I got very excited today over the news via Truemors that Google is going to start offering location-based services using cell towers to determine the location.
According to the news reports, you press zero on your mobile phone while using Google Maps to find your approximate location using cell towers. The iPhone lacks GPS so this new service sounds like a winner.
Except you can’t press zero on your iPhone. There is no zero key to press. There are no keys at all on the iPhone.
Here is where my foolishness comes in. I decided to use Google Maps on my iPhone and search for zero. Amazingly, it worked. It put a dot on the map just a few blocks from my house.
I couldn’t wait to share my discovery with my coworkers. It was only when one of them said searching for zero returned a location in South Carolina that I realized the error.
Turns out there is a business near our house with the name “0 1 All Day 24 Hour 1 Locksmith.” Searching for zero didn’t find my current location. My current location just happens to be near the top result starting with a zero.
And that’s how I ended up being today’s zero.
I’m a minus one. I found this statement in the article: “The new feature will be available on most smart phones, including the BlackBerry, new Nokia Symbian devices, many Windows Mobile devices (except the Motorola Q, Samsung Blackjack, and Palm Treo 700W). ” I’m not sure WHY the feature isn’t available on my Motorola Q (I’ll try anyway), but I personally blame Jerry Jones and the NFL Network.
Further update. Some information from Google on supported devices is available at
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=81871&useful=0&show_useful=1&comment=en
I downloaded version 2.0.0.11, and sure enough, I got the “myl: N/A” message on my (first generation) Motorola Q.
That’s too bad. I wonder if there is something in the Q that prevents Google from accessing cell tower data like signal strength.
That reminds me, part of the reason I am hopeful about this is that I’m optimist that eventually Google will provide an api into this information for integration into other applications.