14 DAY TRIAL // Geolocation is a popular topic these days as more people are using mobile devices or laptops to browse the Internet wherever they may be, not just at the office or at home. One of the major new features in Firefox 3.5, though it didn't get too much notice, and also available in Chrome or other browsers with the Google Gears add-on installed, it is now supported by Google Maps on the desktop too.
“When you visit Google Maps with a supported web browser, you'll see a new My Location button in the top left corner of the map. Simply click the button to center the map to your approximate location. If your location can be determined accurately enough, it's shown with a blue circle, just like on Google Maps for Mobile. Click the button again to remove the blue circle, or to re-center the map after you've moved it away,” Steve Block, software engineer, and Noam Ben Haim, product manager at Google Maps, wrote.
Geolocation on the desktop, or laptops for that matter, isn't as accurate as on mobile devices but that's a fault with the underlying technology and hardware, as most computers don't have GPS capabilities integrated and there isn't that much to do about it except buying a GPS for your computer or waiting until more manufacturers add the feature. Browsers that support geolocation, Firefox 3.5 being the only one to have the technology by default, will rely on WiFi information in the absence of a GPS device or as a last resort on the IP.
So for the majority of users it's not going to be incredibly accurate, with some even reporting being placed in the wrong country, but for places that have WiFi hotspots mapped out with accurate GPS data the error is an acceptable few hundred meters at worse, which should be enough to help you find your bearings in an unfamiliar city.