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Google’s Mobile Search, Powered by “My Location” - The Idea, Applications & Limitations
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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It’s been a while since big-wig search engines like Yahoo, Google and MSN Live had launched their local search engines but how many times have you ever used it to find a certain eatery joint or a movie multiplex nearby? It’s both an irony and heartening to know that OnYoMo manages to quench our thirst for local search much better than any other in the market.
Well, no more. Google has come up with a Mobile Search feature that allows you to search whatever you like that might make use of knowledge regarding your current geographical location.
The Technology
It seems the need for a GPS enabled device just might become redundant even before it took off really well. If Google has its way, you should be able to track your current position to a great level of accuracy. According to Google, “using the Gears Geolocation API, Search with My Location approximates your actual location using the same Cell ID technology used by Google maps for mobile.”
Of course, it is evident that the accuracy of the location depends on the density of the service towers your provider might have installed, around your current geographical location. It’s been quite an age-old practice for mobile users to figure out where they currently are, by checking out the location of the tower’s signal a mobile phone currently receives. Most phones, even the most rudimentary ones, have the feature in them.
Proposed Applications
How do you think such an idea could be used to leverage advertising and business revenue for Google while also enhancing the usage experience of the common man? Here are a few ideas I could come up with -
- The most obvious application would be the power of GPS Maps without even paying for it. All you shall need is a GPRS enabled phone and a supported app to help locate your current location and also a direction towards your destination.
- Google also says that you can check out the current weather and even shops around your current location by just typing in what you want to know.
- This could also turn out to be a very good and extremely targeted advertising model for Google. If I type “Pot Rice” in the search box to find eateries around that serve “Pot Rice”, every affluent enough restaurant shall be more than happy to pay a premium price to end up on my mobile as a search result.
- Geo-Tagged Positioning might end up as a very powerful and useful feature if it could be properly integrated with Google’s Friend Connect.
- Now, GPS enabled handsets shall no more be a pre-requisite for geo-tagged tweets!
The Limitations
- The feature is currently available only for a few Windows Mobile handsets. For the complete list, check out their help page.
- The service is currently available only for users in US and UK.
- In areas with low density of network towers, the service just might end up being another useless fancy application on your phone.
- If Google starts earning revenue off the service, there is a very high chance of service providers wanting a piece of the pie too.
- Indian market just might end up witnessing another big bang idea by the time Google’s Local Search gets prominent in the country.
So, what do you think about the new mobile search feature from Google? What are your experiences?
That was a pretty cool info.. good work
Great blog. I like layout!!!!