iPhone app finds your car, dude
We've known for a while that the new iPhone 3G would have the magic of GPS, but we didn't fully realize how that power might benefit car owners. While we've seen a few semi-cool, car-centric applications available for the device -- from mpg calculators to maintenance reminders -- this program could prove the most useful for the forgetful among us.After parking your car at a crowded shopping mall, users of G-Park tell their iPhone where their car is. When they wrap up their shopping, the application will provide directions back to the car.
PosiMotion says their application will even work on the first-generation iPhone, though without the accuracy of GPS.
There's no word on when the application will be available or what it will cost, but avoiding the shame of wandering parking lots for hours looking for a tan Camry is worth any price.
[Source: Gizmodo via Gizmag]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Keat 10:11AM (7/14/2008)
Thats really cool!
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Cary 12:34AM (7/15/2008)
Would it have been news had I said that my phone could do this when I got it last year? What about if i told you the one before it could to? No, because fuc-DBAGs-king and their iPhones think they're special. They aren't any better than my phone, in fact they do less than my phone and cost the same. Hmm, oh yeah, pull the interface card, or innovation card. I'll pull the, "You''re too stupid to use a device with more than one button" card.
MajorGeek 10:26AM (7/14/2008)
Sarcasm on... and I thought paying 400 for last years iPhone was a bad idea. Sarcasm off.
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Sorin 10:30AM (7/14/2008)
That’s one of the coolest thing I have ever seen. Maybe not to anyone, but I like it. And it’s helping you, when you go for a drink. Of course, after you will wake up, first thing in the morning you will ask yourself “where the hell am I and where is my car? This if you remember about iPhone. Just kidding. :)))
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Galley 10:34AM (7/14/2008)
That would be perfect for the Mall of America.
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zjmuse 10:40AM (7/14/2008)
application is already available, and its $0.99
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Jason 10:45AM (7/14/2008)
Couldn't you do this yourself by dropping a pin on the map? I don't have an iPhone 3G so I'm not sure. Just doesn't seem like you need a dedicated app for it. (then again I have a dedicated app that makes light saber noises...)
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SimbaDogg 11:58PM (7/14/2008)
you're right...but other people love to have their hand held ya know
but on a side note, they say this will even work w/ the first gen iphone but w/out gps accuracy. thats great. so with the great +/- 1500 meters of gsm tower triangulation you'll either be guide to your car, or the middle of a lake/river/ocean or some stupid place ur not supposed to be. i think the comic book guy would say, worst idea EVER
Ermax18 10:50AM (7/14/2008)
Thier website says this:
1. Park your car and hit the Park Me! button.
2. Get lost.
3. Hit the Where Did I Park? button. Brings up Google maps and creates turn-by-turn directions that will take you right back to your car!
Turn by turn Google map to find your car in a parking lot? Wouldn't "Warmer, warmer, colder" work better? How far from the car do they think you will go? Maybe if you park at the airport and fly to the other side of the country a turn by turn google map to the car would be handy. :)
It's a cool idea though if implemented well.
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Paul 10:52AM (7/14/2008)
Cool, but if I'm aware enough to fire up my iPhone as I'm leaving the car and click to let this application know I've parked, then I'm likely to remember where I've parked, anyway. If I'm the usual absentminded person who forgets where she's parked (I use "she" because I'm thinking of my wife), then you certainly aren't going to remember to press this button (or in her case get off of the phone long enough to do think about doing so). Unless this could be made to somehow automatically sense that you are leaving your car and mark the coordinates (which can't happen since there's no way for this to run in the background), I just don't see it being very useful. Maybe at Christmas when the mall has a billion cars in it, this might be a little useful, but otherwise...just fancy geotagging.
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Vintage 11:18AM (7/14/2008)
I feel sorry for you. An absent minded shopping fanatic who yaps on her cell phone all the time?
I think I'd kill myself.
User 2:15PM (7/14/2008)
You just dissed his wife?
Prepare to be owned.
Paul 2:24PM (7/14/2008)
First, my wife would laugh and nod at this (she's great in most ways, but useless when it comes to keeping track of things like keys and cars and phones and, well, anything not attached--and she knows it). Second, do you honestly think someone like this might actually read a car blog? Perhaps if I cross posted to Facebook...
jwgirardot 11:21AM (7/14/2008)
The one thing this thing (probably) can't help with is when you forget which level you parked on in one of those nightmarish slant-level parking decks. I doubt this app can do 3D locates as well.
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Vintage 11:17AM (7/14/2008)
I think a GPS enabled (read accurate) speedometer and G-sensor would be cooler. :)
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Jason 11:31AM (7/14/2008)
I just don't drive bland looks-like-every-other-car-in-the-parking-lot kind of cars.
I also try to pay attention to where it is that I've parked.
And I too, have an app that makes lightsaber noises (on my iPhone that is).
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Disgruntled Goat 11:41AM (7/14/2008)
So are we going to get a blog post about every device that will tell you where you parked your car? If not then why for the iPhone? There are plenty of devices that will do this and have done this for a long time. Maybe you're just looking for an excuse to jump on the iZombie bandwagon?
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turbo-quattro 11:42AM (7/14/2008)
So basically this is the perfect app if you are Hansel or Gretel?
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TrueDis 1:01PM (7/14/2008)
Anybody think about the fact that this is useless in parking garages where you're most likely to lose your car?
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Mastercraft 3:09PM (7/14/2008)
I already tried doing this on my phone with GPS but there is one problem. My GPS doesn't get good reception at best, and sometimes not at all when I am in the mall. Large metal buildings don't play well with GPS. Seems like a great idea except for when you don't pay attention to where you park and then your GPS doesn't work.
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