Google Latitude — Released today

[Jayems]

http://www.google.com/intl/en_ca/latitude/intro.html

Just because the Internet has broken down geographic barriers, don't assume that Google doesn't care about geography. With Google's new Latitude software, cell phone users can share their locations with others.

The company plans to launch software called Latitude on Wednesday that lets mobile phone users share their location with close contacts. Google hopes it will help people find each other while out and about and to keep track of loved ones.

"What Google Latitude does is allow you to share that location with friends and family members, and likewise be able to see friends and family members' locations," said Steve Lee, product manager for Google Latitude. For example, a girlfriend could use it to see if her boyfriend has arrived at a restaurant and, if not, how far away he is.

To protect privacy, Google specifically requires people to sign up for the service. People can share their precise location, the city they're in, or nothing at all.

"What we found in testing is that the most common scenario is a symmetrical arrangement, where both people are sharing with each other," Lee said.

The software spotlights Google's fixation with mapping and location technology. Location is an important part of navigating the real world, and Google clearly sees its geographic services as a way to establish a more personal connection with customers who today use Google chiefly for the virtual realm of the Internet.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/g...ude/index.html

haha, I specifically liked how this was worded.

And you can manually set a specific location if, for example, your phone can't show it with sufficient precision or if you wish to tell someone a white lie about whether you really aren't going to go to the candy store.

[Madman]

"The Candy Store"

[Jayems]

haha, its actually somewhat neat to see work. A little creepy, and I'm finding this is the most common answer to the request:

"haha, like I want you to know where I am all the time"

Fair enough. haha. But you can turn it off quite easily.

[photon]

This is great because the company that's laid me off has a commercial product that does this. And now Google does the exact same thing for free!

In the words of the immortal engineer's check, "What now bitches?"

Mwahahaha!!!

/not bitter

[Table 5]

Wasn't there an iPhone app like this already?

[awildermode]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Wasn't there an iPhone app like this already?

yes, iLoop. but no everyone has an iphone

just another way for "the Man" to track you down. like in Eagle Eye.

[photon]

And Latitude doesn't work for the iPhone

Before our company got bought by evil people, we wrote a few apps like this, and even toyed with making one like this for the Android application competition, but figured that there'd be dozens of them submitted.

[Jayems]

They said it will work on Iphone very shortly.

[cKy]

Man, just think of the divorces and break ups this will cause when the wife adds this to her husbands Blackberry without him knowing.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by cKy

Man, just think of the divorces and break ups this will cause when the wife adds this to her husbands Blackberry without him knowing.

She'd have to have access to his email account for that to work. Although, my fiancee knows all my passwords, so I guess that's not too far out of the question.

A lot of the time, it's the cell tower triangulation or whatever. So it shows a blip on the screen and says "Location within 2700m" So unless the GPS is getting a signal, it's not 100 per cent accurate.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by awildermode

just another way for "the Man" to track you down. like in Eagle Eye.

I am pretty sure "the Man" could track you regardless of whether you've signed up for this.

The aliens certainly can. They've been anal probing me for years.

[cKy]

Well, unless he works by the Sheraton Hotel late @ nights, he could be in trouble!

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by cKy

Well, unless he works by the Sheraton Hotel late @ nights, he could be in trouble!

haha.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by photon

And Latitude doesn't work for the iPhone

Before our company got bought by evil people, we wrote a few apps like this, and even toyed with making one like this for the Android application competition, but figured that there'd be dozens of them submitted.

It's coming

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...to_iphone.html

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by cKy

Well, unless he works by the Sheraton Hotel late @ nights, he could be in trouble!

You mean the cecil?




(yes I know its gone)

[photon]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

It's coming

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...to_iphone.html

Yay! Though no background updates I'm sure.

So my secret destinations are safe for now.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by photon

Yay! Though no background updates I'm sure.

So my secret destinations are safe for now.

Apple is also rumored to be allowing background apps soonish...

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...on_iphone.html

[photon]

Yeah been waiting for that for a while. Won't really be background I don't think more like a remote or timed wakeup. But better than nothing.