iPhone 2.1 seed with directional GPS and push
Apple has released a new beta of the iPhone’s OS, ver 2.1. This update includes, among other things, the ability for Core Location to recognize the cardinal direction of an iPhone with GPS as well as its velocity, both of which are ingredients necessary to providing turn-by-turn directions.
Additionally, Apple is implementing a version of its background push notification service in the 2.1 firmware. As announced at the WWDC in June, this feature lets third-party native programs receive data such as alerts or new messages while not actively running.
This new release of the iPhone’s OS would most likely come out this fall. In the meantime, Apple and AT&T are currently testing iPhone 2.0.1, a maintenance release of the operating system that likely fixes some of the outstanding bugs with the initial 2.0 release.
