Google developing locater technology

Internet search leader Google Inc. is testing technology that will locate users of its mobile mapping service, even if the phone making the connection isn’t equipped with a GPS receiver.

The tracking feature, introduced Wednesday, is being touted as an added convenience because it will enable people on the go to skip the task of typing a starting address on a mobile handset’s small keys when they turn to Google’s maps for guidance.

Using the technology, dubbed My Location, simply requires pressing zero on a mobile handset equipped with the software. The sender’s location shows up as a blue dot on Google’s mobile maps.

The tracking system isn’t set up to collect a user’s phone number or any other personal information that would reveal a person’s identity, said Steve Lee, product manager for Google’s mobile maps. As a safeguard, the feature can be turned off at any time by clicking on a link in the help menu.

Those assurances probably will alleviate privacy concerns raised about the new service, said analyst Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence.

Unlike GPS, Google’s tracking feature works while handsets are indoors. “My Location” also drains less power from a phone’s battery than a GPS receiver does.

On the downside, Google’s service isn’t as precise as GPS. In most instances, Google hopes to get within a quarter of a mile to three miles of a user’s location – close enough to provide helpful “neighborhood-level” information, Lee said.

The database that identifies the location of a mobile phone is still under construction, so the service still sometimes draws a blank. The company expects to fill in the holes as more people use the service, Lee said.

The tracking system’s database currently spans more than 20 countries, including the U.S., much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.