Monday, August 25. 2008

Google Gears Geolocation API

Announced on Friday, but not really popping until today, is the Google Gears Geolocation API. Gears is a browser plug in used to make Web apps run when not connected to the Internet.

What, then is this API?

Per PC Mag it's "a platform designed to provide Web sites with location-based information without the aid of GPS." That said it can tap into GPS, cell-tower triangulation, or your computer's IP address to determine location and then "pass it on" to an application. So far, lastminute.com, a travel site and Rummble, a social networking site has used the API which runs on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and IE Mobile.

Google states that it will not store location information, but users need to check with the sites they visit about their policies. Users are prompted the first time a site asks for a location. Here's the Google announcement on the Gear blog.

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