slycrel
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Posts posted by slycrel
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Any idea how the GPS unit in the iPhone will handle geocaching? I have hear it isn't the strongest chip, and it doesn't do well indoors or in cars. What do people think about in deeply wooded areas or other distant places?
I want to get started with geocaching and want to make sure I get a unit that fits with my lifestyle (like the iPhone has for the last year).
Tim
Without web access you won't be able to load web pages in the web view. but you can type in the lat/long coordinates wherever and the arrow will still point which direction you need to go in relation to where you are, the distance will still show up, and the GPS tracking will still work.
I will have a 3G iPhone sometime next week (I've prepaid, it's being shipped to my AT&T store) so I'll know more then. I've heard mixed things about the GPS reception.
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Thought I would mention this here as I've mentioned it publicly in another forum... Check it out here: http://geopherdemo.blogspot.com This demo is [edit: will be as soon as apple approves it!] freely downloadable from the app store in iTunes.
Not trying to spam, but I figure since it's still "In Review" by apple, it probably won't be approved before next monday, and I've seen a lot of people wondering about these kinds of apps. There's nothing currently like this in the app store right now, it's possible apple is on the fence if they will be letting developers do this or not.
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The iTunes Applications Store for iPhone and iPod Touch is active! Tons of these applications look amazing, and of course my thoughts immediately turned to the inevitable Geocaching app. Hell, maybe I'll make one myself. Or maybe it could be an open source project?
Any feature requests?
I'm thinking:
-Google Maps integration (just like on geocaching.com) to see cache listings, hopefully with an option to download certain maps for offline use (though I don't know how Google would feel about that...)
-detailed cache listing pages (with option to download them for offline use)
-uploading photos directly from the phone to a cache gallery page
-search feature with pocket query level filtering
-bookmark lists on the phone
-take notes on caches, option to share them with others
-trackable items management
-use the iPhone's GPS to actually find caches, or at least get close to them
-use the iPhone's GPS to plan a route with caches along it
I'm also wondering what sorts of licensing, etc. would have to be done with Groundspeak. I assume that some stuff, like the advanced searching, they would want to save for paying members. Maybe paid members get the app for free, and all others have to pay for it? I don't know if Apple has any sort of system in place to accommodate that sort of system though... It could probably be pretty easily tied to a login, same as it is now.
Man, I'm excited though!
I currently have a "demo" version of a geocaching app that I have submitted to apple. It's fairly basic, set a target and use the new iPhone's GPS to navigate to it.
Unfortunately it is still marked as "Under review" by apple, and has been since wednesday afternoon. I didn't quite make the cutoff on monday for a few different reasons. I'll post a link here once it actually gets approved. In the meantime, here's the default screen for the app.
I should note also that there are at least two other developers developing for the iPhone currently that are members of the community. If/when they release something as well I am not sure, but I know at least those two have something going already. A couple of companies including Groundspeak have hinted at it as well, but I've not spoken to them and it's been at very vague levels.
That's also assuming that apple lets any of that happen. I hear TomTom has their software ported to the iPhone, but there are contract issues with that. That's more general of an application, but the point stands -- if apple has issues with them, they may have issues with geocaching software in general.
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Thanks for the input you guys.
jbhodj & Drake, thanks for pointing this out. After looking over the website it looks like it has promise, and likely very useful for what it is trying to accomplish. And it's useable today. =) I have some of the same goals and iGeocacher is a good example of some of what I want to provide with this project.
Along those lines, ReadyOrNot, I would want a portion of what I am doing to be usable as a cache manager, not just as a geocaching device. In that respect I think that iGeocacher could work reasonably well. I am definitely planning on allowing for cache management along similar lines.
fourbeer, I don't have much new information to you, it sounds like you know the answers already for these comments.
1) (and arguably 2b) I believe you cannot use the google maps feature unless you have an internet connection. I have an idea of how to get around this, but that will be some work and probably won't make it in version 1.0. I'd like it to, but we'll see. I think this is across the board for the iPhone and google maps. One of the benefits and downfalls of the iPhone platform is it assumes you are always connected. Especially in this case that may not be true.
From what I gather in 2, 2a and 3 you are speaking as if you regularly go geocaching for upwards of 6+ hours at a time. I know that this happens, is this the exception or the norm? Most that I know of only get maybe 3-4 caches in a given session. Inherent with the iPhone are limitations on using it for a full time GPS for long periods, and I don't think I can gear my application for that market because of that. I'd love to be able to have better answers for solving these issues, but it's a hardware limitation. If you do outings for that long the iPhone isn't your platform, plain and simple. I did have a good idea that this wouldn't be the end all be all of GPS's, but you make a valid point even if you're not meaning to -- this application should be geared more towards quicker sessions than long term GPSing.
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Hey all.
I've never posted in these forums, but I thought since I'm a geocacher and have plans to look into making some geocaching software for the iPhone that I would get some opinions. I'd also like to know if anyone cares if this happens or not. Obviously if nobody cares I may drop the idea, but I think it would be cool. =)
I'm relatively new to geocaching and am still fairly casual in my hunting. However, from what I can see of other mobile geocaching applications there is a need to be filled with easy to use convenient on-the-go geocaching. I'd like to try getting something going. If things go well I'll have the first revision released soon after the app store comes online.
So, a few questions.
- Would it be important to you to have this software work with the iPod touch or only the iPhone? Why/Why not?
- How many geocaches do you deal with regularly? Do you generally just need a few here and there or the more the merrier?
- If you want to find a geocache, how do you generally find one you are interested in looking for? (i.e. by type, by distance to current location, by difficulty, etc)
- What do you wish that current software out there could do for you that it doesn't do already? (Give me your geocaching wishlist!)
I will be likely using apple's app store for distribution, so this likely will not work on jailbroken phones or iPod touches. Apple's license agreement is very clear that you cannot use their SDK and release jailbroken apps. Apologies if this leaves anyone out in the cold.
Thanks in advance for opinions, suggestions, criticism, etc.
iPhone 3g
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
The new iPhone has a GPS built into it. It uses A-GPS, meaning that the wifi and cell towers just seed it location information to start with -- it doesn't have to wait to figure out where the sattelites are, it already has a good idea. From there it uses the GPS just like any other GPS unit, it just has a headstart on what the time/date and general location are. For example it doesn't have to hunt around for the sattelites, it knows which ones should be in view.