Google figured out how to find a mobile phone’s location for its own mobile apps, such as Google Maps, and is now opening that technology up as an API to outside developers. Two UK-based mobile startups—Rummble and lastminute— have already built the API into their services. The Google Mobile blog explains:

These two apps make use of the Gears Geolocation API. The API can determine your location using nearby cell-towers or GPS for your mobile device or your computer’s IP address for your laptop. Google provides this service for free to both developers and users.

Gears is available on IE Mobile on mobile and Internet Explorer and Firefox on desktop. To use the location-enabled lastminute.com and Rummble web apps you will need a Windows Mobile device that supports GPS or cell-id lookup (for example the Samsung Blackjack II and HTC Touch Dual, see supported devices FAQ). We are working hard to bring Gears to more mobile platforms, such as Android and others.

There is also more detailed information on the API on the Google Code blog.

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aka-aki (from Germany) focuses on Proximity Networking, as in mobile social networking with Bluetooth-sensing capabilities which are pretty interesting. For instance, it will build a network of encounters with other Aka-Aki members even before you sign up, populating your network automatically. We’ve written a lot about them here.

Dial2Do (from Ireland) lets you do common tasks by calling a number and speaking. You can send email or SMS and post to Twitter for instance. It asks you two or three questions like “Do what?”, “To who?”. You say what you want, it recognizes what you said and completes the task. That would probably make it pretty handy for those tasks you’d like to do while driving but now can’t due to the increasing number of laws which band people from talking on the phone while driving.

Shout’Em (from Croatia) is a “roll your own” hosted mobile social network which has an Android client already. The video looks slick at least, but it will be interesting to hear more about them at the conference.

youlynx (from Spain) is a social media network, not unlike a mobile YouTube, but you can send pictures as well. It would be good to see if they have any plans to extend this idea as currently its a fairly simple video sharing site for mobile content.

Zipipop (from Finland) is a start-up that is developing Zipiko, a mobile service for sorting your social life on the go, as in, broadcast where you’ll be at a certain time in the day. Think Dopplr, but on a much more granular level perhaps.

Rummble (from UK) is a location based discovery tool and social search platform we wrote about here and here. Rummble’s idea is that location will soon be a “given” (via FireEagle, Google or GPS) on the mobile, as will social networking, so the value lies in filtering all this data to make it relevant in the mobile experience.

ViaMobility (from France) is a mobile widgets and applications startup with a Mobile Widget Player. France seems to have a penchant for mobile widgets as another startups called Goojet launched there recently.

And if you’re free in the evening, come over to the TechCrunch / Mobile 2.0 Europe Party at Shoko Club near the beach with speakers, organizers, startups. Check out details for the party and the sponsors after the jump.

So if you want to come to the party let us know why in the comments below and we’ll try to get you in.

TechCrunch Mobile 2.0 Party Sponsors

Nimbuzz offers a social interaction service combining presence, IM, and VoIP. The free application is available on the mobile, PC and Web, for (group)calling, instant messaging, (group)chat, file sharing across popular IM communities, including Skype, MSN, GTalk, Yahoo!, AIM, ICQ, plus 23 social networks including Facebook and MySpace. Nimbuzz works on over 600 mobile phones worldwide. The free genuine VoIP works worldwide on Symbian S60, and Windows Mobile devices over 3G/Wifi. Users on GPRS connections, or using Java devices, make international calls at local dial-in cost – in 50 countries. Social networks can incorporate the application, to offer their users fully integrated real-time communication services like voice calls, chat, file sharing and access to friends in the most popular IM communities. The users’ online social networking experience can even be extended to the mobile phone, to become completely connected. Nimbuzz has positioned itself to become the largest global communications platform for seamless IP-based communication among mobile devices and social media platforms.
Nimbuzz is headquartered in the Netherlands, with offices in Argentina and Brazil. The company, founded in 2006, received VC and strategic funding by Mangrove Capital Partners (Skype), Naspers/MIH (Tencent, Mail.ru, Gadu-Gadu, Mweb, Sanook, Tradus) and Holtzbrinck (StudiVZ).

Fjord is a strategic design consultancy based in Berlin, Helsinki and London. We think about convergence, mobility and the future of digital touch points. We are working with clients like the BBC, Nokia, Orange and Nokia to create transforming solutions. Our passion and goal is to deliver elegant simplicity.

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Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0