Google’s Latitude
February 5th, 2009 at 9:15 am by David FarrarI’ve blogged many times over the last few years about how a future killer application will be one that combines GPS, mapping and friend finder on your phone.
As the Daily Telegraph reports, Google has launched such a service. It is called Google Latitude. It works for New Zealand, and you can download it onto your blackberry and other phones. Only problem is a download error code 500 at the moment.
There are huge privacy issues around such services. They key is to only let people see your location who you totally trust. But it can be an easy way of meeting up in town etc. I’ll blog more on this once I actually get it installed and working.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:38 am
We were listening to this story on the way to work this morning in the car. My 14 year old was completely unimpressed with the idea i’d be able to keep tabs on his where abouts 24/7 and resigned himself to turning his phone off – coming from a kid that can send over 2000 txts a month i suspect thats highly unlikely.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Google are evil i tells ya.
Wonder how many terrorists will turn it on by mistake?
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I do not have cell phone coverage where I live.
Vote:Oh Dear. How good is this place!
February 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
The state will abuse every technology that it can: how long before GPS is compulsory for all cellphones?
Naturally they would only do it so that the police could
controlassist the population.http://kiwipolemicist.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/who-are-the-police-really-serving/
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Fire Eagle is the yahoo service, although it’s primary function is to take location data from an on-phone service like Google’s and allow you to trim out different levels of detail before passing it on to other parties (e.g. Facebook = maybe high level only, versus some specific friend finding app = more detail).
The interesting thing I find is the 3 ways that phones can get locations (in the US):
- Cell Tower (commonly used by non-GPS phones) – fairly inaccurate but easy and no additional drag on battery
- GPS – very accurate as long as you can see the sky, bit of a battery drag
- Wifi – some clever firms have compiled a database of what wifi networks can be ‘seen’ (not connect to) at what strengths at any given location, and use that pattern to match what your wifi-enabling phone is seeing. Works indoors and is accurate to 30m.
I primarily use this, although I’m currently only tracking my own travels for kicks. No particular desire to share location. Try Navizon.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Interesting. Yes there are all sorts of issues about abuse by Governments and bad guys.
But let us not forget that all technological advances have been abused by Governments and bad guys. Hamlet intercepted a letter from his Uncle to the King of England, forged a replacement and had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed.
As the father of a teenage daughter, I think is is a great idea. It will make her safer and me less worried.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
No iPhone? FAIL (as my 14-year old says).
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Lots of good safety aspects form such technology particularly when it comes to the beloved teenage population (although most would disagree). Lest we forget that the same technology will also apply to the: cheating, paranoid, friends, X’s, stalkers and other undisirables – thats kinda scary.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
This works straight out of the box on a BB Bold in the UK. It looks pretty good if you don’t mind being tracked.
It made the covers of The Metro this morning for privacy issues. Personally I am pretty happy as my life doesn’t tend to include cheating, paranoid X’s, stalkers etc.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Lifehacker.com has a useful video on how to protect one’s privacy whilst using Latitude.
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