A better sense of place

On the mobile phone as a `platform', location is everywhere. It may not be king, but pretty much any app that aims to provide a service now includes a location-based element, whether it is to help you find a nearby restaurant or minicab, or simply to push local promotions your way. The space-satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) is the key enabler. Even low-end smartphones now include not just a GPS chip, but can also locate themselves by scanning for local mobile basestations and Wi-Fi access points. Location-based services on mobile devices used to be the preserve of app-happy shoppers and geo-social networking. Now, their usefulness is being explored for more serious - even mission critical situations.