Google has just released their Gears Geolocation API exclusively for the Windows Mobile platform! This lets Web sites use your location to provide location-based information. Apparently, it doesn't even require a GPS receiver - any smartphone can be geo-located using cell-tower triangulation! Here's Google' official description:

"Imagine if web sites could provide you with customized information based on your current location, even if you don't have GPS. Today we're launching the Gears Geolocation API for mobile and desktop browsers, while two third-party developers are launching the first location-enabled web apps using this API on Windows Mobile."

Follow the link above to learn more about the technology. To actually try out the technology, you need to be in the UK. Here are the instructions:

"If you are in the UK and have a supported Windows Mobile device visit m.lastminute.com and m.rummble.com today. The first time you use the location feature you will be prompted to download and install Gears."

Hello,

Bill Fisher:

To actually try out the technology, you need to be in the UK.

I have just implemented Google Gears Geolocation together with the new Google AJAX API ClientLocation (Wi-Fi) in my mobile portal and both should work also in North America and Western Europe.

If you have installed Google Gears on your Windows Mobile device you can also try out the functionality with ttklf4 - Location-based  search. (This link works only with your mobile phone WM6, WM 6.1)