iPhone OS 3.0

[Son of a Beach]

Darnit! I've been trying to avoid having anything to do with iPhones since they came out (I don't have time to learn another gadget, or to learn to develop for another platform, or the money to buy one).

But I went to an Apple WWDC session on the MapKit API in iPhone OS 3 this morning and I'm hooked. It's a very compelling platform to develop for (although expensive... but prices are about to drop dramatically when the new compass-equipped model comes out in a few weeks).

I've got a couple of ideas for iPhone apps I want to write already... and yes, one of them is bushwalking related.

Now I need to start saving. In the meantime, I've downloaded the developers' SDK and will have to find time to start learning it. Grrrrr... I don't have time for this!

If I start neglecting BWT over the next few weeks, this will be the reason.

[photohiker]

Nik,

I've had one since the 3G version came out and couldn't go back to the sorts of devices I had before it with such wierd and broken interfaces. There are some pretty good GPS style apps out there already (MotionX GPS is top of the pile for me) but the limiting factor for these on the iPhone is battery life and lack of ability to background the app while other apps or dare I say 'phone calls' are accessed.

Does the new hardware address either of these?

[Son of a Beach]

I think the new hardware uses a better battery, but I may be getting confused with the new laptop Macs which definitely do use a much better battery.

There's still no backgrounding in the new OS, and I think this is because of battery usage (just guessing). Ie, if multiple apps were running in the background, it could drain batteries very fast.

Each bit of hardware used drains battery life, and the session I just went to (about location detection/GPS/etc and about the compass in the new model) was stressing to make sure that you design apps to start up this detection only when necessary, and make your that you design your app to stop it as soon as possible, to reduce power usage. Also, there are 4 means of detecting location, ranging from fast and inaccurate (cell phone towers) to slow and accurate (GPS). They all have different power usage too, so app developers should carefully consider which they use, depending on the application needs.

So some of this is up to the app developers. But the device as a whole could do with better battery.

[Penguin]

Love the I phone. Have had a range of phones through work JasJam etc. The compatibility with outlook exchange and entourage is great. If you turn the push mail function off and get to only check mail every 15 mins it improves battery life dramatically. Have not downloaded many apps (not my scene). The WiFi has linked onto every network I have asked it to. Web browsing is slow. Have only used the GPS a couple of times - but has worked well. Bluetooth has linked to all the hands free devices that I have linked it to.

Best of all it works well as a phone!!

I look forward to downloading the 3.0 software.

P

[Bush Walker]

Love the I phone.
P

Any thoughts on the new iPhone 4.0 for bushwalking?

I am concerned that use of Bit Map and Pocket Weather AU will be limited by the poor battery life and in a bushwalking context by its lack of waterproofness.

[Son of a Beach]

The iPhone 4.0 has double the screen resolution, meaning the potential for 4 times the map viewing area (in pixels).

Battery life is the major concern for me.

Waterproofness and ruggedness can be largely solved by using a zip-lock bag (the touch screen, microphone and speakers all work from within a zip-lock bag) and an appropriate rugged case.

[walkinTas]

After the battery - which is very short lived - my next big concern would be the glass screen. Without a case they may not survive a 1 metre drop. Even with a suitable case they aren't guaranteed to withstand rugged treatment.

[woka]

I use one of these, which gives me 2-3 full charges:

http://www.calculatorking.com.au/featur ... arger.html

(Not sure if that's the best place to buy them, mine was a pressie)

[Bush Walker]

I use one of these, which gives me 2-3 full charges: http://www.calculatorking.com.au/featur ... arger.html
)

Thanks for that. I believe their are sevral other brands around and also solar chargers.

Just thinking this through but its hard to see why you would want to carry the charger and an iPhone when you could be carrying a GPS with colour screen which is much more sturdy, longer battery life and has replaceable batteries. Then of course I would have a mobile with me anyway. GPS can't give me weather but where I walk there often isn't reception.

[photohiker]

Just thinking this through but its hard to see why you would want to carry the charger and an iPhone when you could be carrying a GPS with colour screen which is much more sturdy, longer battery life and has replaceable batteries. Then of course I would have a mobile with me anyway. GPS can't give me weather but where I walk there often isn't reception.

Well, I can think of one reason - backup.

On my Scotland trip, I carried Maps, Compass, Mapping GPS and iPhone with Maps. That gave me double redundancy on the electronics. I used the maps mostly at the end and beginning of each day, and navigated using the mapping GPS and the compass. Worked brilliantly. I never needed to use the mapping on the iPhone, but it was there if the other systems suffered a catastrophe.

[Son of a Beach]

its hard to see why you would want to carry the charger and an iPhone when you could be carrying a GPS with colour screen which is much more sturdy, longer battery life and has replaceable batteries. Then of course I would have a mobile with me anyway. GPS can't give me weather but where I walk there often isn't reception.

For me, the reason is that I'm reasonably competent at navigating with a map and compass, and have never owned a GPS, nor used one, until I got the iPhone last year. I certainly didn't buy the iPhone for its GPS, but since it has one in it already, and I need a phone, that's now one less device I need. So I don't plan to ever buy a stand-along GPS, when I really have no need for it.

I can use the iPhone while the batter lasts (more for curiosity and interest than for essential navigation), and revert to the map and compass for general navigation if I'm concerned about the battery life of the iPhone.

By the way, you can increase the battery life of the iPhone dramatically by disabling WiFi, Bluetooth and Cellular Networks. NB: Using "airplane mode" doesn't help, as this also disables the GPS (goodness knows why, as the GPS doesn't trasmit anything).

Disabling the cellular network is a bit tricky however, as there is no setting to do this apart from "airplane mode". I simply set a lock code on the SIM card, then when I wan't to disable cell phone network I just restart the iPhone, and when it prompts to unlock the SIM card, I hit "Cancel". Alternatively, you could just remove the SIM card altogether, but they're too easy to lose or break, I think.

[Bush Walker]

For me, the reason is that I'm reasonably competent at navigating with a map and compass, and have never owned a GPS, nor used one, until I got the iPhone last year. I certainly didn't buy the iPhone for its GPS, but since it has one in it already, and I need a phone, that's now one less device I need. So I don't plan to ever buy a stand-along GPS, when I really have no need for it.

Thanks for the info. I think in general the iPhone is too delicate for field use as a GPS, but if you don't need it often its probably fine.

Like you I prefer the map and but rarely use the compass or GPS. I walk with my thumb on the map and have it orientated the right way, reading map to ground as I go. I use the sun or my wrist watch ( Suunto) to give me direction if i need it. The GPS just gets used at major breaks to check my estimated position against reality. If I have been concentrating there is rarely a difference