Due to spending alot of time on internet and PS3 my friends regard me as some sort computer expert and the go to guy for any questions or technical problems they might have. I dont really know why playing bad company on the ps3, posting on bike forums, watching videos on youtube and looking a pictures of nekkid ladies qualifies me to answer these sort of questions with any authority but that is besides the point, i still get asked.

Anyway whats the story with the 3g version of the ipad 2? It seems to be about a £100 more than the basic version. Does this include 3g data provision for a year or is this an extra? If it is an extra is it a contract or is there a pay as you go option? Also what is the international roaming like – particularly in places like japan, china and south korea? Will it be much more expensive to use the 3g there?

Doesn’t it work with a 3g tariff?

So you buy the device and then you need a 3g contract to connect it to.

Having a quick look on the Orange website shows that they will do you an ipad2 for £199 if you pay £25/month for a 24month data contract. And that’s only 1GB anytime & 1GB quiet time (whatever that means)…..

I don’t think the extra £100 gives you any data provision, it is just the cost of the device with extra functionality in the form of 3g capability.

I don’t think the extra £100 gives you any data provision, it is just the cost of the device with extra functionality in the form of 3g capability.

… and GPS.

So a bit like a phone contract then with a subsidised handset.

Do you know if you could tether a non 3g ipad to an iphone 4g?

Presumably you could just connect an ipad to a phone that will work as a wi-fi hotspot, like my HTC Desire?

Presumably you could just connect an ipad to a phone that will work as a wi-fi hotspot, like my HTC Desire?

Yes.

And if you tether it to an iPhone it also gets the GPS data from the phone.

And if you tether it to an iPhone it also gets the GPS data from the phone.

Urban myth, not true. It’s getting coarse location information from the WiFi.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbvMt0diVFU[/video]

You can post all the videos you like, it still doesn’t work.

hmm.. that’s a shame. It was widely reported that it worked, based mainly on that video:
http://www.cultofmac.com/86642/wifi-only-ipad-2-gets-gps-when-tethered-to-iphone/
http://usingapple.com/2011/03/gps-on-wifi-ipad-when-you-tethered-to-iphone-mobile-hotspot-video/
http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-brief/54741-wi-fi-ipad-2-can-get-pinpoint-gps-if-tethered-to-iphone
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/03/does-tethered-iphone-send-gps-to-wi-fi-ipad/

.

But I see someone else tried it since then and says it don’t work.

Bummer. Seems like this would be a fairly easy thing to implement, especially as they already support some external GPS receivers over Bluetooth.

I see someone else tried it since then and says it don’t work.

<nods> I know. The reason I’m so sure it doesn’t work is I’ve tested it extensively myself.

It initially looks like it works, but what I think is actually happening is that it’s getting coarse location data from drive-by MAC addresses it’s seeing as you drive round.

This becomes readily apparent when you’re out in the countryside. The ‘gps’ works quite well in built-up areas but is almost non-existent out in the sticks. That aside though, you only need to compare side-by-side what the iPhone is seeing to what you’re getting on the iPad to see that they’re simply not operating using the same information.

Seems like this would be a fairly easy thing to implement

I’m speculating, but I’d guess that the shortfall is with the phone rather than the tablet. I can’t think offhand of any handset that can act as an external GPS unit (though I’ve not given it a huge amount of thought TBH).

Wonder how hard it would be to write an app for the iPhone (or droid even) that got GPS data from the receiver then repackaged it for transmission over Bluetooth.

Not sure the BT stack on iPhone would let you do that without jailbreaking though. droid might.

droid might.

Double-edged sword. For all its openness, the Android BT stack is… not the best.

Come back Symbian, all is forgiven? (-:

Windows phone? *shudder*

Also what is the international roaming like – particularly in places like japan, china and south korea? Will it be much more expensive to use the 3g there?

Taking mine to India shortly, I’ll report back with bollocking I shall receive once the bill comes into the business unit 🙂

I’m expecting the cost to be approximately ‘WTF???’