. Some companies have discussed using personal Wi-Fi access points (i.e. you or your neighbor’s Wi-Fi service) in suburban areas, but this could be a huge privacy issue. I don’t see this happening any time soon.
Other than Skyhook, there are other companies providing some interesting location-aware technologies. Qualcomm and Navizon are also working on Wi-Fi location-aware technologies. Another interesting technology is that of Rosum. Rosum is combining TV with GPS signals to develop a technology that will ideally provide more location-capturing capabilities indoor (where GPS is limited).
