A new feature of the iPhone 3G could save lives, but currently remains crippled due to Apple's legal position on third-party software developed under the iPhone 2.0 scheme.

In the US, when a 911 call is placed from a mobile phone, the location of the handset can be determined using a technique called GSM localization, which uses information relayed by nearby base station cells to calculate the position of the mobile phone. However, the accuracy of this positioning can be heavily dependent on the local cellular environment. Depending on the number, distance to, and density of base station cells, positioning may fail or provide only kilometer-scale accuracy (for example in rural areas).

Apple's new iPhone 3G has the potential to break through these limitations and potentially save the lives of those making emergency calls. With its built-in GPS chip, the iPhone 3G can rapidly determine its location to within a few meters from most places. The new iPhone 2.0 Software Developer Kit (SDK) provides a means by which a simple program could allow an iPhone 3G user to rapidly relay their position to emergency services using GPS.

However, as recently reported by the online journal Electronista, the SDK license agreement (Section 3.3.7) strictly prohibits the development of any such application. The same section rules out development of third-party GPS navigation software using SDK--a move by Apple to protect

iPhone's position in this market. But have they gone too far in preventing or at least delaying the life-saving capability of iPhone 3Gs now finding  their way into the hands of thousands?