As you may already know, one of premier features in the soon to be released BlackBerry 8800 is GPS. I use GPS in cars all the time and it has kept me from being late to a business meeting on more than one occasion. I, however, have never used GPS built into a personal device that you carry around with you.
Honestly, I am kind of leery of it. I know that there are some cool applications that GPS would allow you to use. For example, Naggie released a Location Aware Reminder application that could alert you to do things based on your physical location. Think of your BlackBerry telling you to go pick up milk as you approach the grocery store. My concern, however, comes from the other side of it.
If my BlackBerry could notify me that I am nearing the grocery store it doesn’t seem like a stretch that it could notify someone else as well. I am not sure how I would feel walking around with a personal LoJack in my pocket at all times.
Then again, maybe I am feeling a bit paranoid because I watched Enemy of the State last night.
I would at least appreciate the choice of turning it on or off. Right now, Verizon has unilaterally crippled the GPS function on my 7130e.
I was under the impression that all of the latest phones had some sort of gps built in. I can have a tower pinged and locate someone based simply on having their phone turned on. So this really doesn’t matter.
All cell phones sold in the US have GPS location capability.
This is a requirement for enhanced 911.
You really need to look at it this way: Why do you think the Government want to know where you are? If you are woried about it, you should probably quit what you are doing.
But, for the rest of us (99.999999%), the government could give a darn where we are.
I’m thinking of GPS more for applications, i.e. the API to get the coordinates. There are very good mapping and directions applications for the BB, all of which are currently useless on my 7130e thanks to Verizon.
THEY can have my GPS coordinates, but I can’t.
THAT ticks me off.