General
How does GeoNumbers get location information? The iPhone/iPod
touch family of products has a variety of methods of determining
location, including GPS, cellular/mobile phone tower triangulation, and
triangulation via nearby wi-fi networks. In general, GPS (available only
in the iPhone 3G) is the most accurate, and is available anywhere you
can see the sky. Triangulation via telephone towers (available on all
iPhones) is less accurate, while location via wi-fi networks (available
on all iPhones and on the iPod touch) is least likely to be available.
How does GeoNumbers display latitude and longitude? GeoNumbers
allows you to choose between two common formats:
- Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (ddd° mm' ss") The most common
way to refer to latitude and longitude. For example: N37°20'10",W122°05'50"
- Decimal Degrees (ddd.ddddd) - This represents a degree as a fractional number, and is more
convenient for performing calculations. For example: N37.33611,W122.09722 (this is the same location as was given above).
What datum does GeoNumbers use? WGS-84.
Can I display the coordinate in Google Maps or other mapping software? In general, yes.
Most programs that accept latitude and longitude should accept either format, though decimal degrees are
often easier to work with as they don't involve dealing with the degree symbol. Both formats work
with Google Maps, both in a web browser and in the iPhone "Maps" app. They also both work with Mapquest (look for the "Map by Lat/Long" option). Yahoo Maps supports decimal degrees, but not DMS.
Why doesn't the "email" option always include a map? The accuracy
of the locator in the iPhone and iPod touch varies quite a bit. While
at best they can be quite accurate, at worst they can be off by a good
half-mile (about 1km) or more. When Google maps, or the Maps app, displays
a location sent by GeoNumbers, it represents it as a precise location.
If the accuracy isn't very good, this can be misleading. So GeoNumbers
only sends a map if it can determine the accuracy to within 50 meters,
or about 164 feet.
How does GeoNumbers affect battery life? GeoNumbers constantly
updates the displayed location. Unfortunately, this can cause the battery
of the iPhone or iPod touch to drain faster than it would normally (this is
especially the case for the iPhone 3D). For this reason, we recommend
not running GeoNumbers continuously unless you need a continuous update
of your location.
How can I send a location email to more than one person? You
can send a location email to more than one person by separating each
email address with a comma. This works in either in the Mail app,
or in GeoNumbers' "Default Email Address" box). Note that if you add
multiple email addresses to the "Default Email Address" box by using your
Contacts, GeoNumbers automatically inserts a comma in between each.
Backing Up and Restoring Saved Locations
How can I back up the list of Saved Locations? To backup your
saved locations, tap the "Backup" button on the "Saved Locations" panel.
GeoNumbers will create a email that will contain your locations, encoded
as a special link. Send this email to yourself.
How can I restore the list of Saved Locations? To restore your
saved locations from a backup email, read the backup email from within
your iPhone or iPod touch, then tap the link in the email. GeoNumbers will
start up, and will load the saved locations in the email.
How often should I back up my saved locations? We recommend
that you back up your saved locations on a regular basis. We strongly
recommend that you back up your saved locations before you update
GeoNumbers. We also recommend emailing your saved locations using the
"Email All" function, on a regular basis.
What's the difference between "Backup" and "Email All"? "Backup"
backs up your saved locations in a way that GeoNumbers can read. "Email All"
emails your saved locations in a human-readable format.
Can GeoNumbers restore saved locations from an email created with "Email All"?GeoNumbers can restore saved locations only from a backup email
created by tapping the "Backup" button.
Other questions? Send an email!
Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc.
