SAN FRANCISCO (December 03 2007): Google on Wednesday released upgraded mapping software that figures out the general vicinity a mobile telephone is in based on which transmission tower it is using.
The beta, or test, version of new Google Maps for mobile software lets mobile phone users choose from options including seeing satellite views of their locales, getting directions, and finding nearby businesses.
Unlike other mapping devices, Google's new tracking feature can display a phone's location without the user entering an address or co-ordinates through the keypad.
"Let's face it; entering things into your phone using the keypad is so 2006," Google mobile team engineer Mike Chu wrote in a posting on the US Internet giant's website.
"While some people are lucky enough to have GPS-enabled mobile phones that provide location information the vast majority of us are not." The revamped mapping software enables mobile telephones linked to the Internet to simulate GPS (global positioning system) tracking, which uses orbiting satellites.
The free Google Maps version 2.0 comes with a "My Location" feature that determines which cell tower a mobile telephone is using and displays a map of the area with a blue circle pinpointing the spot.
A test of the service by AFP showed the mobile telephone location pinpointed a spot less than a kilometre away on a map and provided an aerial view.
A search for "cafes" in the area resulted in a list of coffee houses along with directions on request. Google says its location tracking service is faster than GPS, uses less battery power and is more reliable indoors where architecture sometimes interferes with satellite signals.
In an effort to pre-empt concerns regarding privacy, Google says it is not gathering "any personally identifiable information" or data that could reveal particular users' whereabouts. The My Location feature can be disabled by users.
My Location software works on most Internet-enabled "smart phones," including BlackBerry models, newer Sony Ericsson devices, and some Symbian and Motorola phones.
Google says its mobile mapping software, which debuted in the US in late 2005, is used by millions of people in more than 20 countries.
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