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Google Launches Location-Aware Search For Windows Mobile

Google has made location-aware search a reality for users of Windows Mobile devices. Now, when you pull out your WinMo smartphone to perform a search, Google will automatically deliver results relevant to your location.

Google had talked about location-aware search with the use of its Gears Geolocation API a couple of weeks ago. The idea is that software determines your location information without requiring user input. This can allow you to perform searches faster, and get the results you need.

For example, if you want to search for "music", you'll no longer have to add the zip code or city name to your search to get local results. Search with My Location approximates your actual location using the same Cell ID technology used by Google maps for mobile. On a phone, this is key, because entering in text takes time. Reducing the amount of text entry means faster searches.

This is really cool stuff.

In order to quash any complaints about potential privacy issues, Google said, "We take your privacy seriously and have designed Search with My Location so that it doesn't associate your location with any personally identifiable information, even if you are logged in. We won’t send your location until you explicitly opt in, and you can always opt-out from the Gears Settings under the Tools menu."

Right now, this functionality is only available for the Windows Mobile platform because it can handle the necessary Gears software. Google will add Search with My Location to other platforms over time.

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