Google Maps Wins!
In my post New Firefox Brings Location to the Browser, I asked the following question around the new browser’s location awareness capability.
So the race is on – which will be the first site to implement this feature? Any bets?
Well today, we have a winner. That was fast.
The blue circle has come to your desktop with Google Maps. If you’ve use the Maps app on your iPhone you’ll know what I’m talking about.
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.
Combine this feature with the new embedded real estate searches in Maps (see Google Gets Serious about Real Estate Search) and you’re starting to see the foundation of a really slick application.
Something that might live in the new Google Chrome OS perhaps?
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Loren Nason | Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
Thats is just scary, but cool.
Paul Trippett | Jul 14, 2009 | Reply
Yeah that is scary it figured it out to about 50 meters from my front door.
Robert Worthington | Jul 14, 2009 | Reply
Yes Google maps does win. Oh Yes, Google maps is also integrated into my IDX solution. In my humble opinion, this is an A+ application.
Baltimore Homes | Jul 21, 2009 | Reply
Google Maps is very accurate, one of the Realtors on our team in Baltimroe, Maryland actually get paid to have a GPS image scanner mounted on top of his vehicle.
Veronica | Jul 24, 2009 | Reply
Very cool, except how come it took me having to read explicitly where it is on the map to notice it? It looks nothing like the My Location on my iPhone, and I never would have noticed this…I think the UI treatment needs some improvement.
Free Real Estate Agent Training Videos | Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
It seems that Google wants to dominate everything but in this case, I think it’s spot on. Not only does this help with real estate but it proves that technology can make life easier while making Google stock increase. It’s a shame that Yahoo has again, missed the boat. Kudos on your blog post.
Robert Creasey | Sep 16, 2009 | Reply
Does it work with 3g mobile internet?
Jason | Sep 25, 2009 | Reply
Google maps blows away the competition and I wish our local MLS would integrate it.