iPhone/Smartphone stuff

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 7:07 PM, Mark Komarinski <mkomarinski at wayga.org> wrote:
> Google Maps on my Verizon Curve can find my location.  Well, within 1500
> meters or so.

  Interesting.  I'm curious; any idea how it does that?  Does Google
maybe have some way of finding out what cell you're in, and mapping
that to a rough guess of your location?

> Nowhere near true GPS precision ...

  Exactly.  The device has a GPS receiver, which is required to be
working for Mobile Enhanced 911 location purposes.  I've read that, on
8830 and 8330 units with Sprint firmware, it works great with other
apps.  Verizon just blocks anything not VZ Navigator.  Including the
built-in BlackBerry Maps software.  Even if you subscribe to VZ Nav,
other stuff is still blocked.  Jerks.

> http://news.vzw.com/news/2007/11/pr2007-11-27.html
> Hmm.  Not much time left in 2008 to do all the things they said they'd do...

  Reminds of a remark I saw on Slashdot, from when Intel recalled
their PIII 1.13 GHz CPU, after two months of nobody being able to
actually obtain one anyway:

"Now, for this recall, do I have to send anything back to Intel, or
can I just shred my copy of the press release?"

-- Ben