Free GPS on iPod Touch?

Well, not quite. What I've discovered is that when you're in iPod Touch's Maps app with the wi-fi on and just drive around on the streets, the app will grab whatever wifi signals it can find and triangulate your position on the map based on them. This assumes you've preloaded a map with your position on it earlier and what it'll do is pinpoint your position when you're near a strong wifi signal or area with several signals. The caveat is that you might lose your map information unless you pass by an open hotspot so it's definitely not something to rely on. Nonetheless, it's pretty cool in a cool geek factor kinda way. Of course, if you have an iPhone, the Maps app will just use the 3G signals to triangulate your position and you won't lose your map either. If you're a pizza delivery guy or have a job that requires driving, the iPhone's a nice thing to have.

While I'm on the subject, another reason to love my iPod: I was dating some Chinese girl who can't speak English worth squat. She mentions some Chinese thing that I don't know about so I switched to the Notes app and switched on the character recognition Chinese input and just told her to draw the Chinese characters so I can ask my parents about it later. This is her first time handling my iPod but she had no problems entering the characters since all she had to do was literally draw the characters with her finger and hit the Chinese equivalent of "enter". Later I showed the notes to each of my parents whom each had their own take on what she wrote. :p But back to the point, the iPod can help you cross language barriers. Cool stuff, ne?

A reason I like my iPod Touch: potentially one of many?

I'm driving my mother today and she wants to visit Super H Mart, a Korean supermarket in Houston. Unfortunately, she forgot exactly where it is and I've only been there a couple times and couldn't be bothered to remember where either. So we make a quick stop at a library which happens to be in the general direction the supermarket should be and I whip out the iPod. It instantly connects to the library's wifi network and I launch the Maps app and type "super h-mart". It instantly brings up the map with the location marked; I tap on it and up comes the address info including ph # and website even. 1 tap saves it to Contacts and another couple of taps draws up a potential route from where we're at to the supermarket. If this had been an iPhone, we wouldn't even need to make that stop at the library since there's 3G connection. It's like straight out of the Apple commercials. They've really made a great PDA/smartphone product.

Taking over the world with lemons...

I discovered Lemonade Tycoon for iPhone and it's free too. Good stuff but the only bad thing is the occasional demographic info collecting or ad. Can't be all good, right? :P

I'm also hooked on Leaf Trombone World Stage. This is crack. This is what Wii Music should have been. The big difference is that you have music that you can follow along with as well as the ability to compose original stuff. I bet Miyamoto's smacking himself over the head over this one.

Speaking of Nintendo, Defend Your Castle is also on iPhone and graphics are ported from the Wii version. It's just much easier flicking the stick enemies with your fingers than the Wii Remote plus easier to play in short bursts.

Score? Apple: 2, Nintendo: 0.