+Gudlyf Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 Taken from Slashdot: "NTT DoCoMo announced today that it will introduce it's first Global Positioning Service (GPS)-compatible handset F661i, at the end of April. The GPS mobile phone enables users to determine their location at the touch of a button, and download location specific information via i-mode like graphical maps and other interesting information about the area. This is not like the GPS functionality that the US Phone companies introduced so far. In the US the GPS coordinates are only used for emergencies and not yet for actually providing value to the user in other situations. Users of the F661i can send their current location to other i-mode enabled phones. In addition, a memo function allows users to store location information, including map, telephone numbers and addresses. The phone supports three applications of the GPS functionality: 1)The GPS enabled Phone can be tracked by via a service, useful for instance for parents to track their kids. See also the Wherify GPS Person Locator. 2)Submission of current location in case of emergency to pre-defined organizations, like police, fire departments etc. Similar to the GPS functionality available in the US. 3)The F661i also can be used by businesses to track their delivery trucks and more. Similar to Car GPS devices." Quote Link to comment
+SpongeRob Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 Not sure I want a GPS in a phone. It's kind of like the camera in a phone. Cell phones seem to have a max life of 2 years. I know I expect more than 2 years out of my GPS, or I expect to sell it or trade it in. Having an extra $100 of electronics in something disposable doesnt exactly appeal to me. I guess I just come from the old school of use the right tool for the right job. Sure I might have more tools, but my digital camera, GPS and phone are not all disposable at the same time. -- SpongeRob rwmech@keenpeople.com www.keenpeople.com WPWU826 Cache'n Retrievers Quote Link to comment
+TEAM 360 Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 I agree. Too much junk jammed all into one unit can cause you a headache, and what will be the battery life of such a device, about 2 hours? Will this thing also cook dinner and rub my feet? ENOUGH ALREADY! Quote Link to comment
+Gudlyf Posted March 30, 2003 Author Share Posted March 30, 2003 The nice thing I like about it is being able to send your location to another user of the same device, sort-of how the Rhino's work. Quote Link to comment
lomd Posted March 31, 2003 Share Posted March 31, 2003 This may be NTT's first cell phone/GPS combo, but it is not the first ever. Benefon (a Romenian company, I believe) makes one which has been used on a couple of confluence hunts, such as http://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?lat=55&lon=49&visit=1 and Garmin recently announced another. Quote Link to comment
geoStrider Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 Technology is changing too quickly to justify the expenditure on such a combo package. Too many functions in one package can result in any one of the components becoming obsolete, thereby obsoleting the entire package. All that said, look for a combo FRS radio, GPS, cell phone, PDA, gameboy clone, electric shaver, deodorant dispenser in the future! Veni, Vidi, Cachi ... Quote Link to comment
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