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Locate friends with Google Latitude

20 Feb. 2009 | Author: AWo | german

‘Latitude‘ is the latest Google product to make an appearance. Using this, you can let other people know, in real-time, your current location and discover where the other person is pinpointed.

According to a press release of the search engine giant, the application is targeted at “Google Maps for Mobile” and “iGoogle”. Whereas the iGoogle widget was implemented for the US-version of Google Search for desktops, the mobile versions were not functional here ‘across the pond’. For the new app to work, you need a Google Account and a usable mobile phone on which Google Latitude is installed. [Download here.]

Once installed and configured, you can invite other people to join you in using the service. As soon as the person(s) accepts your invitation, their profile photo appears on a map on your device, showing their current location. With a click on that photo, you can make contact using telephone, e-mail or SMS (according to what the person has configured). And if you want to meet up, you can generate a route description to reach the meeting place. Google locates the person automatically via GPS, WiFi or cell-phone transmitters. A manual location entry is also possible.

For those worrying about their privacy, Google suggests they rest assured. The user can always specify and change, from whom, how and when you may be contacted or whether contacted at all. As expected there are already critics: the British data privacy organization Privacy International, warns that not all mobile devices are able to regularly remind users that the automatic location feature is activated, as intended by Google. Privacy International envisaged horror scenarios, such as malicious parties could somehow install the program on the mobile device of others without their knowledge, enabling them to be tracked without knowing.

Google Latitude for “Google Maps for mobile” is available at the moment for 27 countries and in 42 languages. A list of compatible devices can be found on Google Latitude’s webpage.

Locate friends with Google Latitude
Posted in Local Search per PC, Local Search on the go, Local Search per Mobile phone, Local Search, Localization technology, News, Local Search Engines, Practical features | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

One Response to “Locate friends with Google Latitude”

  • Apfelmag.com ....read it!:
    19 Jul. 2009 at 11:1 AM

    Google – Wann kommt Latitude?…

    Google gab vor langer Zeit schon bekannt, das man bald mit dem Google Dienst Google Latitude rechnen kann. Es würde keine App sondern eine WebApplikation geben. Ob es in die Google iPhone App doch eingebaut wird steht noch nicht fest. Das ganze würd…

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