Free! - Google Latitude Keeps You Connected.
Category It's Free!
Google is hosting yet another free service that comes as an add-on to Google Maps. It is called Latitude and it promises to take "staying connected" to a new level. Integrated with your driving directions and location services, you can now add friends and choose to share your location with them while you are out and about. Small icons will appear around your map with avatars (if the user uploaded one) and a Twitter-esque update of what the friend is doing at his location. The accuracy is the only issue that I have had a problem with, as the service succumbs to the GPS, wi-fi and cell tower information from your phone. If one is not available, it uses what it can get to be as accurate as possible (from 30 feet to 3 miles).
If you are concerned about privacy, be comforted by knowing you can hide your location from anyone at any time if you choose and an official request must be sent through the user interface and get approval in order to become friends with anyone and see their location; privacy is definitely not an issue here. Google Latitude is still an interesting way to see what your friends are up to and maybe even rendezvous with them if you happen to be near by!
Google is hosting yet another free service that comes as an add-on to Google Maps. It is called Latitude and it promises to take "staying connected" to a new level. Integrated with your driving directions and location services, you can now add friends and choose to share your location with them while you are out and about. Small icons will appear around your map with avatars (if the user uploaded one) and a Twitter-esque update of what the friend is doing at his location. The accuracy is the only issue that I have had a problem with, as the service succumbs to the GPS, wi-fi and cell tower information from your phone. If one is not available, it uses what it can get to be as accurate as possible (from 30 feet to 3 miles).
If you are concerned about privacy, be comforted by knowing you can hide your location from anyone at any time if you choose and an official request must be sent through the user interface and get approval in order to become friends with anyone and see their location; privacy is definitely not an issue here. Google Latitude is still an interesting way to see what your friends are up to and maybe even rendezvous with them if you happen to be near by!
