Everyone's favourite micro-blogging site looks set to increase its locational capabilities with Twitter's latest announcement that it has acquired Mixer Labs.
Mixer Labs is a tracking location start-up founded by two ex-Google employees. It is responsible for Twitter's GeoAPI, which is an easy to use geo world-search. If you're looking for a coffee shop in San Fran, or a laundromat in Plymouth, GeoAPI can tell you where to go.
Another key function is the reverse geocoder, which allows for an automatic translation of a latitude/longitude coordination into human speak.
What this new functionality will provide is context to a flood of Tweets that we see every day. It will also allow users to verify what people are Tweeting, by providing credence to where people say they are.
Chief executive of Twitter Evan Williams said the deal would mean that Twitter users can see where people are when posting new tweets.
The GeoAPI will also allow users to search where an event is happening, and will make your Twitter experience more relevant to your daily life, said Williams in a post on the Twitter blog.
“We want to know what’s happening, and more precisely, where is it happening," he said.
“As a dramatic example, twittering ‘Earthquake!’ alone is not as informative as ‘Earthquake!’ coupled with your current location.”
Twitter aims to eventually integrate Mixer Labs work with geo-enabled apps on the Twitter API such as Birdfeed, Seesmic Web, Foursquare, Gowalla, Twidroid, Twittelator Pro amongst others.
The Mixer Labs deal follows on from Twitter's launch of Geotagging API last month, and the continual growth of location support for developers working with the Twitter platform in August this year.
There's no word on whether sharing your geo location will be optional or enforced, but Twitter's previous Geotagging API could be turned on or off by the user, so chances are that we'll still have the same option with any new geo location apps.
Are you comfortable with sharing your geo location whenever you Tweet? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Source: Twitter Blog