New App: MyLocation - show your location on the iPhone's Google Maps

sanoodi · #1 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:01 PM

We've just released the first beta of MyLocation, which shows your current location on the iPhone's Google Maps app.

Testers welcome to try it out and give some early feedback to see if it works outside the UK. It uses the CellID of your nearby cell towers, and passes this to a geo database of known towers held by Google and others, before displaying your approximate current location on the Map.app. The MyLocation port is not official or endorsed by Google in any way.

Add http://www.sanoodi.com/iphone to your Installer.app sources to download and let us know if (and where!) it works.

sanoodi · #2 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:22 PM

Forgot to mention - after adding http://www.sanoodi.com/iphone to the Installer.app sources, you'll need to go to Install, and under the Misc category you'll find the MyLocation app to install.

ajl917 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:30 PM

For me, it was wrong by a lot, but this is sort of like Navizon right?

sanoodi · #4 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:33 PM

Yes, it's the same sort of thing - at the moment we're just going with the location of the closest tower, but will be adding triangulation from signal strengths etc. in a bit.

reycat · #5 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:46 PM

Really cool idea

Unfortunately, I think that Google database is not right for my city... It says I'm about 5 km north from my current location

But good work, anyway, thank you very much.

maidstonelad · #6 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:54 PM

Works fine. about 3miles out - excellent app!

Essex UK

macdo · #7 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 01:58 PM

Will I be charged like a phone call when this app checks the location of the closest tower?
Is it also displayed in google earth, 'cause I live in Chile and I can't see local maps but they are displayed at maps.google.

sanoodi · #8 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 02:13 PM

There's no specific charge for the location check, it's just opening up a webpage and passing it the cellids read from the phone - that's why you only get approximate location.

For real accuracy, we'll need to wait for GPS on the iPhone, but this should be good enough to fix what neighbourhood you're in (and then allowing you to do further location searches there e.g. nearest pizza place etc.)