[cbzeduser]

Thanks for these, proper expectation management. I can't believe they are wasting their time and resources on developing an altimeter. I have scoured the pages of this forum looking at where the demand is from the public of what they'd like to see and I have never ever seen the word altimeter once. For goodness sake these people need to stop behaving like geeks and look at what people are asking for, don't give them what you think they want when there's free market research to be had here. A flaming altimeter. I'm lost for words.

I agree totally.

If you look beneath the numbers for the below-expectation sales of OS10 devices it's clear that a lot of current Blackberry users were underwhelmed by things like the poor contact management in OS10 and chose to either switch platforms or stick with BBOS7. If Blackberry doesn't start to focus on fixing things like the Contacts app, they are never going to convert enough former Blackberry users over to the new platform to make their sales goals for the new OS.

Altimeter support!?!? WTF???

[cbzeduser]

People have also been whining for something extraordinary from application developers, and to have BlackBerry attract developers to the platform. This is one of the examples of what BlackBerry is doing for developers and some of you spoiled brat wannabe CEOs **** and moan about it. What can you do with a barometer? Lots of things. What will people do with it, we won't find out until the API is available.

There are lots of developers at BlackBerry to fix bugs, which will happen asynchronously to new features, and to add those features.

Posted via CB10

Is there any public list of which bugs are being targeted for fix?

[Brandon Orr]

Because the altitude provided by the GPS system is not as accurate nor as reliable in determining either absolute altitude, or altitude change as performing proper calculations based on barometric pressure.

From the Garmin website:

The main source of error has to do with the arrangement of the satellite configurations during fix determinations. The earth blocks out satellites needed to get a good quality vertical measurement. Once the vertical datum is taken into account, the accuracy permitted by geometry considerations remains less than that of horizontal positions. It is not uncommon for satellite heights to be off from map elevations by +/- 400 ft. Use these values with caution when navigating.

You also need 3 sattelites for altitude, whereas position just needs 2. Sometimes here you most need an altimeter may be in the worst coverage places.

Posted via CB10

[cbzeduser]

It's an API so that developers can make use of an altimeter in their apps. Could be used for an aviation aid app.

Posted via CB10

No one is denying that an altimeter may not be useful for someone, at some point in the future. But right now, its utility is edge case, at best.

And more importantly, it represents a huge detour from Blackberry's strength, which used to be business use of its devices. I mean, what is Blackberry's strategy? Is it to build a clone of the iPhone or Galaxy S4, or to build a superior phone for business users? Part of the reason why sales of OS10 devices fell short is that the Z10 is too much like the iPhone, and not enough like previous Blackberry devices.

If someone has come to rely on their Bold/9810/9900 for email, task, and contact management, they want an OS10 device that does not represent a step backward in that regard. Blackberry should be pouring resources into fixing the gaps between the OS7 and OS10, instead of wasting time with features like an altimeter that no one will use for two to three years, if ever.

[williaml]

While I agree that an altimeter is probably one of the less used features, I highly doubt the development of an API for an already included sensor takes much time or effort.

This is not a complex feature like WiFi Direct and for all we known may be completed in a few weeks by a summer student. I doubt it affects the develop of other features noticibaly if at all.

As a final note, you can only have so many devs working on each bug and often adding additional employees to a known issue does not drastically change the project timeframe (might as well put them on adding new features)...

Posted via CB10 on my Q10

[SubCamp]

what you just said makes 100% sense, however you are talking about a tech company and they tend to do whatever they want and do things are their pace not a realistic simple pace.

[Brandon Orr]

No one is denying that an altimeter may not be useful for someone, at some point in the future. But right now, its utility is edge case, at best.

And more importantly, it represents a huge detour from Blackberry's strength, which used to be business use of its devices. I mean, what is Blackberry's strategy? Is it to build a clone of the iPhone or Galaxy S4, or to build a superior phone for business users? Part of the reason why sales of OS10 devices fell short is that the Z10 is too much like the iPhone, and not enough like previous Blackberry devices.

If someone has come to rely on their Bold/9810/9900 for email, task, and contact management, they want an OS10 device that does not represent a step backward in that regard. Blackberry should be pouring resources into fixing the gaps between the OS7 and OS10, instead of wasting time with features like an altimeter that no one will use for two to three years, if ever.

Let's be honest here guys, I'm sure the altimeter is hardly a challenging feat for the BlackBerry engineering staff to accomplish. They will not be wasting months just on this one feature I'd be surprised if it took more than a day or two, especially since the sensors are already within the phone they just need to calibrate them and write code within the OS to access them. So everyone can just relax. I'm sure they'll add the % icon for the battery don't worry.

Posted via CB10

[sonic_reducer]

Let's be honest here guys, I'm sure the altimeter is hardly a challenging feat for the BlackBerry engineering staff to accomplish. They will not be wasting months just on this one feature I'd be surprised if it took more than a day or two, especially since the sensors are already within the phone they just need to calibrate them and write code within the OS to access them.

Posted via CB10

You don't think that building these features will take long? What about the testing of them? I know that BlackBerry don't have the most robust QA but they have some. So how do we calibrate the thermometer, barometer and altimeter in the API? Sounds like a series of controlled lab experiments to me. Great fun if you're a developer mind you: opportunity to use a thermal lance and charter a helicopter. Sigh.

Posted via CB10

[beubeu67]

CascaRun developers and users are all looking forward to using the altimeter. It provides a reliable altitude tracking. More useful as the 2nd CPU core, if you ask me...

Thanks for these, proper expectation management. I can't believe they are wasting their time and resources on developing an altimeter. I have scoured the pages of this forum looking at where the demand is from the public of what they'd like to see and I have never ever seen the word altimeter once. For goodness sake these people need to stop behaving like geeks and look at what people are asking for, don't give them what you think they want when there's free market research to be had here. A flaming altimeter. I'm lost for words.