Finding Your Way

Abstract

For many developers, the potential of location-based service (LBS) applications is the most exciting aspect of Java ME development today. The potential for new applications that use user position in conjunction with web-available data (for geocoded business locations, locating fellow users, real-time traffic, weather, and other incident information) is simply staggering. Whole new markets are emerging, such as cost-effective, real-time, location-aware navigation; social networking that involves friends’ locations; and dispatch and emergency service applications that tap a device’s location transparently. JSR 179 defines the Location API, which provides a simple optional API for determining a device’s location and sharing location preferences with other applications.