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Google Maps GPS Simulator

Posted by samzenpus on from the google-where-you-are dept.

garbletext writes "A new version of Google Maps introduced this week includes a beta feature dubbed My Location that was designed to simulate the GPS experience on mobile phones and handheld devices that do not include GPS hardware, like Apple's iPhone. Essentially, the My Location feature takes information broadcast from mobile towers near non-GPS equipped mobile phones to approximate the device's current location on the map down to about 10 city blocks. "It's not GPS, but it comes pretty close (approximately 1000m close, on average)," the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant explained on its website. "We're still in beta, but we're excited to launch this feature and are constantly working to improve our coverage and accuracy." The My Location feature is currently available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices."

4 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. 1000 metres on *average*? by Colin+Smith · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Um... What's the standard deviation on that?

    While I like the sentiment, I suspect the usefulness is going to be... limited... It'll be as easy to put in the street names and such.

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  2. Re:Wow! This is exactly what I always wanted!!! by Fyre2012 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Hm, interesting... when I check the GPS status in my options, it says it's disabled and the coordinates are all 0's, so I was always baffled when I got a blue dot on google maps.

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  3. Re:Wow! This is exactly what I always wanted!!! by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yes, but people running the MyLocation version who DO have GPS are helping those of us with Blackberry Curves that don't have built in GPS. Google is taking the GPS data, correlating it to the tower identifiers the cellphone is picking up at the time, and building a database for triangulation. Not only can they provide that data to their users, but they then could resell that data like Navteq sells driving direction data.

  4. Killer App = My Location + Business by Fungi008 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    OK, so this is spiffy. But imagine you're a business: think of all the ridiculously profitable stuff you could do with this kind of location info (once the user grants it)?

    -- Google pushes to your phone which nearby businesses are having sales at the moment.

    -- During non-peak hours, Starbucks sends you a coupon for a half-price latte redeemable in the next 15 minutes.

    -- Capital One, knowing your buying habits, lets you know which nearby clothing stores they can get you a discount at.

    -- Match.com tells you which matches are in the area to meet up with.

    -- LinkedIn lets you know there's a consultant nearby at lunch with just the kind of Indian outsourcing experience you need.

    -- Facebook takes your location info, accidentally leaks it to a Facebook app, and Ron Paul supporters swarm your location with placards and chants.

    In other words, massively delivered location-contextual ads and services are the next big thing. This is huge!