Re: GPS vs. TDOA (was Re: release date)
I think my question is why is everybody freaking out about the iPhone not having GPS? It will report location as close as 30 meters, usually within 100 meters and almost always within 300 meters. This accuracy is good enough for most applications. Even better cellular TDOA is accurate inside building as well as outside buildings (which in my experience GPS is not). Are location detection services like TruePosition's U-TDOA (used by Cingular and T-Mobile in the USA) not available internationally? Well, for one thing, it's my understanding TDOA is dependent on the cellular provider giving you access to the data. the AGPS on the NEO is capable of running completely autonomously, or it can download the sat position data from any data source. In other words, typically you have to pay for access to the TDOA data (whereas the US government provides GPS for "free"), and you are always dependent on staying within the network. There are quite a few times I'm outside any coverage area (they start putting up towers in the middle of the national forests, and I'm going to be pissed). Also, the early reports say the NEO's GPS is pretty good within buildings. Anyways, if I'm wrong, let me know, but until then I'm glad we're going with GPS -- Jeff O|||O ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
GPS vs. TDOA (was Re: release date)
On 5/19/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I think you guys need to get this out asap. The only reason I do not buy the iphone right now is because it does not have GPS. In the United States the iPhone, no doubt, makes use of radiolocation instead of GPS. Cingular uses Time difference of arrival (TDOA). This system uses multilateration, much like GPS. It is my understanding that civilian GPS is generally accurate within 15 meters. The FCC requires American cellular providers to be able to determine the position of a phone within 100 meters 67% of the time and 300 meters 95% of the time. It is my understanding that TDOA can currently achieve accuracy within 30 meters. Many modern phones support the Location API for J2ME (JSR 179). On a Cingular or T-Mobile network this location is provided by TDOA (unless your phone has GPS which it usually does not). I've used J2ME location based applications on Cingular's network to good effect. I have not been able to compare TDOA to GPS because I haven't had access to a GPS enabled phone. I think my question is why is everybody freaking out about the iPhone not having GPS? It will report location as close as 30 meters, usually within 100 meters and almost always within 300 meters. This accuracy is good enough for most applications. Even better cellular TDOA is accurate inside building as well as outside buildings (which in my experience GPS is not). Are location detection services like TruePosition's U-TDOA (used by Cingular and T-Mobile in the USA) not available internationally? So why is GPS the killer functionality the Neo has over the iPhone? (note: I understand why the OpenMoko development platform is better than the iPhone. I'm just talking about GPS vs. carrier provided location detection.) -- Andrew Becherer Undergraduate, Computing and Software Systems University of Washington, Tacoma ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: release date
I couldn't agree more on the first two items. I would however up e-mail to number 2 and include Groupware (calendar, notes, ) and texting (SMS or IM) in the top list. GPS is important to me/our effort but not as high a priority as mail, calendar & texting. A dev environment for corporate apps as well but that could be a parallel effort. Rich On Sat, 2007-05-19 at 15:37 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I dont mind having a FIC NEO 1973, phone that I can only call with and > receive calls initially. > No problem. I think FIC & developers underestimates this. there a re a > lot of us in companies want to use the phone platform for other markets > anyway. > Open Source is the only way we can create derivative applications for it > to even distribute with our products. > > If the hardware is fixed right now and will not be upgraded severely, it > would be great to have one now and continually upgrade and add software > as it develops. > This is anyway how most open source folks work and it is part of the fun. > > As Steve Jobs said in his keynote speech with the release of the iphone, > "making a call is the killer app" > He is right and we must not forget that. > > I think you guys need to get this out asap. > The only reason I do not buy the iphone right now is because it does not > have GPS. > > To me there are three killer aps in order of importance > 1) Make a call (thanks Steve you're right) > 2) GPS > 3) Open source. > 3) Internet/mail etc. > > L Venter > MMRI > > Ian Stirling wrote: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> What is the latest release date for the FIC NEO 1973, and where will > >> I be able to buy it? > >> I am holding off on company cellphone purchases until I see what the > >> neo can do as my company is Unix only which makes it very attractive. > >> If it will take till next year it will be lights out and I will buy > >> something else. > >> > > > > For end-users, it's still September. > > For developers, a couple of weeks, hopefully. > > This will _NOT_ be a workable phone you want to distribute to > > employees in a couple of weeks. > > > > > > > ___ > OpenMoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community -- GPG/PGP Key Id: 1B257AEC from pgp.mit.edu Remember, all Windows machines are, by definition, fault tolerant. They run Windows don't they!! signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: release date
I dont mind having a FIC NEO 1973, phone that I can only call with and receive calls initially. No problem. I think FIC & developers underestimates this. there a re a lot of us in companies want to use the phone platform for other markets anyway. Open Source is the only way we can create derivative applications for it to even distribute with our products. If the hardware is fixed right now and will not be upgraded severely, it would be great to have one now and continually upgrade and add software as it develops. This is anyway how most open source folks work and it is part of the fun. As Steve Jobs said in his keynote speech with the release of the iphone, "making a call is the killer app" He is right and we must not forget that. I think you guys need to get this out asap. The only reason I do not buy the iphone right now is because it does not have GPS. To me there are three killer aps in order of importance 1) Make a call (thanks Steve you're right) 2) GPS 3) Open source. 3) Internet/mail etc. L Venter MMRI Ian Stirling wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What is the latest release date for the FIC NEO 1973, and where will I be able to buy it? I am holding off on company cellphone purchases until I see what the neo can do as my company is Unix only which makes it very attractive. If it will take till next year it will be lights out and I will buy something else. For end-users, it's still September. For developers, a couple of weeks, hopefully. This will _NOT_ be a workable phone you want to distribute to employees in a couple of weeks. ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
