Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Google have just updated their 'Google Maps' application for Windows Mobile, with the most significant addition being cell tower based positioning! Pictured to the right reporting my current location in Amsterdam using my T-Mobile Shadow (spot on by the way!), the new version of the software reports your position with varying degrees of accuracy depending on your surroundings, the density of towers in you area etc. On this basis, the positioning in metropolitan areas is expected to be more accurate than out in t'country :( You can download the application - free of course - right now by pointing your device at http://www.google.com/gmm, and you can read more details at http://www.google.com/gmm/mylocation.html. It's not clear which devices / operators are currently supported, so let us know how you get on! :D P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happy Dave Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 works great on a Vario II with T-Mobile, accuracy to about 30m and I'm surrounded by tower blocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Awesome! Google, give us an API :( P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sc0user_75 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) works great on a Vario II with T-Mobile, accuracy to about 30m and I'm surrounded by tower blocks Erm, am I missing something here :( I just downloaded this to my VIII and it's absolute rubbish. a) It tells me that I am on a completely different road to where I actually am - approx 150 metres out! b ) After a few seconds it places me at the centre of charing cross - which is the other side of the river to where I am (black friars). c) It takes FOREVER to locate any satelites and my location! The last version was a lot more accurate and faster than this one! Edited November 29, 2007 by sc0user_75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 The new version has functionality for either GPS (which you've used before) or using cell tower signals (which is new!) P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happy Dave Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Awesome! Google, give us an API :( P strange, just moved a bit and its not as accurate now, its maybe 200m out but still close enough to recognise where you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tusitala Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Installed it on my S710 and got within a half mile of my location -- would it be better if I weren't on SunCom...? :( A half mile's not great, but it's not bad considering it's using tower triangulation instead of GPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Look at the potential tho, for 'where's my nearest' type applications it'll be awesome! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sc0user_75 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 The new version has functionality for either GPS (which you've used before) or using cell tower signals (which is new!) P Do I need to adjust any settings to use Cell Tower Signals? Oh, and on the Menu I've got this "Satellite View (2). What does that mean? Is that a default? Or have I messed around with something? Sorry for all the q's guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wombleuk Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) Awesome! Google, give us an API :( P On my Vox, I just get the terms and conditions appearing. I see menu items, but nothing happens when I click them. The previous version worked fine. Edited November 29, 2007 by Wombleuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dearsina Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 On my Vox, I just get the terms and conditions appearing. I see menu items, but nothing happens when I click them. The previous version worked fine. @Wombleuk, restart your phone. I had the same problem as you, but works fine after a quick restart. Pretty accurate on T-Mobile too. I remember we tried a similar thing here on Modaco a while back, with naming all the cellphone towers, since we couldn't get an accurate list of them all, I presume Google got (or bought) such a list? It's an excellent application of triangulation. Not perfectly precise, but considering that it adds no overhead whatsoever to the battery, it's pretty sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Yeah, it does what it needs to do! Good work Google! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wombleuk Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 @Wombleuk, restart your phone. I had the same problem as you, but works fine after a quick restart. Pretty accurate on T-Mobile too. I remember we tried a similar thing here on Modaco a while back, with naming all the cellphone towers, since we couldn't get an accurate list of them all, I presume Google got (or bought) such a list? It's an excellent application of triangulation. Not perfectly precise, but considering that it adds no overhead whatsoever to the battery, it's pretty sweet. That worked fine - thanks. However, when I select my location, it says 'Your location is temporarily unavailable'. Yet I have a full signal and am browsing maps via AS with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Maybe your network isn't supported? P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jpclark Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 I also get "Your current location is temporarily unavailable" Using an SPV C550 on Orange UK - Does anyone have it working on Orange UK? Am in London by the way Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Candidhat Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) Weird, I'm getting the same on T-Mobile in the Midlands. I've restarted, with no effect. It still says "Current location temporarily unavailable" Top marks Google on the idea. Wonder if it's something I've done... Edited November 29, 2007 by Candidhat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MAK11 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Works on my P3600 but not on my LG KS20 sitting next to it on the same netwrok (SFR aka Vodafone France..)lol. Doesn't make sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 So handset dependent then? Let's have a list of working / not working phones / networks peeps! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happy Dave Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 I cant seem to switch to satellite view either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sc0user_75 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) T Mobile - VIII not working too well. Places me well and truely away from where I actually am! Also cant seem to find the Cell Tower Signals option?!?!?! Edited November 29, 2007 by sc0user_75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wombleuk Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Works on my P3600 but not on my LG KS20 sitting next to it on the same netwrok (SFR aka Vodafone France..)lol. Doesn't make sense... I'm on Vodafone. How do we know which ones are supported? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 By trying it :( P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tasman Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Weird, I'm getting the same on T-Mobile in the Midlands. I've restarted, with no effect. It still says "Current location temporarily unavailable" Ditto here, at home, with a goodish signal, but same message. Other than that I would say it's pretty fast to look up locations (e.g. from contacts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spacemonkey Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Works on my E650 (vox) on orange... sweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MAK11 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) Well as of right now it's no longer working on the P3600 too EDIT: Oops works again on the P3600. Looks like a hardware specific bug on the KS20 though. As it doesn't even try ro look up for the position and automatically says that it is temporally unavailable etc... Edited November 29, 2007 by MAK11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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