By Stevie Smith Nov 29, 2007, 11:08 GMT
Online search engine giant Google Inc. has this week expanded the flexibility of the mobile phone iteration of its popular Maps tool by introducing a software upgrade that enables users to discern general geographic positioning based on their location in relationship to specific transmission towers.
AFP reports that the newly unveiled 2.0 beta version of Google Maps for mobile devices subsequently allows its users to view satellite depictions of their location, while also utilising the upgrade to get GPS-style directions through the Internet.
While other available map technology requires the user to physically input either an address or coordinates, Google’s upgrade enables users to locate their positioning without ever having to input via the handset’s keypad.
The new ‘My Location’ feature included in the Google Maps 2.0 beta upgrade isolates exactly which transmission tower any given phone handset is using before then displaying a localised map representation on the device’s screen, along with a blue dot that shows the user’s positioning.
AFP duly ran a test on Google’s ‘My Location’ technology, which provided them with an aerial view and a blue location spot less than a kilometre away from their position. A further search for cafés throughout the local area returned a list of applicable businesses with available directions.
"We’ve all been there," wrote Mike Chu via Google’s official Web site regarding the upgrade’s usage. "You’re out and about, and you need to figure out where you are, what’s around you, and how to get there."
Google has claimed that its new Maps upgrade will outperform GPS technology, while it is also more energy efficient and boasts increased reliability when used indoors – which is generally a negative aspect attributed to GPS systems.
With privacy concerns still fresh in users’ minds, Google has said that its new tool can be enabled and disabled by users at any time and will not collect information that could be used as "personally identifiable" or that could be (mis)used to reveal specific user locations.
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