Google gives free locator based on cell tower

Google does it again.

Today they released a beta locator service that estimates your location from
cell tower positions.

The release claimed it will improve from use. First estimate was about a
mile from my house, tested from inside w various electronic devices
transmitting.

Next test from living room was 2 blocks away. Test from outside was about
100 yards off.

It's a little tricky to fold your location into a search and routing, but
doable.

Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:

http://www.google.com/gmm

"Thurman" <thurman@bigplanet.com> wrote in
news:Cjr3j.225$ZS5.198@newsfe02.lga:

> It's a little tricky to fold your location into a search and
routing,
> but doable.
>
>

Maemo Mapper running on a Nokia N800 tablet in its mount on the
windshield with its Nokia 12-channel WAAS-compensated Bluetooth
GPS on the dash...or in your pocket walking around...draws a
trail down Google Satellite or Virtual Earth satellite pictures
in the exact LANE you are driving in across the city.

As the internet tablet is connected to EVDO SELLular downloading
more sat photo squares in new areas, on-the-fly, I'm trying to
get the open source developers to add code that will send your
GPS data up to a webpage server much like we hams have had at
findu.com on our APRS radio-to-internet system for many years, on
command.

When you turn it on, in my concept, anyone you authorize by
giving them a username/password, to access your particular
standard webpage, plus turning on the position transmission
through the sellphone's internet connection would see you on a
Google map or satellite photo in REALTIME, anywhere on the
planet...with an accuracy of about 1 parking space on a satellite
photo of any mall parking lot or walking down the street with the
tablet and GPS in your pocket.

GMM will get there, someday, but only with serious computing
power in that PDA or smartphone. My MotoROKR is too stupid to
connect to headphones and the tablet simultaneously. It's sure
not going to be a major navigation device running stupid BREW.

My concept would only require addition of a position reporting
module to the Maemo Mapper Linux program already running, not
exactly rocket science. Nokia has plenty of servers to support
the webpage server.

Larry
--
Maemo Mapper demo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=698iql3B824
Software is free....maps/sat photos are free.

Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Thurman said:

> Today they released a beta locator service that estimates your location from
> cell tower positions.
>
> The release claimed it will improve from use. First estimate was about a
> mile from my house, tested from inside w various electronic devices
> transmitting.
>
> Next test from living room was 2 blocks away. Test from outside was about
> 100 yards off.
>
> It's a little tricky to fold your location into a search and routing, but
> doable.
>
> Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:
>
> http://www.google.com/gmm

Neat. To bad it's not available for my Treo, despite what the download
page said.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"I like films with lesbians in them because it’s nice to think there
are attractive women out there who can’t find a boyfriend." - Patrick
Maitland, Coupling, "Inferno"

At 28 Nov 2007 22:34:41 -0600 Thurman wrote:
> Google does it again.
>
> Today they released a beta locator service that estimates your location
from
> cell tower positions.
>
> The release claimed it will improve from use. First estimate was about a
> mile from my house, tested from inside w various electronic devices
> transmitting.
>
> Next test from living room was 2 blocks away. Test from outside was about
> 100 yards off.
>
> It's a little tricky to fold your location into a search and routing, but
> doable.
>
> Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:
>
> http://www.google.com/gmm

Wow. Neat app. I generally extoll the virturs of Windows Live Search over
GMM on WinMo devices due to WLS' new speech recognition features and tight
integration with Pocket Outlook, but GMM raises the bar for non-GPS enabled
phones.

Gotta go- my first test, in my bedroom, placed me about 500 feet from my
real position- gotta go outside and try again! ;-)

Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
> Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Thurman said:
>
[snip]
>> Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:
>>
>> http://www.google.com/gmm
>
> Neat. To bad it's not available for my Treo, despite what the download
> page said.

Amen! The maps work just fine but the "Press '0' to locate" is a
non-starter on my Treo 650.

Anyone figure out the trick to getting this to work on the Treo's?

Ah well, remember, it's only the Beta version, maybe it's still a work
in progress.

In the meantime, enjoy the mapping and routing capabilities, they're
pretty neat.

Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Unquestionably Confused said:

> Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
> > Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Thurman said:
> >
> [snip]
> >> Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:
> >>
> >> http://www.google.com/gmm
> >
> > Neat. To bad it's not available for my Treo, despite what the download
> > page said.
>
> Amen! The maps work just fine but the "Press '0' to locate" is a
> non-starter on my Treo 650.

By "not available despite...", I meant that it's not even the same
version. Check the version you just installed. The download page said
"version 2" for my Treo 680, but what I got was version 1.2.0.9.

> Anyone figure out the trick to getting this to work on the Treo's?

Not yet available for Palm.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #185.
If I capture an enemy known for escaping via ingenious and fantastic
little gadgets, I will order a full cavity search and confiscate all
personal items before throwing him in my dungeon.

Jeffrey Kaplan, wrote the following at or about 11/29/2007 11:16 AM:
> Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Unquestionably Confused said:
>
>> Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
>>> Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Thurman said:
>>>
>> [snip]
>>>> Download from previous Google Maps Mobile URL on your mobile device:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.google.com/gmm
>>> Neat. To bad it's not available for my Treo, despite what the download
>>> page said.
>> Amen! The maps work just fine but the "Press '0' to locate" is a
>> non-starter on my Treo 650.
>
> By "not available despite...", I meant that it's not even the same
> version. Check the version you just installed. The download page said
> "version 2" for my Treo 680, but what I got was version 1.2.0.9.
>
>> Anyone figure out the trick to getting this to work on the Treo's?
>
> Not yet available for Palm.
>


"Ah, I see," said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.

Well, as commented, it IS in beta. Can't help but think it'll be coming
soon to a Treo near us<g>

The mapping is pretty darn neat though.

Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Unquestionably Confused said:

> > Not yet available for Palm.
> "Ah, I see," said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.
>
> Well, as commented, it IS in beta. Can't help but think it'll be coming
> soon to a Treo near us<g>

I certainly hope so. A real "where am I?" function is what I really,
really wish my GPS could give me. Sounds strange, but it's true. My
GPS (Garmin c330) is great for getting me from here to there, but it
completely sucks at letting me know where "here" is! If I were to
break down on the highway and I needed to call for a tow truck, all it
would be able to tell me is that I'm on I-95.

> The mapping is pretty darn neat though.

Yep. Been using GMM for quite some time now. However, accuracy went
down when they started using TeleAtlas maps for GMM instead of their
former exclusive use of Navteq maps.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #195.
I will not use hostages as bait in a trap. Unless you're going to use
them for negotiation or as human shields, there's no point in taking
them.

Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
> I certainly hope so. A real "where am I?" function is what I really,
> really wish my GPS could give me. Sounds strange, but it's true. My
> GPS (Garmin c330) is great for getting me from here to there, but it
> completely sucks at letting me know where "here" is! If I were to
> break down on the highway and I needed to call for a tow truck, all it
> would be able to tell me is that I'm on I-95.

That must be why someone else (Tom tom?) is advertising such a function on
television these days.

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

Previously on alt.cellular.attws, clifto said:

> > completely sucks at letting me know where "here" is! If I were to
> > break down on the highway and I needed to call for a tow truck, all it
> > would be able to tell me is that I'm on I-95.
>
> That must be why someone else (Tom tom?) is advertising such a function on
> television these days.

That'd be my guess. Too bad TomTom uses map data that is less than
accurate.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

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