Samsung Releases GPS Phone

Fletch writes: "I received an email from Samsung today announcing the release of 'America's First GPS Phone.' The phone does appear to have some neat GPS-based services, such as restaurant and traffic info. Those of you with privacy concerns need not worry. According to the manual (p122, large pdf file) the user does have the ability to turn the 'Position Location' off. (it will be automatically turned back on when/if an emergency call is made)." The manual doesn't say whether the phone initially defaults to "Tracking On" or "Off".

To save everyone from downloading that PDF file, here's the relevant section (innovative capitalization and punctuation in the original):

"America's First GPS Enabled Wireless Phone Designed to Support Location Based Services of the Future Imagine having a phone that can use GPS technology to provide you with....

• Driving directions
• Traffic service
• Entertainment/services location
• 911 emergency location services
• Location of family/friends

Location services for 911 calls are not currently available. While these services are not available today (or) (are still under development), this leading edge phone has the technology required to support such network based services upon their launch.

Settings

The settings allow you to turn the Position Location ON or OFF. If the option is turned OFF, the Sprint PCS Network cannot locate your position using the Position Location feature. This option is automatically turned ON when an emergency call is placed, then turned back OFF when the call is completed.

To turn Position Location ON or OFF:
1. Press for Main Menu.
2. Press for Locator.
3. Press for Settings.
4. Read the Position Location disclaimer by using the Up & Down arrows.
5. Press to display the Setting screen.
6. Press the Up or Down arrows to cycle between the available choices.
7. Press to Save and exit.

Comments

Re:ahaa ... that's completely wasted

[nvrrobx]

You're absolutely right, GSM location based services can track you to a cell, but it doesn't do E911 services a lot of good. AFAIK, a cell site has a range of 14 miles. So, if you're broken down or dying somewhere, they can only track you so far. Same goes for when you're lost. How useful is that?

You cant disable all the GPS services

[ilsie]

According to this commweb article you can only disable the commercial services, not the E911 services. So for privacy measures, you'd still be able to be tracked.

Re:A news?

[Carbonite]

Since many (most?) Slashdot readers are in the US, this seems to be a perfectly appropriate article. Also the first sentence even states that
"...Samsung today announcing the release of 'America's First GPS Phone.'"

It's not like anyone's trying to pretend this is some totally new tech that's never been seen. It's just new to us.

---
Carbonite

Re:A news?

[Anonymous Coward]

read the faq:
"Slashdot is U.S.-centric. We readily admit this, and really don't see
it as a problem. Slashdot is run by Americans, after all, and the vast
majority of our readership is in the U.S. We're certainly not opposed
to doing more international stories, but we don't have any formal
plans for making that happen. All we can really tell you is that if
you're outside the U.S. and you have news, submit it, and if it looks
interesting, we'll post it."

If it's an evil plot

[sllort]

If it's an evil plot, rest assured it isn't a corporate one. The FCC's requirements for E911 service are putting a whole lot of pressure on the cell providers, who face stiff fines and executive action if they can't use their phones to track you by 2005. If you think that the FCC is overstepping it's bounds with this one (I personally thing a regulated spectrum is an overstepped boundary, but that's just me) you know what to do.

Not the first GPS Phone

[John_McKee]

If I remember correctly, the first commercial GPS cellphone was the NaviTalk by Garmin . It was released a few years ago, and was recently updated.

-john

Re:Not the first GPS Phone

[JerryKnight]

This is true. For years Garmin has had the NavTalk but it is primarily geared toward pilots, as were most of the early civilian GPS receivers.

Re:World's First ... So We'll Give it Two Pages

[telstar]

Actually, Garmin has one as well: Garmin.