Google Maps Beta with My Location Feature Brings GPS Like Functionality to Non-GPS Phones

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.google.com/gmm/mylocation.html?hl=en' target='_blank'>http://www.google.com/gmm/mylocation.html?hl=en</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>&quot;See your location on the map, with or without GPS. Save time and tedious keystrokes finding where you are, what's around you, and how to get there. ... The My Location feature takes information broadcast from mobile towers near you to approximate your current location on the map - it's not GPS, but it comes pretty close (approximately 1000m close, on average). We're still in beta, but we're excited to launch this feature and are constantly working to improve our coverage and accuracy.&quot;</em></p><p><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v6gqipmbcok&amp;rel=1&amp;border=0" width="425" height="355" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></p><p>Wow, now this is impressive. The new Google Maps beta makes mobile mapping easy for non-GPS based handsets, which is almost all the phones out there. Google Maps makes use of the cell tower information to calculate your position, check out the YouTube video for more information. I haven't tried it out yet, but will be giving it a spin soon. We would like to hear your thoughts and comments about this application. Personally, I think, &nbsp;this is the kind of mobile development activity I would like to see from Google and not another mobile phone OS.</p>

[srsabu]

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to work on my BlackJack (WM5), as I always get a message "Your current location is temporarily unavailable".

[zx6guy]

Same here results here and I have a Sprint Q.

[Insbee]

I installed it on my Cingular 2125 (AT&T network) and it works great! It's not exact, but it did pinpoint my location within about one mile. It also updates your location automatically as you move around town. Searching for the nearest Starbucks or movie theater also worked like a charm.

No more guessing at what resturants lay ahead at the next exit on a long road trip. Google Maps with My Location will allow me to quickly and easily find which upcoming exit has my preferred place to eat.

If you have a Cingular 3125 you'll have to wait. The initial beta release doesn't work with it.

[Tim Williamson]

Yeah works great on my Dash! This is the type of application I've been waiting for.

[Kris Kumar]

I have the T-Mobile Dash on AT&T, and it is working great.

Love this feature, extremely handy. Wish they had released it a week earlier before the thanksgiving holidays. I badly needed it back then.

[spdev]

I love the crudeness of the video... every entertaining!

I installed this beta application on my Moto-Q WM5 Smartphone and I get the same "Your current location is temporarily unavailable" message. It comes up immediately after I press the 0 button, as if it isn't even trying to find my current location. Not sure why it doesn't work.

Hope I can get it working, as this would be a wonderful tool.

spdev

[twestley]

"Your current location is temporarily unavailable"

I get the same on my Cingular 2125. I suspect this is lack of cell tower position in our location in Google's database.

It would be nice if they would get together with Navizon (http://www.navizon.com) because they seem to have pretty good coverage (in my area, anyway).

[crashdau]

I installed this beta application on my Moto-Q WM5 Smartphone and I get the same "Your current location is temporarily unavailable" message.

Ditto on the Q9M....This would be good to have though...

[hotdram]

AT&T WM5 Blackjack in McKinney Texas and I get the "Your current location is temporarily unavailable" message.

~Rob

[davebwi]

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to work on my BlackJack (WM5), as I always get a message "Your current location is temporarily unavailable".

Yes same error for me on my I760 on Verizon...I wonder if it is a CDMA problem? Sprint uses the same technology... and there's dont work either
!

[Kris Kumar]

Yikes, based on this thread and the Google forum (http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-for-mobile/browse_thread/thread/759b2feb494313d5#969ef11cbc07f638), it seems like a lot of people are having trouble.

Google has not made official the list of devices supported, it merely says "Many Windows Mobile devices." It also does not state the networks that are supported. Grrr!

Based on what I am reading, people with same devices depending on their regions are having trouble. Also, some devices do not seem to work period.

According to this page, there is a way to determine if it works for your phone:
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=81871&topic=12595

"If you have a Java-enabled (J2ME) device, BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device, you can easily check whether or not My Location (beta) is available. Just to go "Help" > "About" from the application. If the box contains "myl: N/A," it means your device isn't reporting a cell."

For me, I do NOT see the "myl: N/A," in the Java application and the My Location stuff works. Hope this helps.

[Kris Kumar]

Did a bit more digging up:
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=81873&topic=12595

Based on the above link: "Google takes geo-contextual information [from anonymous GPS-readings, etc] and associates this information with the cell at that location to develop a database of cell locations."

So it seems like someone has to roam in your neighbourhood with a GPS enabled device first so that Google can have the cell-tower location in its database. That would explain why some devices work in one region and not in the other.

[atlp99]

I tried it on my Dash, T-mobile WM6 rom, Sim unlocked running on T-mobile, that has been reliable untill now. I got the same location unavailable message untill it crashed my dash. It took multiple tries (over about 10 min) to get it to perform a hard reset. This is the first time I have had trouble with the Dash and it has been reliable since the hard reset (i did not reinstall google maps).

Be careful and try it at your own risk.

Ill stick with Live Search at least until this version of google maps comes out of beta.

[Gavino1212]

While I have v2.0 on my Wing, I still have v1.2 on my Dash. How do I update to 2.0 on my Dash? I see no provision for it on the menu page.

Also, do they use any proximate cell towers, or only those with my carrier? Probably a silly question. But in an area with few towers from any carrier, then gps would be much better.

[Kris Kumar]

If you have built in GPS, I believe Wings does, then you can make use of that to get accurate reading. Google Maps 2.0 beta supports the GPS.

Cell towers are always approximate, in big cities like NYC they will be more accurate then in the rural areas.

Anyway, do upgrade your current version. On your phone hit this URL:
http://www.google.com/gmm (http://www.google.com/gmm)

You can download the CAB directly to the phone and then it will automatically remove the old version and install the new. :-)

[rdecker]

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to work on my BlackJack (WM5), as I always get a message "Your current location is temporarily unavailable".

Works great on my Blackjack with WM6.

[Gavino1212]

If you have built in GPS, I believe Wings does, then you can make use of that to get accurate reading. Google Maps 2.0 beta supports the GPS.

No, actually neither the Wing nor Dash have built in gps. They do support bluetooth gps receivers, I've used one on my Dash but can't get it to quite work on the Wing.

I've since found the link to install the cab file on my Dash. I tried it but got the position not available. However I suspect this is due to the fact that my primary sim is in the Wing and deactivated sim is in the Dash. I upgraded via wi-fi and tried G-Maps the same way. If my sim were in it it probably would've worked.

Thanks for the info.:)

[spacehippie2k]

T-Mobile Dash running WM6 in Albuquerque, NM - location unavailable.

[spacehippie2k]

I found this on the Google Mobile discussion group:

http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-for-mobile/browse_thread/thread/fe7e4b13f7e1487c/2c4afe426a1e10f8?lnk=gst&q=my+location+dash#2c4afe426a1e10f8

I downloaded the Surreal Network appunlock cab, ran it on the phone, rebooted, and the next time I tried the "My Location" feature, it worked! I was a good deal off, and my actual location was well outside the "circle of error" surrounding the blue dot. However, I was in a remote location, and it was the first time I had tried it. At least it got me in the right part of town. Hopefully, accuracy will improve as I use it more, and where there are more towers.