TomTom: Nav system "runs on the iPhone already"

I'm hoping for a navigation app along with a nice dash mount, and car cord just like the stand alone units. Add an audio connection for my aux port in the car and maybe a good mic for hands free talk and I'd pay a couple of 200-300.

One thing that no one has mentioned is AT&T's Navigator service. Perhaps AT&T had a little say in prohibiting real-time navigation applications so that they can force people to buy the Navigator service? If that was the case then I'd say we can definitely expect the SDK prohibition to remain in place so that AT&T can make some money.

ALL cell phones sold in the US include a gps chip, and have for some time, to provide coordinates to 911. Very few phones expose this gps to apps on the phone, including navigation.

I'd probably buy TomTom for iPhone - if it was fairly cheap. Their current pricing has got much better recently, so if I could pick up TomTom + Western Europe maps for say £40-£50 (GBP) I'd do it.

One possibility for 1stGen iPhones to get GPS is via a Bluetooth enabled GPS dongle, like those used for geotagging photos. Of course that implies the 2.0 firmware would have to include a big Bluetooth update as well, and the SDK would have to connect the core location services with an external device via Bluetooth.

This is all doable, but Apple is not known for it's kitchen sink approach to user requested features.

On a related note, I wonder how hard it would be to write a geotracking iApp? Talk about eliminating devices: I'd love to be able to use the iPhone as a data logger for GPS data. Of course, there is always the manual option of talking a picture with the iPhone's camera whenever you need a location reference, and the built-in GPS will automatically geotag that image, which timestamp can be used as a guide for any other camera you are carrying. Hmmm, where do I download that SDK again?

I dont know how you guys can use it for email. Without any spam filters checking email is a headache

As pointed out previously, TomTom is talkin' out their yanghole because the DoomHammer, erm, iPhone Dev License absolutely 100% forbids live, realtime navigation software...without question.

This whole post is moot until Apple changes the license, which, considering what I know, is not going to happen.

Hell we can't even get IM updates to users unless we get all up in their business since Apple has sold a Bill of Goods about background apps.

The...reasoning...they are marketing (and it is marketing) is NOT technically sound.

If you think they are going to bend on the gps thing well, we see how they bend already, don't we? :)

The iPhone also replaced my shaver with the so called little app and some day it will replace my brain to an extern device :)

FWFWIW

http://blog.laptopmag.com/hands-on-with-the-iphone-3g

The apple rep talked about turn by turn included in the Map application...

Hey Tim, if you buy a Nokia N95 which also has a GPS chip, do they throw in Navigation software for free?

Are you trolling? Or just thick?