Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox German Official Warns Against New Google Browser ...
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Mozilla plans Luganda web search ... browser, has released technology that helps websites detect the physical location of computers.
The system will allow users, for instance, to find local restaurants when they travel to a new town.
The Geode project is an experimental add-on ahead of a full blown launch of geolocation technology in version 3.1 of Firefox.
Users will have control over how much location information they give.
It uses technology from a firm called Skyhook which works out a computer's location from nearby wireless networks.
It's so-called Loki system can determine location within seconds with an accuracy of about 10 to 20 metres.
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Mozilla believes Geode will have a range of applications.
"The potential here is for more than just restaurant look-ups. Imagine an RSS reader that knows the difference between home and work and automatically changes its behaviour appropriately," reads the introduction to Geode from Mozilla Labs.
Specific local news and website authentication that only allows people to log in from certain locations are other possible uses.
Geode is strictly controlled by the user. When a website requests a location, a notification bar lets users decide whether to give their exact whereabouts, the neighbourhood or city they are in or nothing at all.
Firefox is keen to stay ahead of privacy concerns and plans ulitimately to also allow users to select what service providers and geolocation methods they want.
Loki is one of many such geographically specific applications and sites that aim to make information more "contextualised" and based on increasingly mobile web users.
Among those trialling Geode is the social network Pownce, which has added a location element to its service which makes it easier to send files and messages to friends.
Yahoo's Fire Eagle, which aims to be the broker for a number of location-aware applications, will also use it.
(BBC)
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