Google Maps with My Location - Non-GPS Solution

Google has rolled out a beta for its Google Maps Mobile that allows anyone with a select set of phones to use Google Maps on that phone and get their location. The technology isn’t relying on GPS signals, but instead relying on its mapping and understanding of mobile phone towers. The software will still pull in GPS signals if your phone has them.

In pulling it up this morning on my phone, I was able to get the new 2.0 version of the application (go to www.google.com/gmm) and about 10 seconds after the maps loaded on the screen there I was – a little blue dot on the screen. The only problem is that I was set as an “Approximate Location to within 1700 meters”. Ouch – not bad in the country, but let’s see later what it’s like in the city. Just for reference, I can pull up my location on a GPS +/- about 10 feet. The other issue is that for a while it was jumping around, presumably as it found itself associated with different cell towers. Hey, it’s a beta, and I’ll take it for now.

Update: Just as bad int he city. Sitting in downtown Boston, I get Location within 1700 meters..... and that covers most of downtown; from Cheers all the way to Southie, and from the Aquarium way into the Back Bay. Good luck getting directions that make sense there.

In other news, Google is trying to solve Global Warming……. wow.

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