This is probably "old hat" to many, but I didn't keep up with the details of the iPhone upgrade and I only watched text updates of Stevie's KeyNote....<br><br>But on the maps icon there is a locator button- push it and it will show you where you're located...so if you're lost bingo - you can hit that and then in the route window select "Current location" and type in your destination - it will map a route for you. <br>While this is no GPS, (no tracking) it can be a lifesaver if you get lost or detoured, and especially when traveling in unknown places and cities while on a trip. Pretty cool.<br><br>Also my trainer last week, Myles the Magnificent, told me Apple will release the iPhone code after Feb 1st and towards the middle to end of the month, we can expect a lot of 3rd party Apps. even better... <br>I want one that's a "GAS buddy" (www.gasbuddy.com) - hit the button and using your current location (above) the map comes back with the location and price of gas at stations within a 5-10 mi radius !! ....think that'd be cool ?? <br><br>David (OFI)

The problem is that the feature isn't accurate. There are reports of people hitting "Current location" and it tell them they are nearly 5 blocks from where they actually are. The feature uses (I believe) wireless hotspots and cell towers to determine your location - which is obviously not accurate.<br><br>The feature is quite nice, and can be helpful in a town you know. But if you're in a new town, the feature probably isn't going to get you "unlost."<br><br><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheGraphicMac/~6/1">[img]http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheGraphicMac.1.gif" alt="The Graphic Mac: OSX & design community" style="border:0[/img]</a>

It might be able to tell you which town you are in but I would not trust it beyond that. That the iPhone does not have a GPS receiver inside is getting comical. This fake GPS by cell tower ploy only makes it clear how ridiculous the situation is. GPS is cheap ninety cent technology which Steve Jobs is saving for the wow factor later on. The only wow it's going to get out of me is, "wow, why wasn't GPS in there to begin with?"<br><br>I'll stick with the Verizon RAZR until Apple gets their act together and keep thanking SgtBaxter for pointing out to me that my phone has had excellent GPS software with turn by turn voice on board for years.<br><br><br><br><br>

Been using that sucker have ya? :)<br><br>The latest software version is pretty great, allows you to send and receive calls and messages from your destination, even sends them a text message as to how far away you are and when you'll arrive. Pretty slick, if you haven't upgraded to the latest version I recommend it.<br><br>Just remember, if you need a new battery, don't buy it from Verizon and get ripped off ;)<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

You're not kidding, I just checked it out. $40 for the same battery I got for $8.35 shipped on ebay?<br><br>I have a RAZR but with ATT.<br><br>------> JD's Trivia game<br><br>------> MCF-MM Trivia game

heh well that was a dig a folks roasting me for telling them Apple rips them off for battery replacements, but it's rampant unfortunately.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

Gee I just love getting ripped off by Best Buy so I bought a replacement battery just last week for the RAZR for 39 bucks. <br><br>Yes, the GPS software has come in handy lately. I would still be looking for a restaurant in San Diego if I didn't have turn by turn in voice Heidi. She did lead me astray though trying to make me take illegal left turns. Three in a row, "Take your next left on ninth street (no Heidi that's illegal) recalculating route, take your next left on 8th. Finally 6th street was legal but they called me from the restaurant and the phone went dead. That's why I got a fresh battery. Roaming in San Diego ate the old battery up in half a day. I can go over a week at home.<br><br>Thanks for the tip on the software upgrade. just yesterday my password stopped working for getting into voice mail so I guess it is time to call them.<br><br><br><br><br><br>

It passes my "useful" test! Getting lost in strange towns isn't my main need--and even a paper map can help you there: you look at a street sign. The iPhone does one better by getting you to the right page of the map!<br><br>I'd love real GPS--and as we all know, no feature is EVER missing from an Apple product for engineering reasons, only for scary dark conspiracies. But if my first iPhone (which will be an iPhone 2) lacks that, it will at least have Skyhook and cell triangulation.<br><br>More important to me is gaining 16 GB storage. Preferrably 32.<br><br>3G I'll take... but not if it saps battery life and adds bulk as it does to current 3G phones. That won't always be the case, and we know 3G is coming--I just hope it doesn't come before the compromises are worked out.<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net

Well talking to the Verizon help was a painful hour of nothing until they figured out my DTMF was off. This caused my voice password to not be accepted. Twits, couldn't somebody had thought of that before? Who know how it got changed.<br><br>They almost talked me into a MOTO Z6C phone since my two year contract ends next week and it would only be 50 bucks. Being able to make calls from Europe would be fun but I think I can live without it. If I knew it worked in the Bahamas I would get it but I don't think anything works there reliably.<br><br>

Okay, let's see a show of hands from those who have actually used this feature on iPhone. Anybody? You can put your hands down DLC.<br><br>By the same token, who here hasn't typed in a specific location in Google Maps, your house for example, only to find Google is off by a block or two? In fact, when I type in my street address and send Google Earth to look for it, it reports that 27th Lane is two streets over from my house and the push pin can be found at the nearest intersection!<br><br>I knew this search and locate feature of Google's was flawed and there is no reason to think that just because Apple throws this feature on the iPhone that it would work any better.<br><br>Apple trying to pass this off as an alternative to GPS makes as much sense as Verizon trying to pass off the LG Voyager as an alternative to the iPhone. However, if the Voyager has GPS, then they should be proud to lay claim to something iPhone can't do.<br><br>GPS in some respects is man's last stand against a nagging wife and having to ask for directions. <br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)