Gears Geolocation API - WiFi positioning directly from the browser

Google has laid out for developers a free set of interfaces to the Gears Geolocation API , with which you can easily add to the web application the function of getting the current coordinates of the terrain. The system works under any browser (in Chrome and Android, even without installing the plug-in), except Opera (support will soon appear), the principle of operation is simple. Information about the surrounding WiFi hotspots is transmitted to the server, and from there your coordinates are returned with an accuracy of 200 m. For security reasons, the coordinates are not recorded or stored on the server.

According to Google, their database contains information about WiFi hotspots in hundreds of cities around the world.

This is a very useful feature that can be added to almost any social website, whether it is a dating service, a movie poster or a news site.
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As the developers say, initially they thought that this set of interfaces would be used in mobile applications, but in the process it came to the realization that the owners of laptops also needed it. Actually, for laptops this is the first such service.

via Google Code Blog