Firefox 3.5 include Geolocation

**Johnny** · 10-06-2009

Firefox 3.5 can tell websites where you’re located so you can find info that’s more relevant and more useful.Firefox 3.5 includes a simple JavaScript API that allows you to quickly geo-enable your web application. It allows users to optionally share their location with websites without having to type in a postal code.The new feature is sure to raise privacy concerns, but Mozilla says the feature is deactivated by default and if a user does not want to share location information, the browser will simply return an error message to a website requesting that information.

This location sharing could greatly speed local search. While location was added via the Geode addon, this latest version provides an out of the box location ability that aims to provide critical mass so that web developers are compelled to add location intelligence to their sites.Geolocation is implemented in Firefox 3.5 using a simple JavaScript API. The functionality allows users to easily share their location with a site that requires it.

Websites using this feature make a simple JavaScript call to getCurrentPosition, which gets the user’s current location and then notifies him with an alert dialog as the process isn't automated for obvious privacy issues. First, the user can deny or not respond to the request for location information. The API allows you to set an optional error callback. If the user explicitly cancels the request your error callback will be called with an error code. In the case where the user doesn’t respond, no callback will be fired.

When you visit a location-aware website, Firefox will ask you if you want to share your location.If you consent, Firefox gathers information about nearby wireless access points and your computer’s IP address. Then Firefox sends this information to the default geolocation service provider, Google Location Services, to get an estimate of your location. That location estimate is then shared with the requesting website.

**Damiano** · 10-06-2009

Websites that use location-aware browsing will ask where you are in order to bring you more relevant information, or to save you time while searching.If you don’t do anything, geolocation is never used. When a web page wants ask you for your location, you get an dialog box. If you do nothing, the feature stays off by default.The accuracy of the user’s location can vary quite a bit over time. This might happen for a few reasons:

Different methods for determining a person’s location have different levels of accuracy.The user might choose not to share his or her exact location with you. Many GPS devices have limited accuracy depending on the view of the sky. Over time if your view of the sky gets worse, so can the accuracy. Many GPS devices can take several minutes to go from a very rough location to a very specific location, even with a good view of the sky.

Firefox uses Google Location Services to determine your location by sending:your computer’s IP address,information about the nearby wireless access points, and a random client identifier, which is assigned by Google, that expires every 2 weeks.The information is exchanged over an encrypted connection to protect your privacy. Once Firefox has your location information, it passes it to the website that requested it.

At no time is the name or location of the website you are visiting, or are any cookies, ever shared with Google Location Services.One main concern with Geolocation is privacy and Firefox has taken steps to make sure that location information is shared only after the approval of the user and also has options to easily “forget” the sites that the user has shared his location with.

**Alexxx** · 10-06-2009

Firefox 3.5 represents the first step in support for Geolocation and a large number of other standards that are starting to make their way out of the various working groups.It now includes an easy way to see what permissions you granted to a particular page.To revoke permissions for a particular site: