theregoesdave

Mozilla has just announced the release of its Geode plugin for interfacing with web applications using location data. The plugin basically allows a web page to request your location while you’re surfing the web. Geode then asks you if you will share your location with that particular website and allows you to either let the site access your location just this once or any time you visit the site.

Geode works by determining your location based on the wireless access points closest to you. Mozilla has made this possible by forming a partnership with Loki, a leading wifi location service provider. If Loki cannot find an access point near you in its database, it simply asks you to identify your location and adds any surrounding access points to its database. My consistent problem with wifi location is that it is quite resource-intensive and can slow down your computer. It’s also still somewhat hit or miss in determining your actual location.

This is Mozilla’s first attempt at adding location-based data directly to the browser. Their ultimate goal is to add support for the W3C Geolocation Specification directly into the browser in Firefox 3.1. Future versions of the technology will allow you to select a GPS device or other location-provider instead of Wifi.

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