Filed under: How-tos, Tips and tricks, Odds and ends, iPhone
Inside iPhone 3.0: The address data detector
Michael Rose had a double-take today while he was reading an email on his iPhone 3G running iPhone OS 3.0. In the message -- a comment from TUAW reader binklewis -- was the place name 'San Antonio, TX'. As Mike scanned the email, he noticed that those words were highlighted as a link, and tapping the link opened up a map in the iPhone's Map app.
Sure enough, these new data detectors in Mail for iPhone OS 3.0 were noted in Apple's preview of the upgrade, but seeing them in action is pretty neat. Further playing about (below) showed that full addresses (in addition to just city names in emails) also work, placing a pin right at the site of an address that had been tapped in a mail message. In earlier versions of iPhone OS, you could tap on a phone number embedded in an email to dial it, but that was about it.
These data detectors are similar to the ones included in Mail.app on Mac OS X. Unlike Mac Mail, however, there's still no way for times and dates (i.e., "june 29 at 3:30 PM") to be detected and added to the iPhone Calendar app. Perhaps that's an upcoming feature for iPhone OS 3.5!
Sure enough, these new data detectors in Mail for iPhone OS 3.0 were noted in Apple's preview of the upgrade, but seeing them in action is pretty neat. Further playing about (below) showed that full addresses (in addition to just city names in emails) also work, placing a pin right at the site of an address that had been tapped in a mail message. In earlier versions of iPhone OS, you could tap on a phone number embedded in an email to dial it, but that was about it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
papasui said 7:28AM on 6-22-2009
It's probably just a regular expression.
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Splyntyr said 7:43AM on 6-22-2009
Yes, the data detectors are a welcome addition to the iPhone O/S; however, there are some things about them that are not so hot. When you have irregular (but not uncommon) address information such as a building number, suite number, etc. the detectors choke. Also, they do not handle the simple case of dialing a phone extension (e.g., 999-555-1234 x1234).
I've made a post to the Apple Discussion Forums -- please chime in there if you agree.
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Splyntyr said 7:44AM on 6-22-2009
Sorry, forgot the link to the forum post:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2046815&tstart=0
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David said 7:51AM on 6-22-2009
Unfortunately, I'm not having any success getting this data detector to work with the Location field in appointments in calendar (It was a disappointment to see this field isn't linked to the Maps application in OS 3.0). The irony is that I can launch calendar.google.com in Safari, click on the location field in the appointment and the address is mapped in the native Maps application on the iPhone.
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Phill Izenson said 8:58AM on 6-22-2009
I haven't been able to get it to work either. Even more annoying to me is that if you have a conference call number as a location for a meeting you can't just tap it to make the call. Worse... you can't copy and paste it either. This is my only real annoyance with the iPhone... I wish they would fix this simple thing. I know a lot of other people have to spend time on conference calls too.
michael delaney said 10:00AM on 6-22-2009
It will work in the notes section, not location, and copying there will work.
Jake said 7:55AM on 6-22-2009
You pointed out that when a phone number is in an email or text you can click on it and call it, but why can't you text it or add it to your contact list? I find myself electing to call the number, then instantly canceling the call, and from my outgoing calls screen I either text or add it to my contact list. Such a round about way of doing something - very PC-esque.
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Chris said 8:00AM on 6-22-2009
If you press and hold on a phone number you get the option to call, text, create a new contact with the number or add to existing contact (I found it out by accident, so glad I did!)
Bracken said 8:23AM on 6-22-2009
If you hold your finger down on the address, you'll get the options to Open in Maps, Add to Contact or Create New Contact. Very helpful.
I've found many new options hidden in holding down a link, such as opening a link in a new tab in Safari.
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glad said 9:10AM on 6-22-2009
i just can't get the place names link to work is it because I am using gmail imap?
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Curtis said 9:19AM on 6-22-2009
I noticed this data detector also works in Notes. Weird that it wouldn't work in the calendar though.
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vernon_88 said 9:50AM on 6-22-2009
Am I the only one that noticed that this guy has a % battery indicator in the upper right hand corner of the screen?
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Steven Sande said 9:55AM on 6-22-2009
The % battery indicator is something that can be switched on or off on the iPhone 3G S. Although I like to know exactly how much battery life I have left, it also takes up a little bit of extra space up there in the corner of the screen. Too bad they couldn't have figured out a way to put the % number into the little battery icon!
TUAWSteve
glad said 10:13AM on 6-22-2009
Is there something i need to turn on to get the place names link to work in mail as it's just not happening on my phone or mac mail.
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bill said 10:32AM on 6-22-2009
Being a Windows guy for many years, I feel I must jump up and down a little bit and yell "Ha ha, Apple copied Microsoft! Apple copied Microsoft! They did this first in Office XP...it's called Smart Tags!"
Ok, I'm done. I feel better. Take that!
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Taylor G said 10:43AM on 6-22-2009
Still not sure why the same data detector isn't applied to the "Location" field in Calendar. Doesn't that seem like that would a pretty obvious place to put an address and want to launch Maps from?
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TylersPage.net said 12:23PM on 6-22-2009
Nice post, but this says Denver, CO rather than San Antonio, TX.
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smack said 12:56PM on 6-22-2009
Hey Steve,
That address is about a block from my condo. Any TUAW events in Denver that I should know about?
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SteveH said 1:39PM on 6-22-2009
The Rockies are 16 of 17! Since this is pointing to Coors Field I'm guessing he is a fan too.