I’ve had a quick chance to check out Google’s new location tracking API in Google Gears for Windows Mobile phones. At first glance I say this is an absolutely awesome new feature.
My first point of call is to find out if any social networking sites (e.g. Brightkite) are interested in using this to create a great mobile web interface for Windows Mobile devices.
Google Blog is covering Gmail’s latest new feature: AIM support. Has anyone else noticed that this isn’t new at all? I’ve been using Gmail (or more specifically, GTalk) for ICQ and MSN since January 2006. I don’t have any need for AIM, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t add that too.
I’ve already got Gmail storing my MSN logs, my ICQ logs, and everything else. Pretty much all Google have accomplished here is to a) sign a deal with AOL to create an official Jabber transport for AIM, and b) change the Gmail interface slightly.
I’m not all negative though! With Google comes stability. I’ve had to switch Jabber transports quite a few times for MSN, since I’ve had trouble finding stable servers. I’d really appreciate if Google could create a stable transport for MSN and offer that out in the same way.
Google have released their latest version of Google Maps for Mobile devices. On the right is a screenshot I’ve just taken on an HTC Touch to track my phone’s current location within the Google Maps software.
Not quite the accuracy that is required of phone’s in the US for their E911 system, my phone can only identify which is the current cell tower it’s connected to. If I switched to satellite view and zoomed right in, I’d be able to see all the way down to the big mast sticking up into the air.
This is pretty much exactly what I’ve been trying to achieve with my own attempts at cell location lately. My method doesn’t link directly into maps, but it does keep a history of where I’ve been, by relaying the information to my website and also updates Jaiku with my location as I go.
I’ll certainly be using this in the future, as there are a few times when I’ve found myself wanting to quickly load up a map without worrying about entering details. Google have made this ridiculously easy. On my phone I didn’t even have to press any buttons or do anything. As soon as the software was installed, it took my straight to my current cell tower, as in the screenshot.
I’m very impressed. When do we get an API?
UPDATE: I jumped the gun on the screenshot. A couple of minutes later, my phone decided to connect to a different nearby cell tower. At this point, the software probably looks at the previous tower, the two signal strengths, and looks up both locations to mark me as being half way between the two. If it does real triangulation based on multiple current towers then I’m jealous.
Yes, amazing isn’t it. But even better – the internet has phones too. More and more sites are making their services available in the small format with ever increasing interactivity. Only last month I realised that the text message event reminders pushed out by Google Calendar are free! So with the power of my wonderful Pocket PC phone and spare time in my lunch hour, I bring you the Mobile Web: how it affects this site and me.