Google Adds Locator Feature To Mobile Maps Application
November 28, 2007 - 12:07 pm - Posted by iDunzo
Google made a new beta version of its Mobile Maps application available to certain smartphones today.
The biggest improvement of the application comes with its My Location feature, which uses cell tower information and not on-board GPS to determine user location.
The new software will work with BlackBerrys, Nokia S60 Third Edition, and Windows Mobile smartphones and will help users find their location even if their devices don’t have GPS on board. (It will work with GPS-enabled devices, too.)
Notably, it won’t work on the Apple iPhone. HAHA!!
Basically, Google takes GPS information transmitted from other phones that do have GPS and corresponds that with nearby cell towers.
When your phone connects to a specific cell tower, Google uses this GPS info and relates it to your device. This means it won’t be nearly as accurate as GPS.
Google is touting accuracy in the 500 to 5,000 meter range (that’s up to 3 miles).
The denser the concentration of cell towers, the more accurate user results will be. This means it should work fairly well in cities, but not so well out in more rural areas.
