Upgrade to iPod Touch

On 20 Jun 2009, at 10:12, Chris Devers wrote:

> On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 6:45 AM, LuKreme<kremelskreme.com> wrote:
>>
>> The compass is cheap and it does add to the EXIF data if it gets a
>> camera.
>
> This gets me wondering:
>
> A compass gives you X,Y spatial orientation -- the direction you're
> facing, to the degree of accuracy of magnetic compasses -- but it
> doesn't normally give you X,Y,Z orientation -- the direction you're
> facing, plus the angle you're looking at.

The chip in the iPhone providing the compass is said to be the AK8973.
The datasheet can be found here:

http://www.ic-on-line.cn/iol/datasheet/ak8973_4138699.pdf

The first bullet point on the sheet is:
* 3-axis electronic compass IC

So yes, the compass gives you the orientation of the iPhone in all
three dimensions.

Paul

Yes, New York is provincial, but it does have free WiFi downtown and
in places like Central Park and Bryant Park.

There are also many cafes with free WiFi <http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/freewifihotspot.htm
 >, and iPhone owners get an hour of free WiFi every day at Starbucks.
I have 3 Starbucks within a quarter mile of my apartment, and 5
Starbucks within a quarter mile of my office, one directly across the
street. I also paid $25 to get 10% off at Starbucks for a year, plus 2
hours of free WiFi per day. Since I've already had in 2 months at
least $10 in savings, that makes the year-long access to WiFi awfully
cheap. It also works when I travel.

On Jun 20, 2009, at 5:12 AM, Ben Rubinstein wrote:

> On 18/6/09 00:27, David Weintraub wrote:
>> Even in New York, the streets don't hum with WiFi.
>
> Somewhat OT, but I think that remark betrays a questionable
> assumption (you
> Manhattanites, you think you're all that...).
>
> I'd say *especially* in New York, the streets don't hum with (free
> public)
> WiFi - but perhaps that's because, not in spite of, NY's affluence.

I'm a New Yorker, and a native one, and there is a lot of free WiFi
access on the streets of Manhattan; if you've got paid access via a
major provider, it's positively screaming all over NYC.

  New York Wireless is working very hard to make free wireless happen
all over the city, beginning with 100% coverage of Manhattan:

http://www.nycwireless.org/ (scroll down for the Fox NYC News clip
detailing access in parks and now beaches)

The downtown alliance lists just some of free wireless hotspots there :

http://www.downtownny.com/discover/wifi/

Free wireless is available in a number of parks and their surrounding
areas: Union Square, Bryant Park, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park,
and many more. You'd be surprised at the number of people working
outside on nice days (though there haven't been many rain-free days
here in the last few weeks).

JWire is a very handy Mac & iPhone widget to have to locate free WiFi:

http://v4.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm

And if you're near any of the Apple stores, you can also catch some
free WiFi rays nearby from the store's free service - I even picked
up a connection while breakfasting at a trendy spot across the street
and down the block.

Marilyn

--On June 20, 2009 2:12:06 AM -0700 Chris Devers <chris.deversgmail.com>
wrote:

> Also, if we can figure out pitch & yaw, then can the next version
> include an altimeter, and thus also an autopilot mechanism? That would
> rock.

Actually this is supposedly the same accelerometer in the iphone/ipod touch:
<http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8637>

it already does 3 axis tilt sensing. But that only gives you an
orientation of the device relative to a theoretical flat plane. The compass
gives you an orientation of the device to the earth (or the earth's
magnetic field). So rather than blending the numbers together you're better
off keeping them as separate data points. GPS for coordinate on planet
surface, compass for direction on planet, tilt indicators for orientation
of device itself at that point, facing that direction.

On Jun 20, 2009, at 10:54 AM, Paul Durrant <pauldurrant.co.uk> wrote:

>
> The chip in the iPhone providing the compass is said to be the AK8973.
> The datasheet can be found here:
>
> http://www.ic-on-line.cn/iol/datasheet/ak8973_4138699.pdf
>
> The first bullet point on the sheet is:
> * 3-axis electronic compass IC
>
> So yes, the compass gives you the orientation of the iPhone in all
> three dimensions.

I remember a Japanese cell phone application that would use such
orientation. If you pointed it at a apartment building, it would
display vacancies and how much rent was etc. The possibilities here
could be very cool. In a William Gibson Sci-Fi story, there were
special glasses that you could wear and look at buildings and fixed
objects and the glasses would convey information about the object (who
owned it, current stocks of the company that owns it).

I actually think the compass could provide information and produce
some very interesting apps.

Ray

--On June 20, 2009 7:54:20 AM -0700 John Massengale <johnmassengale.com>
wrote:

> , and iPhone owners get an hour of free WiFi every day at Starbucks.

the free hour doesn't apply to iPod Touch users unfortunately. I use
Boingo Mobile on my iPod Touch. $8 a month for unlimited wi-fi on the
networks using them. So far it's saved me a bunch of money getting wi-fi at
starbucks and mcdonalds and several hotels where paid wifi was the only
option (work will reimburse me for laptop connection, but not a laptop AND
my ipod connection).

Haven't tried connecting using the Boingo app since upgrading to OS 3.0 but
haven't heard that it doesn't work.

<http://mobile.boingo.com/>

Kevin

On Jun 20, 2009, at 10:54 AM, John Massengale wrote:

> Yes, New York is provincial, but it does have free WiFi downtown and
> in places like Central Park and Bryant Park.
>
> There are also many cafes with free WiFi <http://
> manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/freewifihotspot.htm
> >, and iPhone owners get an hour of free WiFi every day at Starbucks.
> I have 3 Starbucks within a quarter mile of my apartment, and 5
> Starbucks within a quarter mile of my office, one directly across the
> street. I also paid $25 to get 10% off at Starbucks for a year, plus 2
> hours of free WiFi per day. Since I've already had in 2 months at
> least $10 in savings, that makes the year-long access to WiFi awfully
> cheap. It also works when I travel.

It just takes the price of a cup of coffee, even the smallest size,
you can use the WiFi at Dunkin Doughnuts, McDonalds, Panera, Cosi (a
local sandwich/coffee chain) all of the Chelsea Market and the South
Street Seaport eateries, and other foodie places- you can plunk
yourself down and use them all day. You can also pick up free WiFi in
some NYC hotel lobbies and restaurants. And plenty of local indy
coffee shops all over the city offer free wi-fi too.

Every NYC and Queens Public Library offers free WiFi, though you
can't blab loudly on your iPhone inside the buildings.

With all Starbucks' financial messes, I'm surprised they haven't
started offering free WiFi as well.

Marilyn

On Jun 21, 2009, at 4:08 AM, Kevin van Haaren wrote:

> the free hour doesn't apply to iPod Touch users unfortunately.

If you put as little as $5 on a Starbucks card you can register and
get 2 hours a day free at all Starbucks that have wi-fi. I do that
all the time and it works great. You just have to add a few $$$ at
least once a month.

Regards,

Howard

On 6/21/09 4:08 AM, "Marilyn Matty" <mmattynyc.rr.com> wrote:

> With all Starbucks' financial messes, I'm surprised they haven't
> started offering free WiFi as well.

It's not "their" Wi-Fi, it's AT&T's/T-Mobile's.

For starbuck's to build out their own wireless network, AND pay for all the
bandwidth (commercial bandwidth is charged on a 'what it actually costs'
basis far more than the 'you'll never use all of this, which is good,
because we don't have anything close to enough capacity for you all to
actually use what you think you're paying for' home rates), AND pay to
manage and maintain a national wi-fi network when they're doing badly
already?

There's absolutely no ROI on that.

--
John C. Welch

Since I purchased a Verizon MiFi card about a month ago, I no longer have the need to hunt for a Wi-Fi spot. I can get the Wi-Fi connection with my iPod Touch almost anywhere, even while I'm driving. 

On Jun 21, 2009, at 9:08 PM, John C. Welch wrote:

> On 6/21/09 4:08 AM, "Marilyn Matty" <mmattynyc.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> With all Starbucks' financial messes, I'm surprised they haven't
>> started offering free WiFi as well.
>
> It's not "their" Wi-Fi, it's AT&T's/T-Mobile's.
>
> For starbuck's to build out their own wireless network, AND pay for
> all the
> bandwidth (commercial bandwidth is charged on a 'what it actually
> costs'
> basis far more than the 'you'll never use all of this, which is good,
> because we don't have anything close to enough capacity for you all to
> actually use what you think you're paying for' home rates), AND pay to
> manage and maintain a national wi-fi network when they're doing badly
> already?
>
> There's absolutely no ROI on that.

When there's three McDonald's, 2 Dunkin Doughnuts + probably indy
coffee shops within a 4 block radius, as there are in most of
Manhattan, WiFi + a Caramel Macciato is not as compelling as it once
was to a big swath of consumers, particularly during a deep
recession. Mickey D, Dunkin, etc., eroding a big share of their
profits lately across the US. Starbucks has been closing a
significant % of their outlets, McDonald's is reporting strong profits.

I've read that AT&T cut deals with Mickey D. and Starbucks, and has
been pursuing the indies, to help promote their network to consumers.
I know they're making good deals with indies to push their wireless
music services. If I remember correctly, one of the reasons Starbucks
switched to AT&T about a year or two ago was because of the music
offerings - and the NYC indies tend to have more comfy chairs and
Micky D. cleans its potties more frequently (a consideration for
women - it's been deciding factor when I'm choosing where to park
myself and my PowerBook - the Starbucks potties are much worse).

Though there aren't any, if many, Panera storefronts in Manhattan
(probably the rents would be prohibitive since each store has a large
bakery attached), I've found the smell of fresh baked goodies while I
was using their free WiFi to have inspired me to make more purchases,
though I could most certainly should have avoided the calories and
cholesterol.

Marilyn

Yes, there is a lot of free WiFi points in New York. Many coffee shops
have them, its in most parks, and even the Staple stores have free
WiFi.

What you don't have is the continuous blanket coverage that you would
need say, getting out the the Subway, whipping out your iPod Touch and
seeing which direction you need to go. Sure, somewhere around, in a
few blocks is a free WiFi access point, but you can't simply walk down
the street expecting free WiFi access at each step. Plus, even the
free services require you to select the service, and sign in.

I'm not complaining. I find my iPod Touch pretty useful. I commented I
thought the compass wouldn't be on the iPod Touch because it isn't
that useful unless you have a continuous connection with the Internet.

However, as people have pointed out, it might become useful in gaming.
In that case, I can imagine Apple putting a compass in the Touch. I
guess it will all depend how many games start taking advantage of the
compass.

--
David Weintraub
qazwartgmail.com

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread but . . .

Does anyone yet know if the 3.0 software on an existing iPOD touch will run the TomTom GPS app that was demo'd during the WWDC keynote?

It would be the killer app for me!

John Wolff

Hamilton, NZ

John Massengale, where do I sign up for the "$25 for 10%-off for a year" deal at Starbucks???

And Ryoichi, could you post more info about the Verizon MiFi card, and more specifically, how it works with your Touch?

Nice bunch of info/speculation!

On Jun 21, 2009, at 4:08 AM, Marilyn Matty wrote:
> New York Wireless is working very hard to make free wireless happen
> all over the city, beginning with 100% coverage of Manhattan:

Alas...most New Yorkers don't live in Manhattan. In fact, only around
20% of the city's inhabitants live on that particular island. Out of
the 8,214,426, here's how it breaks down (2008 estimates, courtesy of
the census bureau):

Brooklyn: 2,556,598
Queens: 2,293,007
Manhattan: 1,634,795
Bronx: 1,391,903
Staten Island: 487,407

So, even if Manhattan did have ubiquitous free WiFi -- and it does
not, by the way -- the 6.6 million people* who live in the city's
"outer boroughs" would not be covered.

> And if you're near any of the Apple stores, you can also catch some
> free WiFi rays nearby from the store's free service...

Seeing as the Apple Stores are all in Manhattan, we're still talking
about the same thing.

So, I am going to try to make a larger point here: parts of every city
have free WiFi commonly available. But most of most cities do not. And
because an iPod touch is dependent upon WiFi for many features, it is
limited by the availability of WiFi. Free WiFi is not ubiquitous, or
even close. If you can live with that, fine. But if you cannot, the
touch might not be for you.


(6.6 million people is greater than the population of all but 14
states. That's a lot of people to be waving off, Marilyn. If we wanted
to, we could crush you, simply by the weight of our numbers and our
jewelry, to say nothing of our strollers and our bloggers. You should
give us more respect.

Or else.)

--
=Alex Hoffman

On Jun 24, 2009, at 3:35 PM, jiclark wrote:

> John Massengale, where do I sign up for the "$25 for 10%-off for a
> year" deal at Starbucks???

a Starbucks or https://www.starbucks.com/gold/Index.aspx

On Jun 24, 2009, at 3:35 PM, John_Wolff wrote:

> Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread but . . .
>
> Does anyone yet know if the 3.0 software on an existing iPOD touch
> will run the TomTom GPS app that was demo'd during the WWDC keynote?

I don't know if the program would run but it certainly wouldn't *work*
because it requires GPS hardware that's only present in the iPhone (3G
or newer, I think).

But don't lose hope, the 3.0 software was accompanied by a new SDK
that allows developers to write software to go along with new kinds of
devices that can be connected to the docking port. I would be
surprised if there isn't a GPS dock add-on developed in the next 12
months.

I'm hoping to see a flash media reader with flexible software. I
recently took a trip to Europe and didn't want the bulk or worry
involved in bringing a laptop but still wanted Internet access *and*
the ability to backup my camera's SD cards. I brought the iPod touch
which was great for getting online but didn't help with the SD cards.
I also brought my old WinMobile PDA which has an SD card slot and
WiFi. It took me a while but I finally found a program that would let
me do bulk uploads on the old PDA (Total Commander for PocketPC, it
comes with an ftp plugin). The process was slow and the software a bit
buggy (which also describes WinMobile's own programs) but it gave me
the reassurance that my photos (and a few videos) were on my server as
well as on my SD cards each day.

My hope is a flash media reader for the iPhone/iPod touch will allow
various programs to access inserted cards so files could be uploaded
or download over the network, copied to the iPhone/iPod's own storage
and files stored on the iPhone/iPod could be copied to the cards. Even
if the iPhone/iPod storage is isolated from the storage used for
synced music, videos, or software (as is the case with iPods that can
be mounted as disks on computers), it would still be extremely useful.
Of course such an add-on will need to be significantly cheaper than
dedicated devices like the Photo Safe II.

http://db.tidbits.com/article/10064

[OK, time to cool the borough battles! :-) -Adam]

On Jun 24, 2009, at 3:41 PM, Alexander Hoffman wrote:
> On Jun 21, 2009, at 4:08 AM, Marilyn Matty wrote:
>> New York Wireless is working very hard to make free wireless happen
>> all over the city, beginning with 100% coverage of Manhattan:
>
> Alas...most New Yorkers don't live in Manhattan.

I was responding to a post about Manhattan.

> So, I am going to try to make a larger point here: parts of every city
> have free WiFi commonly available. But most of most cities do not. And
> because an iPod touch is dependent upon WiFi for many features, it is
> limited by the availability of WiFi. Free WiFi is not ubiquitous, or
> even close. If you can live with that, fine. But if you cannot, the
> touch might not be for you.

This wasn't the issue being discussed - access in Manhattan was. My
point was that in "da city" it's easy to find free or inexpensive
access - even in many parks. And if you're near a MacDonald's or
Dunkin' Doughnuts, which are in many rural areas, there's a good
chance you can pick up WiFi for the price of a small coffee or soda.
I've done this at pit stops along highways in rural areas far from
major cities.

A consideration - most fast food and chain dining retailers are
already wired for broadband - their cash registers and computers beam
info to HQ in real time. With Mickey D. and Dunkin putting so much
pressure on indy coffee shops in Manhattan and in other cities, the
indies are also offering the service to stay competitive. Eventually,
broadband might become rather like air conditioning and heating -
something patrons come to expect anywhere, anytime the shop is open -
at least I hope so.

> (6.6 million people is greater than the population of all but 14
> states. That's a lot of people to be waving off, Marilyn. If we wanted
> to, we could crush you, simply by the weight of our numbers and our
> jewelry, to say nothing of our strollers and our bloggers. You should
> give us more respect. Or else.)

Fahggedaboutit! I live in a very unfashionable 'hood in Queens. I've
got to walk about half a mile to Starbucks or McDonalds, and about a
quarter mile to Dunkin Doughnuts. But there's WiFi in the library
about 4 blocks away, which I can pick up in a nearby park if I wanted
- every NYC and Queensboro public library and school has WiFi.

Marilyn

On Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 12:35 PM, jiclark <jclarkouraynet.com> wrote:

> Fahggedaboutit! I live in a very unfashionable 'hood in Queens. I've
> got to walk about half a mile to Starbucks or McDonalds, and about a
> quarter mile to Dunkin Doughnuts. But there's WiFi in the library
> about 4 blocks away, which I can pick up in a nearby park if I wanted
> - every NYC and Queensboro public library and school has WiFi.

Marilyn,

Don't the schools have secure wireless in NYC and Queensboro? I would
think you would have to have that with "hacking" attempts on insecure
wireless.

Nanc