Palm OS to support Google Maps My Location

06 December 2007, 10:11am

5 December 2007 - Palm to Support Google Maps My Location After All

As a followup to aprevious article on the Google Maps My Location feature not coming to Palm OS, Palm Infocenter have new information from Palm. Palm says that they have in fact responded to Google's request to make the "My Location" feature available on quote "newer Palm phones."

A representative for Palm developer relations says that an API for determining cell tower IDs has always been on Palm devices, however it was private. Palm says they are now working to make the API public, which requires a change to the ROM, so My Location will be available on newer Palm OS phones. Palm would only commit to say that a update will be made available for the Palm Centro at some point and the API features would be included on Palm OS phones in the future.

Google's recently announced My Location feature is a GPS SatNav like service for Google Maps Mobile that functions without a GPS receiver. It works by triangulating your position based on the feedback from nearby cell towers that you are connected to. According to Google the current crop of Palm OS devices are not compatible as they do not offer the API they need to access the ID number of the cell tower.

The service is in beta and is currently compatible with the Treo 750, 500v and 700wx models.

Source: Ryan Kairer on Palm Infocenter

ww.palminfocenter.com

Geo: International