New Google Maps Finds Your Location, No GPS Required

The newly updated mobile version of Google Maps can now find your location on a map—more or less—even if your phone isn't equipped with GPS. Pretty cool, but the new feature doesn't work on every phone.

TechCrunch reports that the new My Location can put a blue "you are here" dot on a Google Maps page—all you have to do is press the "0" key to get the dot. On phones with built-in GPS, the dot should come pretty close to pinpointing your exact location, while on non-GPS handsets, you'll get a reading that's within about 1,000 meters—a pretty big range, mind you, but better than nothing.

So, how does Google Maps find you without GPS? Simple—it uses nearby cell towers to triangulate your position, a method that isn't nearly as accurate as GPS, although it works indoors as well as outdoors (standard GPS works best when you're outside, with a clear view of the sky).

Here's the rub, though: the new My Location feature won't just work on any phone. According to Google, you'll need one of the following:

• A BlackBerry
• A "recent" Motorola phone
• A "recent" Sony Ericsson phone
• "Many" Windows Mobile devices
• A Nokia phone running on the Symbian Series 60 3rd Edition OS

That rules out a lot of phones, including Samsung and LG handsets. Also, I can tell you that My Location doesn't work (yet) on Palm OS phones or the iPhone; any iPhone update will have to come from Apple, and Google hasn't released an updated Maps application for Palm yet.

Overall, it's a pretty cool feature, although it certainly raises some privacy concerns (is Google, like, tracking our every move)? Google reps say they're not collecting any personal info from My Location, and you can always turn the feature off. Guess we'll have to take their word for it.

Related:
Google Mobile Maps Pinpoints Your Location Without GPS [TechCrunch]