G1 As a GPS receiver?

[DizzyDroid]

Hey Droids,

Ok, so looking around I see that you can buy an additional GPS unit that plugs into your car lighter or 9V adapter. I assume this would be for turn by turn GPS within your car? G1 connects to GPS transmitter that maps movements of the GPS transmitter which would be your cars location? Is that correct? I've talked to a few of the app developers and they all tell me that they can only tracking other G1 devices or android OS's running there app. Well...that kinda throws me. Why sell additional GPS transmitters for a G1 if you can't track it or can you? I believe so. The idea behind this would be rigging the 9V GPS transmitter to a series of batteries. Allow it to be placed somewhere and track the movement with my G1. Or in the event of me getting car jacked in Detroit I could get my car back before its in pieces and in Del Ray on blocks

Does anyone know anything more specific or could give me some great advise on this?

Thanks
Dizzy

[PixelHenge]

i was just wondering this earlier tonight, i second the question.

[MattKilla]

Well, I think having the ability to track another GPS signature with your phone might cross some privacy boundaries. But it's a keen idea..

[DizzyDroid]

Oh yeah no question about it that would cross serious lines, but if we can track other G1's that generate its own unique signal. (With the acceptance of the other party) Then if I could generate a similar signal and connect to it, In theory it would work. I guess the underlying question would be whats up with the external GPS unit in the Android Store.

Dizzy

[felixHcat]

The GPS receivers in the store provide higher precision tracks with faster acquisition time.

--

In order to track other GPs devices, you said it up there... you need a TRANSMITTER. The reason you can track other G1's is that they are connected over a cell network. This allows the devices to interact through a central server in the cloud.

To track another GPS device, it too would have to be connected to a network, such as a cell network, and would have to be transmitting it's location to a server.

From there, using some app you would, in this hypothetical situation, be able to access that position data.


In order for an out of the box GPS solution to be tracked in this way, it would need to have an always-on network connection AND an application (likely using a web interface) would have to be designed/built to read, process and redistribute the location data.

Something like this may exist, but I am not aware of where it might be found.

[Fastattack]

i still don't see the need for an external gps..

if the phone's built gps uses both network triangulation plus satellite gps ... all we need is software to do turn by turn

[Drenyce311]

the iphone 3g has the ability to check where other iphones are on google map. but those other contacts have to have an iphone to check their pinpoint. i think thats an invasion of privacy. just my thought.

[bigzae]

Or in the event of me getting car jacked in Detroit I could get my car back before its in pieces and in Del Ray on blocks

W8 a min dizzy. Im in detroit and if i jack u the phone is coming with me too,lol.

[DizzyDroid]

Lol I'll let you take the car but imma die for the phone.

Felix you make a good point, Its strange though I understand that the G1 GPS devices transmit at a different frequency then say other devices like cop cars, low jacks, and tom tom's. Perhaps I need a GPS scanner to not only view the frequency that other devices are transmitting at but I would need an app to continuously "Ping" other GPS devices to find a location. Like how computers use icmp (ping) requests to find the distance to another work station.

Felix we must find this mystery app...lol

And I don't see how this is invasion of privacy, its no different then connecting to a unsecured wireless network. Or take a penny out of the "Give a penny take a penny" cup at the gas station. I simply want know what GPS devices are out there. Perhaps hovac GPS will further push the accuracy of GPS devices

[Cricketman]

If this is indeed possible, the GPS will drain battery so fast that i'll barely be useful.