Google sends local news to smartphones

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Google on Friday began letting US smartphone users stay abreast of local news whereever they happen to be.

"News near you" lets iPhones or Android-powered smartphones display stories relevant to people's locations at any given moment, according to product manager Navneet Singh.

Google News first made location-based service available about three years ago.

The new featue enables people to tap into location-sensing capabilities of smartphones to customize what headlines are displayed on homepages of devices.

"Google News for mobile lets you keep up with the latest news, wherever you are," Singh said.

He said the new feature "surfaces news relevant to the city you're in and surrounding areas" once smartphone users have given permission for the software to access location information on devices.