Basically its sat nav for SK's :) check it out here http://www.google.com/gmm/index.html

INTERNET search leader Google has unveiled new mobile phone technology that will show the location of the user, even if the phone is not equipped with a GPS receiver.

The new tracking feature, named My Location, has been launched in more than 20 countries, including the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Users will be able to see their location as a blue dot on the latest version of Google's mobile maps application.

The tracking system won't collect a user's phone number or any other personal information that would reveal a person's identity, Google's mobile maps product manager Steve Lee said.

Google's tracking feature will work while the handset is indoors, and drains less power from a phone's battery than a GPS receiver does.

On the downside, Google's service isn't as precise as GPS. In most instances, Google hopes to get within 400m of a user's location, compared to 5m with a GPS.

The database that identifies the location of a mobile phone is still under construction, so the service still sometimes draw a blank. The company expects to fill in the holes as more people use the service.

By knowing more about a mobile phone's location, Google conceivably could make more money displaying ads from nearby businesses hoping to lure in more customers.

The company had no immediate plans to show ads on mobile maps but might in the future, Mr Lee said.

Already the owner of the most lucrative advertising network on the internet, Google eventually hopes to do a better job of mining profits from the mobile web.

To help realise that goal, Google plans to introduce a new mobile software package called Android next year in an attempt to make its online services more accessible to people while they're away from computers at home or the office.

Although a growing number of smart phones come with GPS receivers, Google estimates that about 85 per cent of mobile handsets now in use don't have the satellite powered technology.

Google's alternative will work on most smart phones, including the Blackberry and the latest generation of Nokia handsets. But it's still not compatible with the iPhone, Motorola Q, Samsung Blackjack and Palm Treo 700w and other models.

news link

Sensis have already had this for ages. We were talking with them to develop content for use with it 2 years ago.

Sensis had a maps site too, which sucks s*** compared to Google Maps. I know which one I'd probably find more useful.

Optus have a triangulation based location system already. Telstra too. The big drawback with these two as well as Googles is it relies on only one carriers base stations to triangulate. Thus as you enter cells with less than 3 base stations accuracy rapidly drops in the vicinity of 5 klms to 25 klms.

The best solutuon so far for non-GPS, mobile radio triangulation location based services is Singapore based AGIS's GPRX. The same people who developed the NavPhone software you have in the Nokia N95.

GPRX is loaded into the phone and the phone performs the triangualtion using all telcos towers in the cell to caluclate position thus making it totally telco independant as far as who is providing the triangualtion service.

The accuracy for GPRX is from 8 to 20 metres in the city and up to 100 metres on the outskirts. A far greater accuracy than the three alternatives I mentioned at the top of my post.

anyone got a link to the google app, newscomau is dongs on my phone?

here nats www.google.com/gmm

Given the accuracy claimed of 400m, I'd say they are using a single carriers base stations and I would say Telstra as the carrier in Australia as that is the stated radius of Telstra base station triangulation accuracy they have had installed in their base stations for nigh on 3 years.

thanks d[o_0]b

it found where I was spot on.

will see if it gets me to this reseraunt at lunch.

going to be good not having to use tomtom and carry my gps

Natslovr, you won't need it in about another 18 months. Gemalto are releasing AGIS's GPRX on the SIMs they manufacture and Gemalto possess 70% of the world SIM market. In effect every phone, not just Nokia, and Smartphones will be trackable by default without the need for GPS once the new Gemalto SIMs are purchased. It's just a matter of activating the service.

In Nokias case, once you have the new SIMs you will be able to use the NavPhone S/W to display your position on a map on the phone far more accurately than Google, Telstra and Optus without a GPS receivers and without needing an WAP/Internet connection on your phone. So virtually zero ongoing data costs.

last edited by Some Fat Bastard at 12:26:18 29/Nov/07

sweet. works perfect on my SE w880i

thankyou mr google

Oh noes big brother will really be watching you...

The other intersting point is the further development of services surrounding the location service. Tracking of friends, family/children, the elderly, security, assets (cars, boats etc).

Another benefit of the AGIS NavPhone technology and their GPRX is in Singapore when you enter a large Shopping Centre the internal floorplan is downloaded automatically into your phone and if you have the service it will allow you to find where stores are and give a route to it as triangulation works within buildings. Now can Google's do that?

I don't get what GPRX is, is it a software thing that you just run on your phone?

What will really determine the success of any location based facility is not just tracking the asset but what you can accomplish as far as realworld actions. This will be dependant on further enhanced services built upon the base tracking facility. For example, using your phone by pressing a button to call a taxi. The phone would be able to send the data with the request back to a taxi company with your location already attached. No voice, no involvement.

Tracking per se is boring, how often do you think you will sit there and track yourself and tracking data itself is not as there are a myriad of applications that can be built that will enhance the life experience of the user.

Another final point Tom Tom and a GPS receiver or Nokia N95 and NavPhone still allows for Live Navigation services (live routing/directions whilst travelling), Google's does not as it can't, a bit late trying to turn a street when you've gone past it 400 metres ago. So there will always be a need for GPS receivers and Navigation software over and above tracking. But that's obvious I guess.

just grabbed it - couldn't find my location on my phone (not compatible with sony erricson k800i on 3, apparently) but having the directions are pretty handy.

I don't get what GPRX is, is it a software thing that you just run on your phone?

Yes. It has been developed over the last 7 years and was awarded the Top Innovation Award at the World Mobile Phone Exhibition in Spain last year. As I said the N95 software is made by AGIS too and will eventually trickle down to non-N95 models which don't have a GPS receiver but will be able to use the GPRX software preloaded onto the SIM for it's location data to support he NavPhone mapping.

AGIS's GPRX and associated services are already available in Singapore, Malaysia and is currently being rolled out in Europe. Thailand soon, Indonesia soon and Australia sometime next year.

The complex mathematics and prediction software is on the SIM and it is the phone that is calculating the position not the cells base station.

last edited by Some Fat Bastard at 12:49:24 29/Nov/07

So if I have a Nokia phone running Symbian (I think I have a 6120), can I download this google software somehow and install it via USB? Or do I basically have to fire up GPRS and access it like that? I'm a newb at mobile stuff.

haha you sure are, idiot

My older brother did his Honours thesis on this almost a decade ago, then went to work for Telstra (which is where they got the idea for it with Sensis - and then proceeded to cock up when he left).

It's some really funky s*** :)

Another benefit of the AGIS NavPhone technology and their GPRX is in Singapore when you enter a large Shopping Centre the internal floorplan is downloaded automatically into your phone and if you have the service it will allow you to find where stores are and give a route to it as triangulation works within buildings. Now can Google's do that?

Holy f*** for real? That's seriously cool (and scary at the same time). Are you able to turn this tracking off on the phone if your SIM is actually enabled though? I guess "some" people may not want to be trackable? Would be very handy though.

Google might consider buying these guys out LOL. I mean they've been buying lots of companies really why not another one that'll seriously boost their mobile apps? /end pondering.

In June 2005 we put a proposal to Optus about using base station triangulation to locate mobile phones and offer this as a paid service to customers. The revenue stream calculated would be in the vicinity of $180million a year. At that time only Telstra and Optus had the facility in their base stations for triangulation. Well within 6 months we got Optus GoFinder. At that time you could only use WAP based mapping facilities for the phone and the only real option for Internet Mapping for tracking on the intrenet was Microsoft's Mappoint. Thus heavily data dependant and as a result fairly costly.

Todays it's a lot different with Google Maps and MS Virtual Earth at least for Internet Mapping.

Since then we went further and got into bed with AGIS becuase of the virtual zero data useage and the architecture of indepenance from a Telco in their solution. We became AGIS Australia with rights to Australia, New Zealand and the African Continent (one of our partners is South African and heavily connected - he designed and was responsible for rolling out the first Mobile Net in SA) . We have signed agreements with Nokia, Telstra/Sensis, Optus, Vodaphone, Virgin and AAPT. All these will be distributing the SIMs and we will be providing the Phone Mapping/Tracking and Internat Mapping/Tracking.



last edited by Some Fat Bastard at 14:33:40 29/Nov/07

Holy f*** for real? That's seriously cool (and scary at the same time). Are you able to turn this tracking off on the phone if your SIM is actually enabled though? I guess "some" people may not want to be trackable? Would be very handy though.

Yes the facility can be turned on and off at will. It a permission based system like MSN, if you want to track someone you have to ask them and if they approve, Bob's your uncle. You can then be visible or invisible or cancel the permission.

Google might consider buying these guys out LOL.

Exactly our intention, however Nokia got in first along with Gemalto and AGIS is owned by the Singaporean Government. We have had discussions with Microsoft's Vice President of Virtual Earth Technologies July last year and they are keen.

Exactly our intention, however Nokia got in first along with Gemalto and AGIS is owned by the Singaporean Government. We have had discussions with Microsoft's Vice President of Virtual Earth Technologies July last year and they are keen.

Yeah I think it's good to have other choices other than Google. As much as I like Google, I prefer other competitions to keep them on their toes. Sounds good, I can't wait to try AGIS system.

A lot of the company names I am familiar with just from being around on the internet.. I am shocked to discover they have been bought out by another company, or that there is another company doing the same thing they are.
Remember Internic, aka Network Solutions? Well apparently these days you can buy domains from OTHER companies who have the same rights - and Internic have gone through a s***load of buyouts... SAIC, Verisign, Pivotal Equity Group, General Atlantic