Google Maps on the iPhone is good, there's no denying that. Still, users want more and if genuine GPS could come to the handset, even better.

Over at iPhone Alley, the inimitable Michael Johnston appears to have found how to activate the My Location element of Google Maps (a beta service built into the most recent version but not yet accessible by the iPhone). The service, like others emerging on the market, allows for a location to be determined through use of cell phone tower signals without requiring actual GPS functionality.

In the article, Johnston appears to have discovered iLocation, a third party application developed by Chris Miles. Once launched (on a jailbroken iPhone capable of running third party applications), the program presents the user with a "locating" screen and gathers cell tower information from the iPhone, then sends it off to Google. Google can then return longitude and latitude information to the iLocation program, which can then be sent to Google Maps and plotted.

So far, despite My Location's statement that the service is generally accurate up to 1,000 meters, the program's author has cited better success in driving around and collecting a wider range of data. The better the cell reception, the greater the accuracy and Google has cited that the product will still continue to be developed before emerging from beta.

If you've tried this or found a good GPS-style program for your iPhone, let us know over in the comments or forums.