Google’s Location-enabled Toolbar Brings the Geo-Web One Step Closer

“Toolbar with My Location” is the first pre-beta feature released by the recently created Google Toolbar Labs. It provides location-based search on Google, Google Maps displays centered around the current position, as well as a Google Maps toolbar gadget to view the current location on a drop down map and search for nearby businesses and locations. The location is calculated based on Wi-Fi access points with an average accuracy of 200 meter, a huge improvement over IP-based local search announced earlier by Google.

 

Though the location information is not stored or used by Google for other purposes, to ensure full privacy the My Location function can be enabled/disabled by clicking on a special toggle icon on the toolbar. When Wi-Fi is absent or switched off on a computer, a different icon is displayed. A description of the positioning status and/or calculated location is also shown when moving the mouse cursor over the icon. Availability is currently limited to the U.S. and Internet Explorer.

 

In October 2008 Google already made its Wi-Fi positioning technology available on Google Maps for mobile’s My Location feature across a wide range of smartphones providing a higher degree of accuracy compared to the previously used cell-ID positioning. Obviously Wi-Fi is the only option on desktops and laptops lacking cellular connectivity. While enhancing standard web browsers with positioning capabilities is an important step towards making desktops and laptops location aware, it is even more significant for the rapidly emerging category of netbooks set to become the preferred portable computing devices which still support full web browsing. With most netbooks still not shipping with standard built-in cellular connectivity and GPS receivers, Wi-Fi is the default location technology.

 

At the same time, embedding location into browsers and web applications guarantees a transparent and intuitive user experience. Moreover, the availability of Google’s Gears Geolocation API on both desktop and mobile browsers will unlock the potential of third party search and social networking applications and services.

 

Other web companies are also developing location-enabled browsers. Mozilla’s Geode Firefox extension and Opera’s Gogi web browser build are both based on the Skyhook Wireless Loki Wi-Fi positioning technology. While Google offers location as a free feature to developers, Skyhook’s business model is based on the monetization of its core asset of Wi-Fi and cell-ID location reference databases. It remains uncertain whether this represents a sustainable model as other companies such as Nokia are expected to allow third party developers free access to its location reference databases.

 

Progressively all these initiatives will be aligned with the W3C’s Geolocation API Specification standard which defines a high-level browser interface to location information available on hosting devices from location sources such as GPS, IP addresses, RFID, Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth and cell IDs. The Geolocation API will become one of the main drivers for the integration of positioning technologies in desktop and mobile devices and the seamless and transparent use of location aware services. It will mark a clear shift away from dedicated location devices and isolated LBS services towards the promise of a fully integrated Geo-Web.