Eric Dupin (a famous French blogger) was eating in a Parisian restaurant when he used Google Maps My Location BETAAA! feature. Here was Eric: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Filaos+restaurant,+paris&ie=UTF8&ll=48.881199,2.27314&spn=0.1235,0.2211&t=h&z=12&iwloc=A
But where did Google localized him? In La Réunion, an island in the Pacific Ocean! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réunion
Quite an approximation! The interesting part is that the restaurant offer specialties from La Réunion.
Here's his post: http://www.presse-citron.net/colombo-diphone-sauce-creole-avec-un-peu-de-rougail
Have you any idea how My Location can provide this result?
Google explains that it uses the location of the surrounding towers. Nothing more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6gqipmbcok
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I think this particular blogger must have been eating too many magic mushrooms.
But with GPS-enabled devices becoming more common, and always-on internet coming with Android and other new devices, how long will it be until I can ask Google "when did I last eat at this restaurant?", and Google will be able to tell me.
Or even to verify an alibi, as in "was I in the vicinity of this bank when it was being robbed?". And then to Google Image Search to show the police officer my photos taken at the same time. |
This implies that Google will "understand" content, which I think isn't very soon. Maybe 2040? |
