Hacker News Reader

Full thread

asmithmd1

I see a chip marked SIRF - does it have GPS?

View on HN

It looks that way. The SIRF chip is marked as GSD4e.

http://www.csr.com/products/35/sirfstariv-gsd4e

You can see more detail of that here:

http://www.catwig.com/google-glass-teardown/teardown/mainboa...

I hope so, as this will enable Google Maps-like functionality.

Yes it already has inbuilt GPS unit. Source: I own one

Then why does it need the MyGlass app running for GPS?

Battery life I imagine.

Probably for AGPS and a better positioning using both GPS chips and other positioning sensors (cell towers, wifi). The Glass GPS antenna is tiny, it can take ages to synchronize without aid.

"Ages" must mean more than half an hour inside a car, then. If I don't have the MyGlass app running on my phone, the location accuracy is so limited that I can only assume it's based on WiFi.

But what do you mean "without aid"? Even without MyGlass running, Glass still has WiFi-based location and an Internet connection (tethering is separate from MyGlass) -- isn't that sufficient for AGPS?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com