TomTom iPhone app; iPhone magnetometer; Boot Camp in 10.6
Turn-by-turn GPS device maker TomTom is reportedly recruiting developers to help churn out an iPhone app. Meanwhile, next-gen iPhone hardware should include a digital compass. And Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will reportedly allow Windows partitions running under Boot Camp to read Mac partitions.
TomTom iPhone App
Electronista reports on rumors that TomTom may be stepping up its efforts to produce a turn-by-turn iPhone GPS application through a low-key recruitment effort.
A job listing for an iPhone app developer doesn't mention the company but asks for someone to develop navigation software in Amsterdam, the location of TomTom's headquarters, according to the report. The ideal candidate would start in May or June and work on developing the application for at least six months.
TomTom was one of the earliest GPS device makers to express an interest in iPhone applications, confirming its attempts a month ahead of the App Store's launch last July.
iPhone magnetometer
Following up on reports last month that identified references to a "magnetometer" -- the formal term for a digital compass -- in betas of iPhone Software 3.0, BGR this week published a couple of images taken from the operating system's debug menus which appear to fortify expectations that feature will show up in Apple's next-gen iPhone hardware.
A magnetometer is one of a few features available on T-Mobile's Android-based G1 handset that isn't yet available on the iPhone, as it requires special hardware support not available on existing iPhones. In addition to helping users determine their direction, a magnetometer will potentially deliver a number of other intriguing benefits. MacRumors previously published a pretty good description of what these benefits could include:
Examples of how this could be used include pointing your iPhone's camera at a building and the phone telling you what building it is by combining GPS, accelerometer and compass information. The iPhone could even overlay graphics and text on top of the image to provide additional information. Another application described is the ability to show information about stars and constellations simply by pointing your iPhone towards the sky.
Boot Camp in Snow Leopard
Meanwhile, the rumor site on Friday said its turned up evidence that a new version of Apple's Boot Camp utility being tested as part of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard includes Windows HFS+ drivers, which let Windows installations read Mac OS X HFS+ formatted partitions.
This added support will make it more convenient for Snow Leopard users to swap files between their Windows and Mac partitions, according to the report.
Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Snow Leopard are afforded this option, but only through third-party add-ons such as Mediafour's MacDrive
TomTom iPhone App
Electronista reports on rumors that TomTom may be stepping up its efforts to produce a turn-by-turn iPhone GPS application through a low-key recruitment effort.
A job listing for an iPhone app developer doesn't mention the company but asks for someone to develop navigation software in Amsterdam, the location of TomTom's headquarters, according to the report. The ideal candidate would start in May or June and work on developing the application for at least six months.
TomTom was one of the earliest GPS device makers to express an interest in iPhone applications, confirming its attempts a month ahead of the App Store's launch last July.
iPhone magnetometer
Following up on reports last month that identified references to a "magnetometer" -- the formal term for a digital compass -- in betas of iPhone Software 3.0, BGR this week published a couple of images taken from the operating system's debug menus which appear to fortify expectations that feature will show up in Apple's next-gen iPhone hardware.
A magnetometer is one of a few features available on T-Mobile's Android-based G1 handset that isn't yet available on the iPhone, as it requires special hardware support not available on existing iPhones. In addition to helping users determine their direction, a magnetometer will potentially deliver a number of other intriguing benefits. MacRumors previously published a pretty good description of what these benefits could include:
Examples of how this could be used include pointing your iPhone's camera at a building and the phone telling you what building it is by combining GPS, accelerometer and compass information. The iPhone could even overlay graphics and text on top of the image to provide additional information. Another application described is the ability to show information about stars and constellations simply by pointing your iPhone towards the sky.
Boot Camp in Snow Leopard
Meanwhile, the rumor site on Friday said its turned up evidence that a new version of Apple's Boot Camp utility being tested as part of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard includes Windows HFS+ drivers, which let Windows installations read Mac OS X HFS+ formatted partitions.
This added support will make it more convenient for Snow Leopard users to swap files between their Windows and Mac partitions, according to the report.
Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Snow Leopard are afforded this option, but only through third-party add-ons such as Mediafour's MacDrive
Comments
Turn-by-turn GPS device maker TomTom is reportedly recruiting developers to help churn out an iPhone app. Meanwhile, next-gen iPhone hardware should include a digital compass. And Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will reportedly allow Windows partitions running under Boot Camp to read Mac partitions.
TomTom iPhone App
That would be sweet - and with a jack that accepts a standard audio plug - I might just be able to use my phone as an iPod and a GPS as well as a phone.
That would be sweet - and with a jack that accepts a standard audio plug - I might just be able to use my phone as an iPod and a GPS as well as a phone.
I am pretty sure the current generation of iPhones don't have a recessed headphone jack.
I am pretty sure the current generation of iPhones don't have a recessed headphone jack.
True ... only the first year's iPhones had that silly limitation.
Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Snow Leopard are afforded this option, but only through third-party add-ons such as Mediafour's MacDrive
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
I think you mean, "Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard are...".
Cool stuff, can't wait for the future.
I just hope the app project doesn't go under the code name Godot!
I am pretty sure the current generation of iPhones don't have a recessed headphone jack.
I do believe I had read that - as i have an original iPhone I have the recessed jack - so far the standard jack and the GPS chip and 3G have not been enough for me to make the jump - since I have an iPod, a TomTom, and a 3G notebook card - but I am hopeful that the next hardware bump of the phone will alone me to have one device - iPhone - instead of 3 - iPod, iPhone, TomTom - would simply things - especially when I have to fly somewhere - as it is kind of a pain to take all that stuff with me - especially if I want to use my BOSE noise canceling headphones on the plane.
Plus all the chargers for everything - I would only need to carry a USB iPhone connector plus maybe a USB to 12v car adapter (one with an airline option would be nice too).
Well, here we go again. Two years in a row I stood front in line to get my iPhone so this year I had decided to skip it for a year. But now it appears that Apple is making it again very difficult for me to say "no". They are doing a good job to whet my appetite, and of many others I am sure. We'll see come June if I am strong enough to withstand it.
You're not!! Admit it
Kitchen sink?
That one is interesting. Why add the space if you don't intend to use it? I am guessing that Apple knows what will go there but it's extra super secret.
TomTom's just getting around to that now? I thought as soon as the iPhone 3G with GPS came out, there would be an app for that.
They have had 9 months since the App Store launched and the SDK many months before that and yet they want to hire someone this summer with an assumed launch at the end of the year? What gives! There are already some impressive GPS apps available. Perhaps they are also creating HW that accompanies their App so it can be mounted, has a larger external speaker, a speaker out port,a nd perhaps some other things that TomToms have.
If you're on a trip long enough to require turn-by-turn directions, aren't you probably going to want to use your phone as, well, a phone? Check email or text messages at the stop light? Listen to music or audiobooks along the way?
Isn't turn-by-turn nav one of those things best left to dedicated devices and automobile dashboards?
If you're on a trip long enough to require turn-by-turn directions, aren't you probably going to want to use your phone as, well, a phone? Check email or text messages at the stop light? Listen to music or audiobooks along the way?
1) Depends on what you need it for. If it's for an occasional user having in your phone is probably best, especially if you are walking.
2) You shouldn't be checking email or texts while driving (sitting at a light is still driving, IMO). But if you have to it's hard to hit the Home button and then click email or Messages and then go abck to the GPS app.
3) The iPod app can play in the background. The 3rd-party app can turn it off or keep it running. I'd expect an y decent 3rd-party GPS app to turn down the audio and then announce the street.
1) Depends on what you need it for. If it's for an occasional user having in your phone is probably best, especially if you are walking.
2) You shouldn't be checking email or texts while driving (sitting at a light is still driving, IMO). But if you have to it's hard to hit the Home button and then click email or Messages and then go abck to the GPS app.
3) The iPod app can play in the background. The 3rd-party app can turn it off or keep it running. I'd expect an y decent 3rd-party GPS app to turn down the audio and then announce the street.
I think I read somewhere that the next gen 'Touch' prodcuts will come with a built in glory hole, adding new meaning to "iTouch."
I wonder if maybe TomTom wasn't interested in simply selling an App, so they passed. But now they see the potential of 3.0 and its hardware interface and they want to sell a mount/dock plus an App. This way, they can load their own maps via an SD card into the dock instead of licensing googlemaps.
The first part sounds reasonable, but the licensing of Google Maps is not possible for turn-by-turn. It's what Apple stated was the reason for not having it in Maps and that GPS apps will have to supply their own maps, which TomTom has. But you have a point, they may want to sell a HW kit for the device.
Boot Camp in Snow Leopard
Meanwhile, the rumor site on Friday said its turned up evidence that a new version of Apple's Boot Camp utility being tested as part of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard includes Windows HFS+ drivers, which let Windows installations read Mac OS X HFS+ formatted partitions.
This added support will make it more convenient for Snow Leopard users to swap files between their Windows and Mac partitions, according to the report.
Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Snow Leopard are afforded this option, but only through third-party add-ons such as Mediafour's MacDrive
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Being able to use your HFS drives with your windows partition is great, but If this could allow you if use your itunes media from your Mac account on Windows account it would be very helpful and save a lot of hard drive space.
Sure, we can use MacDrive on the Windows side, or NTFS 3g or Paragon on the Mac side, by why should we have to? Both OSs should include native read write capabilities for both HFS+ and NTFS.
Kitchen sink?
I think the programmers were playing around and put it in as a joke. There is a saying, "includes everything but the kitchen sink." Here, it is joking that the new iPhone hardware will include everything AND the kitchen sink.
I think the programmers were playing around and put it in as a joke. There is a saying, "includes everything but the kitchen sink." Here, it is joking that the new iPhone hardware will include everything AND the kitchen sink.
Not sure about that... As this is the debug menu, it could simply contain excess debug data that is not covered in any other category.
Previously, the only maps on the iPhone were Google's and they weren't, and still won't be, able to be used by 3rd party apps for what TomTom wants to do with them. I'm sure other manufacturers are considering the iPhone for an app as well, although it will conflict to a certain extent with their own software/hardware combinations.
Again, TomTom was interested but Apple wouldn't/didn't provide them the means to do what they wanted to do. Now, with OS 3.0, TT can do what they wanted to.
Look for a TomTom app by the end of the year, IMHO.
Greg