I’ve used plenty of handheld GPS devices in the past, either standalone or add-ons for a variety of PDAs. Just about every phone comes with integrated GPS these days and the new iPhone 3G is no exception.
While most phones are touting their ability to navigate you from place to place by car, it seems that a relatively untapped market is for navigating from place to place by foot.
On a recent trip to NYC I found myself in need of some navigational assistance. Even though NYC is a grid, I’m forever directionally challenged and always find myself walking at least a block in the wrong direction. Enter the iPhone 3G.
I’ve tried to use other mobile phone’s GPS applications in the past but they never seem to be able to map me in real-time the way I need. Thanks to the iPhone and its ability to zoom in and out of the map, as well as overlay with satellite imagery via its built-in Google Maps application, I emerged from the train station, launched the application and was immediately shown not only where I am on the map, but also where I need to go. This led to the most walking I’ve done in the city in a long time. Normally I hop a cab and get shuttled around or take the subway. This time I enjoyed walking 20-30 minutes at a time, all while being directed by my iPhone.
The only drawback I found so far is that the directions aren’t true walking directions. I’m hoping that the functionality appears on the iPhone soon, though, since the web version of Google Maps now features a beta of walking directions.
Fast forward to the future where my calendar communicates to Google Maps on my iPhone and I don’t even have to think about where I’m going to next, or how to get there. It’s definitely getting closer to my vision of the perfect world.
Have you enjoyed a GPS-assisted experience? Share your experience at geekseeker1@gmail.com
While most phones are touting their ability to navigate you from place to place by car, it seems that a relatively untapped market is for navigating from place to place by foot.
On a recent trip to NYC I found myself in need of some navigational assistance. Even though NYC is a grid, I’m forever directionally challenged and always find myself walking at least a block in the wrong direction. Enter the iPhone 3G.
I’ve tried to use other mobile phone’s GPS applications in the past but they never seem to be able to map me in real-time the way I need. Thanks to the iPhone and its ability to zoom in and out of the map, as well as overlay with satellite imagery via its built-in Google Maps application, I emerged from the train station, launched the application and was immediately shown not only where I am on the map, but also where I need to go. This led to the most walking I’ve done in the city in a long time. Normally I hop a cab and get shuttled around or take the subway. This time I enjoyed walking 20-30 minutes at a time, all while being directed by my iPhone.
The only drawback I found so far is that the directions aren’t true walking directions. I’m hoping that the functionality appears on the iPhone soon, though, since the web version of Google Maps now features a beta of walking directions.
Fast forward to the future where my calendar communicates to Google Maps on my iPhone and I don’t even have to think about where I’m going to next, or how to get there. It’s definitely getting closer to my vision of the perfect world.
Have you enjoyed a GPS-assisted experience? Share your experience at geekseeker1@gmail.com
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