Apple seeds iPhone 2.1 with directional GPS, push notification

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple is already providing developers with a new iPhone firmware beta with enhanced location-finding that could lead to true navigation as well as the roots for background push services.



Those with hands-on access to the beta 2.1 code at Gear Live note that Core Location can now recognize the cardinal direction of an iPhone with GPS as well as its velocity, both of which are ingredients necessary to providing turn-by-turn directions.



The additions confirm statements recently by Apple's Greg Joswiak, who rejected earlier claims that iPhone 3G's GPS antenna wasn't powerful enough to handle navigation and in turn explained that "complicated issues" are holding the device back from serving as a true navigation unit.



Separately, AppleInsider has also confirmed that Apple is implementing a rough version of its background push notification service in the 2.1 firmware.



Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, the feature lets third-party native programs receive data such as alerts or new messages without actively running. The measure saves processing power without interrupting some apps that depend on constant access to the Internet.



The inclusion of this early version of the code alludes to the 2.1 update becoming public at the same time as the push notification service itself, which is tentatively due for September. In the meantime, Apple and its US partner AT&T are known to be testing iPhone 2.0.1, a maintenance release that likely fixes some of the outstanding bugs with the initial 2.0 release.



More information about 2.1 is expected to appear soon, though developers committed to shipping production apps are being warned to hold off testing the new release and its accompanying SDK as it will prevent them from submitting programs to the App Store.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.
  • Reply 2 of 56
    jmadlenajmadlena Posts: 43member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Snegbert View Post


    Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.



    Does Microsoft already have a service similar to Apple's Push Notification Service? Why would they bust Microsoft's chops about a task manager on a mobile device if they already do it?
  • Reply 3 of 56
    nanoakronnanoakron Posts: 126member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jmadlena View Post


    Does Microsoft already have a service similar to Apple's Push Notification Service? Why would they bust Microsoft's chops about a task manager on a mobile device if they already do it?



    How about -



    British English dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    LESS LAG ON CONTACTS

    Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?
  • Reply 4 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NanoAkron View Post


    How about -



    British English dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    LESS LAG ON CONTACTS

    Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?



    I completely agree with the first 4, but I do have some insight on the last one. I read (somewhere) that Apple cannot sell downloads over 3G because it is not in their deal with the record companies. They are trying to add it to the terms, but, as usual, the record companies are dragging their feet. It will happen sometime, but when is anybodies guess.



    Steve
  • Reply 5 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPhone91 View Post


    I completely agree with the first 4, but I do have some insight on the last one. I read (somewhere) that Apple cannot sell downloads over 3G because it is not in their deal with the record companies. They are trying to add it to the terms, but, as usual, the record companies are dragging their feet. It will happen sometime, but when is anybodies guess.



    Steve



    Even if it was in their deal with the record companies, I'm pretty sure the carrier (AT&T) has it disallowed.



    You might think promoting heavy data use at expensive data rates would be in AT&T's interest. It's not. For one, it would slow down their network too much, and for another, they make far more margin selling ringtones that are smaller files for other models of phones.



    If Apple is going to use AT&T's network for selling music to iPhone owners, they are going to want a cut-- not just the price of traffic. My guess is that either Apple or the rights holders don't agree, or else there simply isn't a way to give everybody a cut and still price the way Apple wants to.



    Long story short: there's no way to keep iTunes pricing and give AT&T a cut without making it unprofitable, probably for the record companies, almost certainly for Apple.
  • Reply 6 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NanoAkron View Post


    How about -



    British English dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    LESS LAG ON CONTACTS

    Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?



    That does not address my question. I'm not talking about anything that you stated. I am asking about the Push Notification Service. This is the solution that Apple has created to get around the problem of apps needing a constant internet connection to update themselves.



    MMS, sending business cards, lag on contacts have nothing to do with this. Please apply a little thought to your response.
  • Reply 7 of 56
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Snegbert View Post


    Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.



    Umm, "push data" is not the same thing as a "Push Notification Service", which is in fact a new invention. Currently, applications have to poll their own open ports for incoming data and then act on it, which means those applications and ports have to remain open all the time. Except for a few core services, Apple doesn't allow applications to remain open (or run in the background), so they devised an alternative way for servers to notify clients of any changes. One possibly use of this service will be used for the so-called "push data" that those other platforms have had FOR YEARS, including email, contacts, calendars, etc. Another use for this type of service will be to allow an instant messaging service notify a client of a new message or allowing the ebay servers to update the iPhone ebay application, etc. This will all be possible without the need for a dozen background apps running or clients needing to remain open.



    Can't wait for this service to make the jump to the Mac. No need to keep iChat or Mail open to receive updates.
  • Reply 8 of 56
    smokeonitsmokeonit Posts: 268member
    i hope 2.1 (aka 2.0.1???) will get the bluetooth stack that allows us iphone 2G owners to pair with our external bluetooth GPS!!!



    apple, let me decide if i want to drain my battery and when i need my GPS! i hope apple listens and gives us the right to get GPS running with the "old" iphone 2G....



    c'mon apple, this would be so easy for you guys!!!



    since the 2.0 update was a bummer in that regard i hope apple really gives a damn....
  • Reply 9 of 56
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NanoAkron View Post


    How about -



    British English dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    LESS LAG ON CONTACTS

    Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?





    #2 and #5 may not be within Apple's control. More than likely they are AT&T restrictions imposed because of the original "unlimited" iPhone data plans.



    The others could easily be added (fixed) with a software update. Given the fact that the iPhone OS is only a year old, I'm amazed there's so little to complain about compared to the other platforms, especially usability. I mean, what the hell were they waiting for? Oh... yeah... right... someone else to come up with a better way to do it.
  • Reply 10 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPhone91 View Post


    I read (somewhere) that Apple cannot sell downloads over 3G because it is not in their deal with the record companies.



    Yes it's very odd.



    Imagine ordering a physical $100 product that required delivery - it's normal that standard (road) delivery might be $10 while air-courier costs $30... we expect that, and either way the store we bought from just gets the $100 (the other is cost of delivery).



    But when it comes to delivery music over cable or 3G, they actually want to price the product higher. That's like saying "the product is $100 + $10 delivery - but if you want it airmail it'll be $150 + $30 delivery!". Very odd.



    edit: Note - there are still 2 issues - the Telcos want to have their increased delivery charge, but ALSO the music companies want to make more based purely on HOW it is downloaded.
  • Reply 11 of 56
    tantrumtantrum Posts: 41member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NanoAkron View Post


    How about -



    British English dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    LESS LAG ON CONTACTS

    Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?



    Downloading music over 3G is a carrier decision. It has nothing to do with Apple or the iPhone. Carriers believe music downloaded over their spectrum should cost more than other music. i.e. they deserve a specific special cut for that kind of data as opposed to ordinary e-mail attachments.
  • Reply 12 of 56
    A little off topic...

    I'm in Australia, so locating myself using SkyHookWireless Wifi access points doesn't work very well.



    SkyHookWireless sent cars through major US cities recording GPS locations against Wifi access points - so the old iPhone or your laptop could work out where it was. It also works with the new iPhone when you can't see the sky clearly - when I'm in my office the iPhone locates the general suburb (using cell towers), and then brings me in much closer based on our wifi point that I manually added to SkyHookWireless.



    SkyHook is smart enough that when your phone sends up the 5 wifi points it sees, if it recognises just one of those points it'll give you your location AND update its records to say the other 5 wifi points are nearby.



    So when I get my GPS location, I'd like to have my phone note the GPS location and any wifi access points, so that when I'm back on wifi it can send up a list of locations for Sky Hook.



    A bit nerdy I know... (I mean it's a nice way of automatically updating my home wifi info so the phone applications know I'm at home even though they can't see satellite ... but I'd probably leave my GPS on during a drive, just to help SkyHook improve their database)
  • Reply 13 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GregAlexander View Post


    A little off topic...

    I'm in Australia, so locating myself using SkyHookWireless Wifi access points doesn't work very well.



    SkyHookWireless sent cars through major US cities recording GPS locations against Wifi access points - so the old iPhone or your laptop could work out where it was. It also works with the new iPhone when you can't see the sky clearly - when I'm in my office the iPhone locates the general suburb (using cell towers), and then brings me in much closer based on our wifi point that I manually added to SkyHookWireless.



    SkyHook is smart enough that when your phone sends up the 5 wifi points it sees, if it recognises just one of those points it'll give you your location AND update its records to say the other 5 wifi points are nearby.



    So when I get my GPS location, I'd like to have my phone note the GPS location and any wifi access points, so that when I'm back on wifi it can send up a list of locations for Sky Hook.



    A bit nerdy I know... (I mean it's a nice way of automatically updating my home wifi info so the phone applications know I'm at home even though they can't see satellite ... but I'd probably leave my GPS on during a drive, just to help SkyHook improve their database)





    Adding your wifi point manually sounds useful. I live in a small town and Skyhook has no coverage here. How'd you do it?
  • Reply 14 of 56
    gregalexandergregalexander Posts: 1,400member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Macchappy View Post


    Adding your wifi point manually sounds useful. I live in a small town and Skyhook has no coverage here. How'd you do it?



    http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/submit_ap.php



    You enter your address on this page, then refine the location of your access point on the google map. Enter in your access point's MAC address... and submit.



    An easier and slightly less specific way (though it probably doesn't matter) is to load the Loki toolbar in Windows (www.loki.com). Then just click "Locate Me". When it fails, you tell it your address and that is sent to SkyHookWireless.
  • Reply 15 of 56
    8corewhore8corewhore Posts: 833member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Snegbert View Post


    Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.



    "...make it sound like..." Would you like to quote something? They didn't invent the phone, GPS, WiFi, apps, email, SMS, etc... what they're touting in a new, easy, friendly, intuitive way of using these. If you're hearing something else, let us know.
  • Reply 16 of 56
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    The main complaint I have heard about iPhone 3G is poor reception. Other brands of phone side-by-side get great reception.



    Maybe there is 1 production line where they not connect antenna to motherboard?
  • Reply 17 of 56
    csimmonscsimmons Posts: 100member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by smokeonit View Post


    i hope 2.1 (aka 2.0.1???) will get the bluetooth stack that allows us iphone 2G owners to pair with our external bluetooth GPS!!!



    apple, let me decide if i want to drain my battery and when i need my GPS! i hope apple listens and gives us the right to get GPS running with the "old" iphone 2G....



    c'mon apple, this would be so easy for you guys!!!



    since the 2.0 update was a bummer in that regard i hope apple really gives a damn....



    Uh...how shall GPS get up and running accurately on a 2g iPhone if it doesn't have a GPS module!?!?
  • Reply 18 of 56
    frykefryke Posts: 217member
    read the whole fricking posts. he talked about adding a bluetooth gps. you even quoted the relevant part.
  • Reply 19 of 56
    joedrcjoedrc Posts: 86member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jmadlena View Post


    That does not address my question. I'm not talking about anything that you stated. I am asking about the Push Notification Service. This is the solution that Apple has created to get around the problem of apps needing a constant internet connection to update themselves.



    MMS, sending business cards, lag on contacts have nothing to do with this. Please apply a little thought to your response.



    How about-



    British English Dictionaries

    MMS

    Sending business cards

    Less lag on contacts?
  • Reply 20 of 56
    csimmonscsimmons Posts: 100member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fryke View Post


    read the whole fricking posts. he talked about adding a bluetooth gps. you even quoted the relevant part.



    Missed the part about about the bluetooth GPS. Was skimming thru the post too quickly. No need to be a dick about it.
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