Navizon virtual GPS system now iPhone-friendly

It's been some time since we've heard anything from Mexens Technology, but now its virtual GPS system is finally available for the iPhone. Yeah, the program still utilizes "WiFi and cellular tower triangulation techniques," but according to the firm's CEO, "this is just as if the iPhone were equipped with a GPS chip." Of course, we're still doubtful that this peer-to-peer location approach works just as good as a bonafide GPS receiver, but considering that you won't be forced to pay the $24.99 purchase price until after 15 days are up, why not give it a go and find out?

[Via Shareloc's Blog]

[paul34 @ Sep 19th 2007 7:38PM]

Is any company working on a true add-on GPS module?

Maybe just working on getting existing bluetooth GPS modules to hook up? (meaning some GPS software for the iPhone). I suppose companies like TomTom may already be working on it.... especially now that the iPhone is headed to Britain.

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 19th 2007 8:16PM]

I'm sure companies would love to make GPS for the iPhone but they need the greenlight from Apple. On the iPhone you can't even send a picture to a friends phone via bluetooth so what chance do you think there is of pairing a GPS receiver?

[Mike @ Sep 19th 2007 7:38PM]

With this software, my iPhone picks up my address..... from three years ago. Since I've moved to a different part of the country, it's interesting to see that the Wi-Fi-based tracking location is the exact street I lived in way back when, but it does NOT see that I am not there, and haven't been in years. Weird. Is this just a (crazy) coincidence, or is the iPhone stalking me (although with an address that hasn't been accurate in three years)?

[John M @ Sep 19th 2007 7:45PM]

umm gizmodo ran this story much earlier today...i didnt see but did you cite them?

[Craig @ Sep 19th 2007 7:53PM]

since when is engadget a scholarly research paper?

[John M @ Sep 19th 2007 8:01PM]

actually they did cite thier source...my bad engadget....dude blow it out your ace

[Augustos Morales @ Sep 19th 2007 8:36PM]

Yea - wtf does engadget need to cite gizmodo if they both stole it from yahoo - you douche bag. Here's the nickle I owe yer mom for blowing me.

[Scott Miller @ Sep 26th 2007 5:25PM]

"Yea - wtf does engadget need to cite gizmodo if they both stole it from yahoo - you douche bag. Here's the nickle I owe yer mom for blowing me"


That is TOO funny, I almost pissed myself. Great Stuff

[Ben @ Sep 19th 2007 7:53PM]

Why does Engadget have to cite gizmodo if the source they used was yahoo? You don't go around seeing every newspaper cite the newspaper who printed about a particular story first.

[Mitch @ Sep 19th 2007 7:54PM]

I tried this today and when it worked, it is crazy cool!!

The program sometimes reports no signal. Other times it shows exact location.

Thanks Navizon.

[Alex @ Sep 19th 2007 7:55PM]

but gizmodo was incorrect in saying that it was completely free, which it is not.

[Jesse S @ Sep 19th 2007 7:56PM]

I'd still like to see useful 3-rd party GPS software on the iPhone.

I'm still sticking with my i730 (soon an i760...), my own choice in bluetooth GPS receivers, and my own choice in GPS software.

[Argot @ Sep 19th 2007 7:56PM]

Talk about a poor substitute. Just buy a real phone with real GPS instead.

[michael @ Sep 19th 2007 7:59PM]

You have to agree with that.

Features that are built-in or original are way better than something that emulates it.

[Mike @ Sep 19th 2007 8:03PM]

I don't understand why some of you are so spiteful. If you don't like the iPhone, read another article. But to take time out of your day to post a comment on something you hate.... seems like a bizarrely bitter way to spend your day. Deal with the fact that not everyone shares your opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own.

Anyway, anyone else encounter strange errors with this software? And I agree, a hardware GPS linked with bluetooth would be a better solution, but this software one is cool for now.

[Mike @ Sep 19th 2007 8:06PM]

Agreed that built-in would be even better. I can wait, though.

[Jeve Sobs @ Sep 19th 2007 8:15PM]

Virtual GPS....sort of like a Virtual V8 :-)

[nick @ Sep 19th 2007 8:25PM]

cool cool but is hacking your iphone illgal and what about apptapp

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 8:31PM]

I wonder how long the hackers will have to be the sole providers of features that should have been included in the first iPhone before Apple implements them in the next release.

[Ahmed @ Sep 19th 2007 8:34PM]

this thing is creeping me out, it found my location fairly accurately using wifi. Can someone explain to me how it knows the coordinates of my wireless router???

[Augustos Morales @ Sep 20th 2007 8:13AM]

it knows by locating the smell coming out of you a-hole

[Kenneth Arcieri @ Sep 19th 2007 8:41PM]

lol T-Mobile

[Ahmed @ Sep 19th 2007 8:51PM]

my home router!! In toronto!!

[Kenneth Arcieri @ Sep 19th 2007 8:59PM]

I am very glad that the iPhone is [semi] freed from AT&T. If I didn't move to Japan I might have bought one... There are no iPhone equivalents in Japan.... yet

[enzo @ Sep 19th 2007 8:53PM]

Ohh Manhattan? Better watch out on those subways, especially now that we all know where you are

[Galls @ Sep 19th 2007 9:18PM]

It works better in Manhattan I will tell you that.

GPS is only accurate to a couple of blocks in the city.

I work in the business, I know.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Sep 19th 2007 9:30PM]

Too bad GPS is mostly useful in places where you have no wifi access.

[Glenn @ Sep 19th 2007 9:33PM]

Tried it. I didn't find my location :(

[Hans Luijten @ Sep 19th 2007 10:51PM]

Great concept, but not working on my iPhone ... first attempt froze my iPhone (hard reset needed), second attempt tells me it cannot connect to the server ...

Oh and what use will this be if it always has to be in contact with their server using WiFi? (versus EDGE)

Using the data from the Fieldtest.app (identifies tower etc) we (iPhone users) should be able to make a similar app and database with tower locations - Mobile Positioning (thanks ex-Ericsson colleagues!) is based on just the cellphone towers and the radio signal ... so why can't we build that ourselves for our iPhone?

(p.s. anyone out there willing to get other programmers started programming on the iPhone? Or pointers in the right direction?)

[J @ Sep 20th 2007 2:12AM]

it worked when i was at school. now at home, i've tried locate a few different times, consecutively. It told me i was in CT, then AZ, then Kansas, while connected to my wifi at home. Can't locate you on Edge. I wouldnj't pay $25 for this.....

[drbob541 @ Sep 20th 2007 9:20AM]

I found it interesting that the picture showed a hookup to TMobile rather than AT&T.

[Kinderbore @ Sep 20th 2007 11:00AM]

It didn't work at all for me. Disappointment abounds... It just tells me it can't find my location

[Roborino @ Sep 20th 2007 12:54PM]

Try turning on wi-fi even if you don't have, or are not near or connected to an access point. I got the same message ("cannot find my location", but then all worked fine once I turned on WiFi even though I couldn't connect to any of the access points (due to security).

[LBSGuy @ Sep 20th 2007 1:59PM]

WiFi has to be turned on, even though it does not log into the access point. IP location is semi-accurate ~70% of the time. The other 30% you can end up with ridiculously off base results.

[NavyMSU @ Sep 20th 2007 2:26PM]

Worked for me, about 2 blocks off the first time, and at work, it's nearly a mile off (i work right near a Army National Guard air station, and it put my location on a runway/tarmac area.

Otherwise, it's pretty accurate, I'll check it out more this weekend when i'm running errands around town.

Oh, and GPS is accurate within a few meters, but the cheap/low power units in cell phones only get a few city blocks (i'm in the "real" industry, and I used to deal with military encrypted GPS before our government wisely removed the encryption requirements (wisely for economic reasons, not national security reasons).

[kr2ranger @ Sep 22nd 2007 12:48PM]

Check out Loki.com, it does the same thing using Skyhook Wireless API. I haven't tried it, but I think it is free and is only for windows mobile users.

[sarclown @ Nov 15th 2007 3:19PM]

Yeah, this wifi/cell tower triangulation crap needs some work...it shows my position as being in Brisbane Australia. I've never been there, and I am decidedly in Chicago at the moment. I won't keep it on my iPhone even if it were free.

I am using firmware v 1.1.1, though...some seem to be saying it doesn't work on this particular release.