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No GPS means no location services??

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Fri, 03/19/2010 - 01:28
flash72
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No GPS means no location services??

So let me get this straight... the wifi only ipads have no GPS chip... That means no mapping where you are?

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Fri, 03/19/2010 - 09:38
#1
Colin Breck
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

No, if you're able to get maps via WiFi, you'll also get WiFi positioning.

You just won't have any location services when not connected to WiFi or if the WiFi spot you're connected to (or any within range of your iPad) isn't in the the location DB.

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Sun, 03/21/2010 - 13:34
#2
JBartsch
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

Wifi only location won't be as good (and won't work if you're not connected to a known Wifi spot). But I'm guessing the 3G iPad won't really help unless you turn on the data plan.

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Sun, 03/21/2010 - 19:24
#3
KarlHungus
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

JBartsch wrote:
But I'm guessing the 3G iPad won't really help unless you turn on the data plan.

Why are you guessing that? Shouldn't the GPS work (albeit slower) just fine w/o the 3G if there's a clean line of site?

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Mon, 03/22/2010 - 11:03
#4
millr88
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

What if the iPad is treated like an iPod Touch, and it is connected within Bluetooth range to something like the Tomtom or Magellan Car dock?

Or even connected to a Standalone Bluetooth GPS module?

Or maybe, when the hackers get hold of the iPhone + iPad combo, they will make it use the iPhone data connection, (which can already be done) and "borrow" the GPS signal via bluetooth?

Possibilities?

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Wed, 04/07/2010 - 19:13
#5
Caveat
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

The location is called sky hook wireless and you hsve to add your own wifi spot and put un your location for it to work. I had to do it when I had an iPod touch.

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Thu, 04/08/2010 - 08:40
#6
blizeh
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

millr88 wrote:
Or maybe, when the hackers get hold of the iPhone + iPad combo, they will make it use the iPhone data connection, (which can already be done) and "borrow" the GPS signal via bluetooth?

Possibilities?

I was thinking this same exact thing. Tethered GPS, essentially.

On a separate note -- does anyone know how well the A-GPS on the iPad 3G model will work without the 3G enabled? Or is it going to need data to be any better than the WiFi only model (i.e. will A-GPS be no better than WiFi without the assistance servers)?

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Fri, 04/09/2010 - 13:45
#7
TomTar
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

The GPS on the 3G iPad will not actually work slower without the data plan on, it will only seem slower. With the data plan on you have "assisted GPS" meaning the iPad uses the info from cell phone triangulation to fix your position. This is done while the GPS is acquiring satellites, it makes it seem as if the GPS has fixed your position faster than normal which can take up to 2 minutes or more if you have traveled more than say 300 miles without having the GPS on.

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Thu, 04/15/2010 - 10:13
#8
tivoboy
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

skyhook works pretty well IN CITIES and surrounding areas. They have covered the country literally driving around and sniffing (war driving) for SSID's and mapping them with strength and location data. Once one is out of that area, all bets are off and you are back to cell tower triangulation.

I wish that the ipad could pull the GPS data from devices like the MIFI and other cradlepoint routers, which has gps data from the USB dongle. Then, it would completeness enable GPS applications.

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Thu, 04/15/2010 - 10:23
#9
kenX
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

tivoboy wrote:
Once one is out of that area, all bets are off and you are back to cell tower triangulation.

How can the WiFi only iPad do cell tower triangulation with no cellular chips in it? I was under the impression that it was WiFi positioning ONLY on the non-3G iPads. Am I missing something?

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Mon, 04/19/2010 - 01:47
#10
gekkota
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Re: No GPS means no location services??

I'm confused. I am planning to get a 3g ipad...so the GPS will work even if the data plan is not active for the month?

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