Would you like the 3DS to have a GPS receiver?

[Limewater]

First of all if there's no h3g (for me, AT&T for you) coverage it won't work

Wow. That's pretty broken. Are you sure it's a true GPS system and not just them localizing you based upon signal strength or delay from nearby towers?

[Riqz85]

First of all if there's no h3g (for me, AT&T for you) coverage it won't work

Wow. That's pretty broken. Are you sure it's a true GPS system and not just them localizing you based upon signal strength or delay from nearby towers?

I think it's a mix of both. But maybe that's just the 3G. I don't think it's a true gps. I think it uses radio towers and cellular sattelites to estimate your position. But i might be very wrong.

[Niode]

First of all if there's no h3g (for me, AT&T for you) coverage it won't work

Wow. That's pretty broken. Are you sure it's a true GPS system and not just them localizing you based upon signal strength or delay from nearby towers?

I think it's a mix of both. But maybe that's just the 3G. I don't think it's a true gps. I think it uses radio towers and cellular sattelites to estimate your position. But i might be very wrong.

The original iPhone could gather location information by triangulating your position via cell towers. It could approximate my location within a 500m radius (no good for turn-by-turn navigation but good enough for finding your way if you are lost by good old fashion map reading via Google Maps). The iPhone 3G has a GPS chip, but it's not as high powered as dedicated GPS devices, so it takes a while to find your location. It took my 3G up to 5 minutes before it could locate me, once it found me it was pretty accurate, as long as I didn't go too fast. I went on the motorway with it and it lost me within 5 minutes and I don't break the speed limit (I was doing 70MPH). So yeah, not very reliable. Apparently the 3GS fairs much better with GPS apps due to it's built in digital compass. The iPhone 4 is supposed to be even better. We shall see, I own CoPilot Live for my iPhone, and I'm buying my iPhone 4 tomorrow, so when I get it I'm going to test it out anyway.

So yeah, other than augmented reality games I can't really see a use for GPS outside of turn by turn navigation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to complain of it's addition. I just can't see a lot of people using it. The vast majority of people who would use GPS already have a GPS device. The only reason I bought CoPilot Live was because I thought I'd be able to sell my old TomTom to offset the price, and have the convenience of always having a satnav in my pocket should I need it. It's a pain in the arse having to put a TomTom in my pocket - As well as my iPhone, TomToms are pretty chunky.

[Ivo]

I could use a pedestrian GPS to be honest, I don't even have a car (but I don't think the pedestrian receivers are less expensive).

Like I said, I realized quickly the add-on for the 3DS wouldn't be useful to that many people, was more or less just wondering out on the forum. I doubt anyone will make it, and I really don't blame them If I wanted a GPS more, I guess I would just buy an actual dedicated receiver like mostly everyone else does. I've been pondering about getting the PSP add-on but I figure inputting directions on the on-screen keyboard would be bad.

Ivo.

[slowslow325]

It would only be cool if it was in 3D, but that would make it a novelty as it wouldn't be practical.

Now that I'm thinking about it, if Nintendo partnered with Google to create a 3D type Google Earth, I know that most of it wouldn't be 3D, but the 3D buildings people made in Google Sketchup for Google Earth could be popping out of the screen!

[Niode]

It would only be cool if it was in 3D, but that would make it a novelty as it wouldn't be practical.

Now that I'm thinking about it, if Nintendo partnered with Google to create a 3D type Google Earth, I know that most of it wouldn't be 3D, but the 3D buildings people made in Google Sketchup for Google Earth could be popping out of the screen!

I don't think you understand stereoscopic '3D'. It's more like 2D+depth. It doesn't make things appear to pop out of the screen, it gives the illusion of depth to a scene. It's the opposite of what you imagine 3D to be.

[slowslow325]

It would only be cool if it was in 3D, but that would make it a novelty as it wouldn't be practical.

Now that I'm thinking about it, if Nintendo partnered with Google to create a 3D type Google Earth, I know that most of it wouldn't be 3D, but the 3D buildings people made in Google Sketchup for Google Earth could be popping out of the screen!

I don't think you understand stereoscopic '3D'. It's more like 2D+depth. It doesn't make things appear to pop out of the screen, it gives the illusion of depth to a scene. It's the opposite of what you imagine 3D to be.

I know, but I heard from somewhere that occasionally something would appear to pop out of the screen on the 3DS.

Either way, it could work.

Also, the best way I've found to describe that kind of 3D is "it's like looking into a box"

[SplashChick]

No way, just an unnecessary cost.

[slowslow325]

No way, just an unnecessary cost.

But what about as an add-on?