A recent report at InformationWeek details the story of Level 3 Communications, which recently equipped its entire sales workforce with iPads loaded with apps that provide access to pricing information; presentation creation; and display, corporate email, customer records and inventory checks. The iPad proved more than up to the task of supplementing and mostly replacing laptops.

InformationWeek goes into much more detail about what the iPads meant for Level 3, but the advantages for salespeople on the ground can be boiled down to three main categories:

1. Instant on. The iPad’s ability to instantly wake from sleep and pick up right where a user left off exceed that of even the fastest SSD-equipped notebooks, and it only sips power in tiny amounts in order to provide that functionality. That, combined with its superior portability, makes it the perfect tool for doing “quick checks between meetings, at an airport, or in a taxi,” InformationWeek says. With a laptop, five minutes in a taxi might not seem like enough time to make powering up worth your while; with the iPad, that’s a nonissue.

2. Connectivity. The iPad (at least the 3G models) provides always-on cellular network access, as long as you are within coverage range. Some laptops can offer that, but the process is still often more complicated than just tapping the wake button and being ready to surf, email or chat. But it’s not just cellular radios that make the iPad great for sales; built-in GPS positioning means salespeople can get locally relevant information, like clients or potential clients in the immediate area, in only a few short steps via task-specific software.

3. On-device demo. A laptop is an ineffective replacement for a catalog, and presenting a slide show on one is awkward. Using an iPad as a presentation tool, on the other hand, is natural. The tablet is easily passed around, can be read like a magazine, and can also output to external displays with less hassle and fewer steps than a laptop. And apps like OnLive Desktop and Iongrid make it even easier for iPads to sub in for notebooks capable of running desktop presentation tools.

Level 3 isn’t the only company to realize the value of iPads in the hands of a sales force. Sears, of all companies, announced in October it would begin rolling out iPads in 450 stores that same month, and TUAW noted at the time that Lowes and Pacific Sun were also expanding iOS deployments.

InformationWeek thinks 2012 will be a breakout year in terms of actual iPad deployments, just as 2011 saw a huge uptick in pilot programs. If that indeed comes to pass, we should see Apple easily beat the 40.7 million iPads it sold in 2011.

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1. The mouse. Everyone who has used a computer today has used a mouse. But that wasn’t always the case in the early days of the PC. The mouse was invented as part of a research project aimed at “augmenting human intelligence” at the Stanford Research Institute in the early 1960s. It made its way to personal computers before the original Macintosh, but Jobs’ Macintosh that debuted in 1984  was the first successful commercialization of the technology that became the standard way to interface with any desktop computer with a windows general user interface.

2. Touchscreens. The only interaction method that can give the mouse a run for its money in terms of efficiency is touch. Way before Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft were pushing it for years. It can be argued that the iPhone brought touchscreen technology to the masses. Gates introduced the world to his tablet computing concept in 2000, seven years before the introduction of the Apple smartphone, but the technology that Apple ended up using for the iPhone is very different.  As Stacey Higginbotham wrote in 2008:

“Behind the iPhone, Samsung Instinct, LG Secret and several other mobile phones with touch screens lie capacitive sensors. These are semiconductors that require the human body to make them work. For users, it means that fingernails aren’t enough to dial a number and that the resulting screens are clearer instead of filmy. But the capacitive screens used in phones would be prohibitively expensive if they were put in larger devices. They could also could cause usability problem, especially when used for tabletops, where an errant palm could easily flick photos out of sight or drag windows to the wrong locale.”

Jobs chose capacitive touch for the iPhone, which was expensive. But it had a better user interface than the common resistive touch, which required a stylus, or pressure to make it work. It clearly resonated with customers and competitors: Those same touchscreens are ubiquitous on smartphones today.

3. Micro SIM. That tiny card that holds your account information inside GSM phones was already small enough. But digital security company Gemalto developed the even smaller SIM cards, called Micro SIMs. They didn’t become widely adopted, however, until they showed up in the original iPad, which was an instant commercial hit. Micro SIMs make for more space inside small devices, but it’s also used for better security. It’s not entirely clear why Apple embraced Micro SIM, but it has long been assumed Apple went with the smaller format cards because so few carriers were using them, thus allowing the company to limit which prepaid mobile carriers could be used with the device.

4. Thunderbolt. Intel called its new 10 Gbps optical cable interface that’s both a data connector and a high-performance port “Light Peak,” but Apple renamed it Thunderbolt in February when it appeared in the MacBook Pro for the first time. Apple worked with Intel on the idea and eventually added the technology to displays too. Since then, several accessory makers have gotten on board with the new standard that has the potential to be a one-cable solution for connecting computers to external devices and transferring data.

There’s an incredibly technical process taking place with the inclusion of Thunderbolt technology into new computers and accessories. But in true Jobs fashion, his company picked a name that’s nontechnical and very clear in what it does: lightning-fast transfers. It’s very much in keeping the Apple mission of taking a complex technology and carefully hiding it from users.

5. GPS. We had Garmins  and TomToms for personal navigation long before the iPhone arrived. But it wasn’t until very neatly packaged GPS capability was added to the iPhone 3G that having a navigation device in your pocket became a reality for mainstream consumers. It wasn’t just the Google Maps app that came standard on the phone, but Apple’s decision to open up the APIs for it to third-party developers so they could offer navigation and location services without contracting with expensive location data providers. That broadened the applications that used location beyond navigation and even made navigation a free service. Through those third-party contributions to the App Store, we got the flowering of location-based services that have long since spread to platforms beyond the iPhone and that we take for granted. It helped give us Foursquare, Where, enhanced Yelp, and Uber, and moved GPS from simply a way to navigate to a way to share and communicate in a far more interactive way.

Mouse image courtesy of Wikipedia, iPhone image courtesy of Apple.

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White iPhone 4

Regarding the white iPhone 4′s production delays, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller told Mobilized that far from being “as simple as making something white.” Schiller said that Apple’s main concern was with “how it holds up over time… but also in how it all works with the sensors.” Apple encountered problems with how the color of the device interacted with the iPhone’s internal components, and also that the white color ended up requiring more protection from UV rays than the black version. Apple waited to release the white iPhone, Schiller said, until it could ensure the device will live up to customer expectations.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs also said that what the company has learned regarding the white iPhone’s production process has provided valuable info that it can leverage in other products, like the iPad 2.

Location Issues

Jobs mostly stuck to the major points of Apple’s press release when discussing location information, but he also told Mobilized that the company is looking forward to testifying before Congress and regulatory bodies in order to provide more transparency about how location data is used. “I think Apple will be testifying,” he said. “They have asked us to come and we will honer their request, of course.” Jobs also expressed interest in seeing how other companies that deal with location data address these concerns. He didn’t discuss any companies by name, but Google is the obvious other major player when it comes to mobile location-aware devices.

Jobs also discussed the perceived “delay” between the problem’s discovery and Apple’s response. He noted that Apple’s response took “slightly less than a week” from the discovery of the problem, and that the approach the company took was “engineering-driven” in that it tracked down all of the info and assessed the problem fully, which “took a few days.” Apple also spent another “few days” to write up the results and make them intelligible to a broad audience.

Apple is being remarkably candid about these issues for a company that’s normally very tight-lipped. It’s understandable, though, when you consider that both the white iPhone 4 delays and the company’s recent problems with location issues have represented two of the biggest ongoing sources of negative press for the company in recent memory. But maybe this is also the first sign of a less secretive phase for Cupertino?

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Both location data gathering and traffic information collection seem to be in service of improving Apple’s built-in Maps app and on-device location services. Apple took over the management of Maps location databases in June 2010. Devices running iPhone OS 1.1.3 to 3.1 had (and still do) rely on Skyhook Wireless’ databases of Wi-Fi and cellular tower locations. Apple also acquired mapping companies Placebase and Poly9 last year, and posted job ads looking for individuals to “take Maps to the next level” in 2009, and to “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services” just last month.

Apple revealed last year in its letter to Congressmen Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Tex.) that it “used [location] data to analyze traffic patterns and density,” so presumably that’s the same thing it’s doing in order to improve its traffic service. The Maps app currently has a traffic layer that can be enabled and disabled, but the info appears to currently be supplied by Google, since it matches traffic pattens displayed on the web-based version of Google Maps. Apple seems to be intent on either supplementing that information, or replacing the Google-sourced data with its own.

Some are speculating this means Apple is keen to introduce turn-by-turn navigation to the onboard iOS Maps app, and that’s a definite possibility. But since Apple only claims “an improved traffic service” as part of its plans, it’s not the only logical conclusion one can draw. Apple has been steadily decreasing its reliance on outside service providers (and even components, thanks to its in-house designed A4 and A5 mobile chips), and a new traffic service might just be that, and not representative of any attempt to leapfrog into navigation.

Apple’s assertion that any improved service will come “in the next couple of years” hints at the long development tail it has for new products and software offerings. The Mac-maker would never release a product to market that pales in comparison to what it’s replacing, and that’s no less true of the iOS Maps app. Until it can ensure a better user experience itself than is provided by Google, it’ll stick with the Mountain View, Calif.-sourced option, because unlike its competitors, Apple seldom, if ever, rushes anything to market.

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A new job posting went up at Apple, suggesting the company is continuing to move towards its own mobile map plans, separate from Google. According to the posting, an iOS Maps Application Developer in Cupertino would help “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services.” User interface design is a must, as well as a “passion” for location-based technologies.

Certainly, there’s room for improvement in the current Maps app, which has seen relatively few outward updates since introduced with the original iPhone back in 2007. Despite being powered by Google Maps, iOS Maps does not compare well with the latest on Android. Missing features including turn-by-turn directions, 3-D maps, topography, offline maps, and information about places. While Apple is clearly behind Google in map app development, it wouldn’t be totally accurate to say the company has been ignoring map services.

In 2009, Apple acquired PlaceBase, a mapping data service provider, and in 2010, it also purchased another mapping company, Poly9. In both instances, employees as well as software went to Apple. Also, last year, Apple made  a major internal change to the Maps program. Starting with iOS 3.2 on the iPad, and with iOS 4 on all devices, Apple began using its own databases instead of those belonging to Skyhook Wireless and Google for location information.

With an iOS 5 preview expected next month, we may not have to wait long to find out if Apple plans on taking over full control of the iOS map app this year. Rumors of MobileMe development suggests new location-based services like Find My Friends are in store. It’s not hard to imagine maps of friends and recommended places overlaid as layers on the built-in Apple Maps app and dynamically updated. Social networking features, combined with more map services, would be a welcome update in iOS 5, and one that would gain Apple some ground over the competition.

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I argued in a previous post that the iPhone 4′s Personal Hotspot sharing feature (and similar sharing on other smartphone devices) were making a 3G-capable iPad less of a necessity for users. Geoffrey Goetz recently pointed out that along with 3G capabilities came true GPS, a feature not natively available on the Wi-Fi-only iPad. But according to TabletMonsters.com and multiple commenters at Cult of Mac, GPS does make the leap from iPhone to iPad when sharing your iPhone 4′s connection either with Personal Hotpspot or the jailbreak-only app MyWi, which for most users might be enough incentive to opt for the Wi-Fi model over the 3G variety.

I tried this out on my 3G-capable iPads by turning off cellular network services and connecting to my iPhone via Personal Hotspot. It definitely seems to make a difference, and looks like it’s just as accurate as the GPS on the iPhone 4 that’s sharing the connection. As a result, it might even be a viable option for use with turn-by-turn navigation apps. At the very least, it provides much better data for finding your exact location in spots where mapping via Wi-Fi towers alone won’t provide accurate results, which could considerably improve the experience of a number of iPad apps. Reports suggest it works on first-gen iPad devices, too.

Does this affect your iPad buying choice? How often do you find yourself using GPS on your iPad?

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For developers, the Core Location Framework in iOS can use the onboard GPS, cell, or Wi-Fi radios to find the user’s current longitude and latitude. Each one has a different degree of accuracy and uses a different amount of battery life.  This abstraction allows developers to write code without exactly knowing what capabilities the iOS device has available to it.  So, for the most part, developers don’t always have strict requirements where GPS capabilities are concerned.  But as a consumer, you want to know exactly what you’re getting for your money.

Wi-Fi iPad 2 and iPod Touch’s Wi-Fi Database

According to the tech specs for the iPod touch, this iOS device has what is referred to as “Maps location-based service”.  This means that the user’s longitude and latitude are determined based on their proximity to known Wi-Fi networks.  Since iOS 3.2, Apple has claimed to be using its own databases to provide such location-based services.  So we know that the iPod touch and the Wi-Fi only iPad 2 aren’t using GPS, but what about the iPhone 4 and 3G-capable iPad 2?

Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 2 and iPhone 4′s Assisted GPS

With GPS devices, the assisted terminology refers to the fact that the resulting GPS data is enhanced.  Under certain conditions, this enhancement can speed the start-up time to get an initial location fix faster.  So the same technology that’s used in the iPod touch to determine a user’s location based on Wi-Fi proximity is being used on the iPhone and the Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 2 to assist these devices in getting that initial fix.  The tech specs for the iPad 2 claim that only the Wi-Fi + 3G model has this “Assisted GPS” feature, and this is the same feature found on the iPhone.  The Wi-Fi only model of the iPad 2 does not have this feature.

What Good is GPS on an iPad Beyond Online Maps?

While it is certainly true that the built-in Maps App is pretty much useless without data connectivity, there are an increasing number of apps that will either cache, install or download maps for offline access.  MotionX GPS HD for US $2.99 in the App Store has what is likely to be one of the better implementations of downloading maps at a very reasonable price.  GPS also means you’ll have more accurate results when using location-based recommendation or social networking apps. It’s not something that everyone needs, but as it becomes more and more popular, it could represent a significant upside to owning an iPad, so consider the benefits of assisted GPS when making your choice.

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*Items highlighted in green represent the best options for each category.

Columbus V900 – While not from a very well know manufacture, the V900 has been one of my favorite GPS devices. It is available on Amazon for around $105.  While it is the most expensive of the three, it also has the most features. Besides being able to remove the microSD memory card, this device will also let you record and tag a voice memo at an exact location.  The included software used to read and access the data on the device, called Time Album, is Java-based and will run just fine on the Mac.  While it will charge with a miniUSB able, you will need to carry around a microSD card reader in order to import the log data on your Mac.

QStarz BT-Q1000XT – QStarz manufactures several different GPS receivers worth looking into for your particular needs.  I have been using one of their Travel series and it has served me well.  The Q1000XT is every bit as versatile as the V900 when used solely as a GPS receiver.  It currently lists for $99 on Amazon.  The major downside with QStarz is that the included software used to access the stored data requires a unique USB driver that is Windows only. There is however a third party utility, BT747 that will work with the QStarz.  But you will have to install the CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers from Silicon Labs in order to get it to work properly.

USGlobalSat BT-335 – As reputable as QStarz, USGlobalSat is a well known and reputable brand among GPS receivers.  The BT-335 is their latest Bluetooth receiver that is also a Data Logger.  At just $69 on Amazon, it is the cheapest of the three.  The one thing I did not like about the BT-335 is that it does not charge via mini USB and therefore requires you to travel with a dedicated charger specific to the device.  There is, however, a native Mac version of the Global Sync utility which makes accessing the data straight forward.  The only other downside is that it is the bulkiest of the three to carry around.

Once paired with your Mac, most GPS aware applications will automatically detect the GPS receiver.  For instance, in Google Earth, from the Tools menu select the GPS menu item.  On the Realtime tab check the “Automatically follow the path” and click the Start button.  Google Earth will create a “Temporary Place” in your places that will update the map with your coordinates.

All three devices are excellent data loggers and Bluetooth receivers.  While pairing via Bluetooth works identically on the Mac for all three, the same cannot be said of the connectivity and access to the data captured by each device’s logging capabilities.  Any one will work just fine with your Mac, but having access to all three, I tend to opt for the Columbus V900 most often.

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The one I’ve been using most late is the Columbus v-900 Bluetooth Data Logger ($99 on Amazon). Once paired with your MacBook Air, you can track your movements, record waypoints, and even plan a route.  Voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation with live, updated routes is also possible on a MacBook Air thanks to an application titled RouteBuddy.

Pairing Your Bluetooth GPS Receiver

As with all Bluetooth devices, paring with a Mac is straight forward and easy.  Once this setup task is complete, the GPS receiver will be accessible to GPS-enabled software like RouteBuddy.  To pair the Columbus V-900 GPS receiver (and most others, too), follow these simple steps:

1. From System Preferences, click on Bluetooth in the Internet & Wireless section.
2. Click on the “+” icon in the bottom left corner of the device list to add a new Bluetooth device.
3. Select the device from the list and click Continue.
4. Once paring is successful, click Quit.

Once pairing is established, you’ll have to access it through your software of choice, since OS X does not have the same CoreLocation service available to it as iOS does. And because connectivity to the receiver over Bluetooth happens via the serial interface, only one application at a time can access GPS information.

Making location available to RouteBuddy is easy. It just knows that a valid GPS receiver has been paired and turned on, and starts using it automatically upon launch.

RouteBuddy for Mac With Detailed Road Maps and a POI Database

RouteBuddy and its iOS companion app RouteBuddy Atlas are the perfect pair for planning and documenting a trip.  The Mac version can do turn-by-turn navigation, and the iOS version focuses primarily on topographical maps and creating waypoints and tracks.  The road maps that RouteBuddy uses are based on Tele Atlas mapping data, the same service that Google uses for its maps, and the one acquired by TomTom in 2007.  Once you’ve purchased and installed RouteBuddy for Mac (currently on sale for $59) and the detailed road map of the United States (sold separately for $39), you’ll need to install and register your map with the software.  Once complete, you’re ready to create your first navigable route:

1. Select two or more Waypoints that you want to create a route between.
2. From the Map menu, select the Create Route menu item.
3. Double-click on the resulting route to change the order of the destinations if more than two waypoints were selected.
4. Select the route you want to use from the drop down list of selections in the library on the left.
5. Click Start to begin your turn-by-turn navigation.

There are several other ways to create a route from within RouteBuddy, too.  You can even connect to RouteBuddy Atlas (available for free from the App Store) on your iOS device via WebDav to access the waypoints and tracks you have recorded, and import them into RouteBuddy for Mac. When navigating, RouteBuddy will even recalculate the route if you don’t follow the turn-by-turn directions exactly, just like a dedicated GPS navigation device.  The points of interest database is quite extensive, with over 4 million items.  The smaller size of the MacBook Air’s screen makes it a perfect choice for use with RouteBuddy, but always remember to keep your eyes on the road, no matter what device you’re depending on to get from point A to point B.

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Word regarding the alleged move first broke when a Mac User report claimed that a UK-based Google executive had revealed details about introducing the navigation tool to the iPhone, in addition to other mobile devices. The comments were apparently uttered during a London press conference in which Google launched its popular Maps Navigation tool for UK Android devices.

However, in order to kill the rumor before it became any more widespread, Google has now confirmed to PCWorld that this is not the case. PCWorld’s report includes comments from a Google spokesperson who said the following:

“We did not say we would bring it to iPhone, we said to date we’ve had it on Android and that in the future it may come to other platforms but did not confirm this will be coming to iPhone at all.”

For those that don’t know, Google’s Maps Navigation is a free GPS 3-D mapping service which offers turn-by-turn navigation, automatic rerouting and voice guidance for Android users. Sadly, no doubt at the joy of GPS makers such as Tom Tom and Garmin, Google’s service will not be on the iPhone anytime soon.

It was set to ship in about two or three weeks, according to Apple’s web site. I say “was,” because it isn’t there anymore. At all. The device has been pulled from the product listings for the time being, and Apple isn’t saying why.

Many suspect that the real reason Apple has temporarily stopped taking pre-orders is because TomTom was offering the car mount and GPS signal booster bundled with its actual navigation app, the one that was released awhile ago with its own nearly $100 price tag — the one which many people already purchased, not suspecting that TomTom would offer the software free with purchase of this new hardware. This was apparently generating complaints.

So alienating your No. 1 target user base for a product at launch probably isn’t the best possible marketing strategy. How TomTom and Apple decide to get around this is going to be interesting to see. On the one hand, they could offer rebate vouchers towards the hardware to any customers who’ve already purchased the navigation app on its own. But that would probably result in them taking a huge bath on at least this round of mount sales.

On the other hand, they could simply remove the part in the blurb about the Car Kit including software, and not bundle anything with the device. It’s the solution that makes the most fiscal sense, but as I’m sure TomTom is painfully aware, the cat’s already out of the bag, so it’ll look like the company’s just backpedaling, with customers losing out in the end.

My advice to TomTom: Take the hit and offer the hardware with a discount for existing navigation app customers. Sure, it’ll probably result in a fair size loss until the market of people who already have your app are sated, but you’ll retain customer confidence and good will, and it won’t make you look incompetent and dishonest, which is what will happen if you try to say the bit about the app being included was just a typo.

Those interested in the hardware itself, regardless of selling conditions, will be interested to find that while the Car Kit dock is said to be compatible with all iPhone models, the navigation app only works with the 3G and the 3GS. Looks like the brave claims of iPod touch compatibility have yet to be substantiated. We’ll see if TomTom redacts that particular claim, too.

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While the iPhone app doesn’t provide iPod control without a hardware cable connection, it does allow you to search for points of interest or trip destinations on the iPhone, which then communicates said information to the navigation unit. Basically, it’s like having an advanced, user-friendly remote for your GPS unit instead of having to fumble with clumsy on-device controls.

You can also access any POI information on the nav system over Bluetooth via your iPhone, so it’s a two-way conversation. Also, the app automatically searches your device for geotagged photos taken with the iPhone’s camera and uses those as custom POI entries. I can see this becoming annoying, since every photo I take with my iPhone has geographic information associated with it. The neat spider I saw when we stopped at that roadside diner isn’t a POI, cool though it might have been.

If you’re in the market for an in-dash nav system, and you already own an iPhone, then there’s really not much of a downside to going with these Pioneer models. The entry-level AVIC-U310BT will set you back $699, while the much snazzier AVIC-Z110BT has a $1,799 price tag. The more expensive model will get you a motorized screen, rear cam readiness, voice control, and A2DP stereo Bluetooth support. Forgive me for also wanting it to drive the car for me at that price.

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In my opinion, TomTom is a little over the top in its app description write-up, proclaiming, “Turn-by-turn car navigation for the iPhone is here.” Well, in fact, it’s also here, and here and here (all iTunes links). It might not have beat everyone out of the gate, but I suppose this is TomTom we’re talking about, and none of its rivals have quite as much brand power.

A couple caveats before you go rushing out to buy the new app. First, it’s a bit on the expensive side. $99.99 for the U.S. and Canada edition (iTunes link), for example, and $149.99 for Western Europe (iTunes link). Also, New Zealand (iTunes link) costs $94.99 while Australia (iTunes link) is only $79.99? Maybe I’m just being naive, but isn’t New Zealand a whole lot smaller and less difficult to navigate? Maybe you pay extra for live sheep traffic updates.

In addition, the accompanying iPhone GPS mount is nowhere to be seen, at least not yet. The device, which is meant to augment the iPhone’s own GPS abilities, as well as provide a line out for car stereo use and take advantage of iPhone OS 3.0 hardware access features, won’t be released until later this year. The good news is that when it does arrive, there will also be an iPod touch-specific model, so you won’t need an iPhone to use the app.

Anyone taking the plunge on this WWDC keynote star? If so, we’d be glad to hear your impressions.

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Due to hefty 3G roaming rates, Apple’s Maps app just won’t cut it when you’re out of the country. The oMap app lets you download maps for offline viewing — dodging a shocking bill post-vacation.

The iPhone is an almost perfect companion for travels to distant lands. With a bit of foresight and time set aside for planning, it’s possible to mix and match the perfect blend of vacation apps, ensuring you make the most of your journey.

My own package of essential travel tools includes Evernote, QuadCamera, Gengo Flashcards and HearPlanet. Without a 3G connection overseas, though, Apple’s Maps app proves utterly redundant — if I can’t connect, I can’t use it.

oMaps brings offline mapping to the iPhone. The app includes GPS, multiple zoom levels, map bookmarking and search functionality.

Don’t Google It

Notably, oMaps doesn’t make use of Google Maps. The developer, Thomas Bonnin, cites licensing restrictions from Google as the reason. Instead, the app utilizes OpenStreetMap, a service referred to by Bonnin as “the Wikipedia of maps.”

Despite being a community-maintained mapping service — meaning that there may be lower detail in some areas — in practice, the maps seem to be accurate, detailed and certainly useful for tourists. Even better, OpenStreetMap includes restaurants, ATMs, bus stations and other notable landmarks — a boon for lone travelers.

Best of all, because oMaps makes use of an open-source solution, after purchasing the app, individual maps are free to download. Admittedly, in-app purchasing of new maps would have been a neat iPhone OS 3.0 feature, although for me to grumble about that is akin to performing extended dental work on a gift horse.

Making Your Map

To create a new offline map, you simply open the app, browse to the location you’d like to view later and click save. Maps can only be downloaded via Wi-Fi, due to potentially large download sizes (the app saves the current zoom level and each increasing level of detail beyond that).

Although the developer states that you can save unlimited maps, there is one major constraint. The app will only start saving a map from a certain level of detail. If you zoom too far out — in my case when trying to download all of Helsinki — oMaps will refuse to save.

Essentially, the app draws a line as to how much you’re able to download in one go. It certainly doesn’t ruin the app or its functionality, but it’s a seemingly arbitrary obstacle, surpassed simply by downloading a given area in several separate chunks.

On Your Travels

Downloading a useful portion of a given city takes time and requires a stable connection. To make the best use of oMaps, you’ll need to plan ahead and prepare at least a day or so before traveling.

Once you’re offline and on the move, the app comes into its own. For me, flipping the iPhone to Airplane Mode and opening oMaps felt like cartographical witchcraft — the app located me immediately and I could zoom in and out, viewing my surrounding area in various levels of detail.

It’s worth clarifying for less tech-savvy users how this works. Your data connection — 3G, Edge, GPRS — may cost money to use overseas, usually at an inflated rate. The GPS in your iPhone — used for locating you — is free. oMaps uses the GPS to locate you and requires no data connection because the data itself, the map, has already been downloaded and saved to your iPhone.

Just like Apple’s Maps app, oMaps includes a GPS button. Pressing the button will locate you, assuming you’ve downloaded the corresponding map for the area you’re occupying. There are a few differences and drawbacks, though.

Unlike Maps, once you’re on the move, there are no directions or search functionality. Directions may be an arguably complex function, however Search does seem like something that could have been achieved — even if it means downloading a little more data when initially saving the map.

Summing Up

The app has a few issues that, while irritating, don’t ruin the overall functionality. Saving multiple maps for one city can be a drag, but then it’s all free and can be used offline, even with GPS. Plus, the lack of search functionality means that you may have to do a little extra pre-planning before setting off.

Rather than comparing oMaps to Apple’s Google-powered Maps, it’s perhaps best to see the app as a replacement to a traditional map. It saves purchasing horrid foldout maps and, as such, is more discreet and agreeable for meandering tourists.

Most importantly though, oMaps is a time and money saver. Although it won’t prove useful at home, when you’re in foreign lands this really will be an essential app.

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When June 17 comes around, iPhone customers will definitely want to upgrade to the latest iPhone 3.0 software to take advantage of huge improvements with Apple’s oft-discussed MobileMe service.

iPhone 3.0, Where Are You?

If you are like me, losing things (it happens to all of us) is unfortunately common. While I haven’t lost my iPhone yet, I’ve had it happen to many friends. With the 3.0 software, Apple has introduced a new feature called Find My iPhone which will allow MobileMe customers to log into me.com via any Internet-enabled computer and remotely locate their phone via the iPhone’s built-in GPS (or through cell phone triangulation on the original iPhone).

Additionally, users can now remotely display a message on their iPhone with the intention of alerting whomever may find their treasured mobile device. In case the screen isn’t attention-getting enough, users also have the ability to play a sound that will override the iPhone’s silent setting to make it easier to find a lost or misplaced phone.

Sometimes, however, bad things happen and you may not be able to retrieve your iPhone. In this case, Apple provides a solution that will allow a user to remotely wipe everything on their device, preventing the nefarious person who has acquired your iPhone from being able to do any real damage. In one click on the MobileMe web site, all of your personal information, including addresses, phone numbers, photos, email and more are deleted from your iPhone. If you eventually find your iPhone after you’ve wiped it, simply plugging it back into your Mac or PC will allow it to restore from its latest iPhone backup.

iDisk Now On iPhone

In other news, Apple announced that iDisk support will be coming soon to the iPhone. A free application will be available on the App Store that will allow you to browse content from your iDisk. You can also share content from your iDisk to friends and family via email, all from your phone. Since the iPhone features built-in support for a variety of formats, including Microsoft Office and iWork documents, you can browse these as well. Editing these documents, however, is not supported at this time.

Public iDisk folders are also supported, both in terms of allowing you to browse other public folders as well as other users uploading content to your own public folder, which you can then browse from your phone.

These features are iPhone 3.0 OS and MobileMe dependent. Find My iPhone & Remote Wipe will be available on June 17 and iDisk support will be available at a later, unannounced, date.

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You can’t have pizza without cheese, socks without shoes, a sandwich without bread, or a complete week without hearing about the freshest iPhone apps.

Before I present you with a hand-picked selection of the latest iPhone releases to hit the App Store, as is tradition, we’ll take a moment to review notable news and take stock of the week that was.

For iPhone supporters, the week seemed to start on somewhat of a downer as news broke that RIM’s BlackBerry Curve is the belle of the ball, surpassing the iPhone in popularity. Plus, darkening the mood a little more, it seemed that the developers gathered for our Monday App Store Roundtable were, understandably, none too pleased at the App Store’s review system.

By Tuesday, the week began to pick up with speculation that Apple may adjust their app approval policy upon the release of the iPhone 3.0 update this summer. In short, there’s a possibility that “adult-only” apps will appear in the App Store; perhaps tasteless topless images will become the new novelty fart sound maker?

Also this week,Bento, the personal database application for desktop, was released on the iPhone. David Appleyard was on hand to provide an excellent overview of the app. Although I use Evernote for collecting info on the move, users who need to go beyond lists and start making databases will find Bento to be an indispensable tool.

Midweek mirth was provided courtesy of Apple, when someone on the Cupertino campus inadvertently approved a listing for QuickPWN — the iPhone jailbreaking tool — in the official web app directory.

The other notable rumor of the week concerns a possible feature coming to new MacBooks in the future. Based on a job posting straight from Apple, it’s looking likely that the next Macbook will have integrated 3G. Although 3G may be the death knell for USB sticks touting the same functionality, on the flip-side it means less peripherals and more connectivity for Macbook-users.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Offmaps, GadgetTrak, Kids vs. Zombies Lite and Battalion.

Offmaps ($2.99)
Having Maps on your iPhone is all well and good, but when you’re out and about without a data-connection, the app is essentially useless. For frequent travelers (or even iPod Touch users) Offmaps compliments Google Maps perfectly. The app allows you to download specific maps directly to the iPhone, even allowing the user to set the zoom level — useful for those looking for a high level of detail. A worthwhile companion to the embedded Maps app, and surprisingly cheap given the excellent functionality.

GadgetTrak (Free)
This seems to have been released back in August last year, and while I try to feature the latest apps, it’s occasionally worth rewinding a moment if I’ve missed something worthwhile. GadgetTrak is incredibly similar to Caught You! Both of the apps create a dummy icon on your iPhone which, in the event of your device being stolen, a thief will hopefully click. The dummy app then e-mails your iPhone’s GPS coordinates to you. Unfortunately, Caught You! seems to have gone AWOL from the App Store — I’ve checked both U.S. and UK stores, and it’s no longer available — as such, it’s worth checking out GadgetTrack as an alternative (and free) tracking tool.

Kids vs. Zombies Lite (Free)
Recommended to me by Larsonian, via the comments section of last week’s App Store Picks, I thought I should take a look at this game. In the midst of a zombie apocalypse, you take control of three kids who happen to be armed to the teeth. In terms of gameplay, it’s a coin-op-esque shooter, wrapped in gorgeous cartoony 3D graphics, with a sprinkling of the undead. Each of the characters have different attack abilities — close combat, long range and explosives — plus, you’re able to visit the Hardware Store and upgrade the weaponry for even more effective zombie devastation. Check out the free Lite version first and, if you enjoy destroying the living dead, upgrade to the full version for only two bucks.

Battalion (Free)
If you’re looking for a 3D shooter with a retro vibe, then check out Battalion. The game was originally developed for the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, aka CAVE (I love a good recursive acronym), and found the player becoming a movie-style giant monster, literally stomping around a town and taking on the might of the military. The controls are incredibly tough to get used to, combining a mixture of tilting, tapping, double-tapping and even dragging, however, after an initial learning period, it’s good fun (and a strangely effective stress reliever). While this version is certainly not as immersive as the original virtual reality Battalion, you get to choose from one of four cute but angry B-movie monsters. Recommended for those looking for a free and fun new game.

We’re all done for the app picks this week. In keeping with our usual schedule, I’ll return next week with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

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