Andy Beal      2007-05-17

Ask.com's recent launch of Ask Mobile GPS could be a sign of things to come. While wireless networks and phone manufacturers race to figure out how to get us all to stare at our 2″ screens more often, the golden egg could be something that is already gaining traction - GPS enabled phones.

"One of the more compelling things that we might use every day is the integration of that information into knowing where my friends are," he told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in Paris this week.

Research suggests that 25% of mobile phones will have GPS by 2010 and this new feature could lead to the growth of mobile social networks - a concept we explored back in March.

I can certainly see how GPS could bring some much needed value to mobile internet access. If a phone knows precisely where I am, in relation to the nearest bank or restaurant, that's very valuable to me. Likewise, if a friend Twitter's that they've just seen the latest gadget on sale at Best Buy, how cool would it be to know which store he's at and get directions to it?

That's the kind of stuff that would get me excited about mobile. What other uses could you see GPS bringing?

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