Google launches GPS killer for mobile phones

Google has just added a new feature "My Location" feature to Google Maps for mobile phones. Basically, it works like GPS, but instead of connecting to a satellite, it gathers information from nearby cell towers to determine your location. So your phone doesn't need to be GPS enabled, it just needs to have a data plan in order to plot your position on a map.

Google Maps for Mobile runs on most J2ME-enabled devices, including BlackBerry phones, Windows Mobile, Palm, and Symbian devices. Although you can run Google Maps on Windows Mobile PDAs that are not cellphones, you won't be able to use the My Location feature, since your device won't know how to connect to cellphone towers.

Oh, and while Google could theoretically use this information to stalk you, if you believe the promotional video above, the company claims that it doesn't keep tabs on your personal information and location.

[via Google Operating System]

Tags: cellphones, google-maps, gps, mobile-phones, mobileminute