The iPhone 3GS has a built in digital compass. The digital compass app works just like a magnetic needle compass and shows you the position you are facing. I have never had the need to use it and really did not care about it, until now. Did you know you can integrate the iPhone’s compass with Google Maps?
I stumbled across this feature yesterday when I was leaving a property I was doing a real estate appraisal on.
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When you launch Google Maps on your iPhone, tap the “Your Location” button on the bottom left of the app to find your location. The map will show your location as a little blue dot on the map. If you tap the “Your Location” button again, the app will integrate the compass and the map will now rotate as you change direction.
I use Google Maps on my iPhone almost everyday whether I am doing a real estate appraisal or just driving in an area I am not familiar with. It was easy to miss a street when using Google Maps on my iPhone because the map always pointed North regardless of the direction I was driving. It is much easier to find my route now that I know how to use the iPhone compass with Google Maps. The integration of the compass with the maps app make the maps much more useful.
Do you use a GPS unit in your appraisal business? If so, which one do you use?
Posted by Bryan McDonald (Follow him on Twitter)
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