The definition given by the W3C people –
“It is an API that provides scripted access to geographical location information associated with the hosting device.”
In simple terms, it’s an API that gives us the location information of the user in terms of World Geodetic System coordinates i.e., the latitude and longitude of the user’s location; to be precise, the location of the user’s device.
http://caniuse.com/#feat=geolocation
Into the Details
You can use this API, if you want to make your application ‘location-aware’.
This is ok, but why does an app want the location of its users????
Do I need a latest mobile device to use this API?
To use this API you need not have the best mobile device, even your desktop PC is sufficient to find your location.
I don’t want to tell where I am?
Some users do not want their app to be nosy about them. For some reasons, they just do not want to reveal where they are. What can they do then? Should they simply stop using you app..???
The answer is indeed NOT. Users will have an option to say, whether they want to share their location information or not. The user can choose this on a site-by-site basis at his/her own discretion. The user can revoke the permission to an application that is allowed to use this API to obtain geolocation data.
If you don’t want to be vulnerable to the disadvantages of revealing your location, just say NO, when the browser asks you the question, “Do you want to share your location?”
How is the location of the user identified?
There is no precise answer for this. In fact, the API itself is agnostic of the underlying information sources.
The information can be fetched by using any of the following techniques
In spite of all these methods used, there is no guarantee that the API returns the actual device’s location.
Stay tuned.. In my next mail I’m going to explain how to the use this API.
Reference links:
“It is an API that provides scripted access to geographical location information associated with the hosting device.”
In simple terms, it’s an API that gives us the location information of the user in terms of World Geodetic System coordinates i.e., the latitude and longitude of the user’s location; to be precise, the location of the user’s device.
http://caniuse.com/#feat=geolocation
Into the Details
You can use this API, if you want to make your application ‘location-aware’.
This is ok, but why does an app want the location of its users????
- Allow users to share with others that are nearby.
- Give directions.
- Let the user find local services and resources more easily.
- To determine demographics of the users.
Do I need a latest mobile device to use this API?
To use this API you need not have the best mobile device, even your desktop PC is sufficient to find your location.
I don’t want to tell where I am?
Some users do not want their app to be nosy about them. For some reasons, they just do not want to reveal where they are. What can they do then? Should they simply stop using you app..???
The answer is indeed NOT. Users will have an option to say, whether they want to share their location information or not. The user can choose this on a site-by-site basis at his/her own discretion. The user can revoke the permission to an application that is allowed to use this API to obtain geolocation data.
If you don’t want to be vulnerable to the disadvantages of revealing your location, just say NO, when the browser asks you the question, “Do you want to share your location?”
How is the location of the user identified?
There is no precise answer for this. In fact, the API itself is agnostic of the underlying information sources.
The information can be fetched by using any of the following techniques
- IP Address – Your IP Address is mapped to an external database of its physical address.
- Global Positioning System ‘GPS’ – Extremely accurate location info. based on satellites.
- Cell Phone Triangulation – Location info. based on your distance from one or more cell phone towers. The more towers you’ve around you, the more accurate is your location information.
- Wi-Fi – Location info. based on the one or more Wi-Fi access points.
In spite of all these methods used, there is no guarantee that the API returns the actual device’s location.
Stay tuned.. In my next mail I’m going to explain how to the use this API.
Reference links:
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