Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!


Just in case anyone cares, the Touch Pro 2 seems to have a digital compass. Aside from just the accelerometer. If you open Google maps or any other gps program and leave it open and open feildtrial from the windows directory and select GPS it shows your heading in degrees. It worked perfectly for me. I hope it is in google maps someday kinda like the iphone has.. I guess we can only hope.....


Sorry if this was already common knowledge. I couldn't find any info about it .

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?!
 

A compass will tell you which diretction north is while standing still.
A heading reading is just that.....its the direction you are heading which means you have to be moving.

So in this case you can start to travel in a direction and then find out which way YOU are heading.
Those two are not the same however.

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?!
 

It does not actively update. It gets the heading info based on GPS satellites, not based on an internal magnetometer

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?!
 

Yes, you guys are correct. I hadn't tried it yet sitting still. I guess I jumped the gun. Since we had this same ability on our TP1's . Sorry, thought this was an improved feature, unfortunately it is nothing new.

That was why the question mark in mt thread title. I wasn't positive yet. Now I realize there is no compass, rather just a heading direction, based on triangulation and such. Sorry guys.

However, running the field trial is at least another way to confirm your Data connection state and transfer rate request.

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

Does anyone have any idea how the compass app in the iPhone works. Do they have some special built in hardware or is it actually a function of the GPS? It would seem to me that GPS satellites must have some idea where north is and maybe that can be read if you know how.

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

The GPS in our device is able to sense our heading or direction of travel based on where we are in relation to the satellites. However it does not have an actual magnetometer required for actual compass guiding gauged from a walking pace. In other words we would have to be in a moving vehicle to get a real reading of direction that we are headed.

Last I read, the new iPhones were getting a magnetometer. That would be how they can act as a compass. Same thing with the G1.

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

how bout jus buy a compass i seen them for a dollar.... or jus get an iphone to me tp2 is crappin on the iphone... tp2 is a beast of a phone for the real business man ... now honestly do we really need a compass...

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

no....we dont. i dont want our functional devices to become an iGimmick :mrgreen:

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

The GPS, when moving, shows true direction. A compass only shows magnetic north.

Is there a little program to get the GPS to show altitude? Do the commercial programs (TomTom) show altitude?

Re: Touch Pro 2 has a digital compass!?! answer=no
 

When opening field trial in the Windows folder with Google maps or equivelant open, it will give you you altitude. Just click on debug info>GPS.

I believe many of the GPS apps. also provide this info., including HTCs' GPS Tool. Not the Quick GPS one.