Google wants to get more accurate with their Google Maps and their turning to WiFi help them out. Traditionally, cell phone towers are used a to pinpoint your location on Google Maps in the absence of a GPS satellite to help you out, but since the range of WiFi is much smaller than cell phone towers, WiFi access points give a more accurate location. The new feature called My Location with Wi-Fi will first become available on BlackBerry devices, with the Android OS and other systems getting their fair share of upgrades soon.
While it is available in major cities across the globe, Google is quick to note that the coverage and accuracy will still vary so don’t expect it too work flawlessly and without a hitch. So, what does this mean? If you’re using a BlackBerry, update your Google Maps for Mobile now to enjoy the WiFi flavored goodness. Starting to get the hand of being able to pinpoint your location on the map with Google Maps for Mobile and the trusty old celly, are we? Well, you can count on even more accuracy with regards to your location, as Google has now released a feature called My Location with Wi-Fi, which would enable anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled device to find out their locations using nearby Wi-Fi access points.
In a blog post, Google puts it this way: “Since the range of a Wi-Fi access point is smaller than that of a cell phone tower, this often results in a much more accurate position.” Which is right, since Wi-Fi APs often only cover about a hundred meters in most places.
BlackBerry users will be the first ones to get a taste of this Wi-Fi goodness, simply by downloading the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, while other mobile platforms (even Google’s own Android) will be getting their share of My Location with Wi-Fi soon.
Also, while Google promises that “Wi-Fi-based location is available in many major cities around the world,” they also say that “coverage and accuracy will vary.” So don’t get antzy if in case you don’t manage to use this new feature right away.
