What about the FCC mandate? Does this mean a fine and/or action by the Feds because they built a non-compliant device?

Wait a minute...maybe Apple's finally noticed something.

The truly vast proportion of people who own phones and personal digital devices know pretty much right where they are. Contrary to the experience of globe-trotting, plane-hopping new-age marketeers and sales people, Most people don't travel all that much outside their home towm or local area. So a GPS to "find yourself" on a map is irrelevant. Because as Josie Average, you know where you are. If you don't, it's because you're on the other side of town and looking for a new store, restaurant, or whatever.

If that's the case, you look at a map. Which is what Apple's betting on here...the user interface is simple, Google is simple, and the idea of "placing yourself in context on the map" is pretty simple, too. Most folks can read a street sign, or in a general way figure out where they are on a Google-toon.

So has Apple made the simplest location-enabled device yet...an actual MAP-CENTRIC device? Hmmmmm.

I wonder if the utility of GPS is rendered irrelevant by the simple idea of someone navigating by looking at a map or an aerial photo? Imaging that, looking at a map to figure out where you are. You know, that just might work.

Still doesn't solve the whole e-911 thing, but maybe that's for a future edition.

A more base and probably realistic backgrounder on the lack of GPS...cameras and movies and music sells. Nobody's paying for location.

Couple that (what more do you need, actually) with the battery suck of a GPS and the low adoption rate, and the mandate just ain't there.

Kudos to Apple for being honest with the state of technology.