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发帖数: 1034 | 1 Posted Jun 5, 2014 by Darrell Etherington (@drizzled)
Apple has added a trick to its CoreLocation set of geopositioning tools in
iOS 8, 9to5Mac has noticed, and that will make it possible for venue owners
to build indoor positioning systems into software tied to their facilities.
iOS 8 adds the M7 processor and iPhone motion sensors to the CoreLocation
API, handing off location tracking to those elements from GPS, cell and Wi-
Fi tower broad location detection used for outdoor navigation when a user
arrives at a venue.
The new process is being touted by Apple as a perfect complement to iBeacon
tech, but as also distinct from that Bluetooth based feature. The company is
seeking sign-ups now from venues looking to utilize these features, and
these IPS features are already in use at thee locations, including the
California Academy of Sciences in SF, the Westfield San Francisco Centre,
and the Mineta San Jose Airport, and it can do things like display current
floor number or direct users to specific points of interest, say within a
museum exhibit.
All of this will come in an upcoming iOS 8 beta build, and it’ll also help
conserve battery while in use by dropping the GPS when a device reaches a
venue with IPS enabled, switching over to M7 and other sensors instead,
9to5Mac reports.
Apple tackling IPS should not come as a surprise; it acquired WiFiSLAM, for
instance, and took the top talent away from IPS startup Wifarer, too. Google
also does indoor positioning, and is increasingly making an effort to map
the interior of major venues and facilities, so Apple essentially has to
keep up in this regard if it wants to make Maps truly competitive with
Google’s services. It sounds like this will still work best when used in
tandem with iBeacons, but together, Apple could drive a lot of interest in
IPS from businesses, especially given how good its mobile platform has
proven to be at driving revenue-generating activities. |
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