First it was Facebook status updates; then Twitter alerts; and now, you can broadcast your whereabouts—in real time—on a Google map.
Google Inc. released software today that can track people’s locations through its mobile mapping service.
The new feature, called “Latitude,” requires users to manually turn on tracking software through their cell phone or other wireless services, and gives the option for users to turn off or limit access.
The software plots your location using signals from cell phone towers, GPS systems and Wi-Fi connections, and displays it on a Google Maps with a personalized image or icon.
Though concerns over privacy are bound to emerge, Google claims it won’t keep any information on a user’s whereabouts. Google will only store your last-known location identified by the tracking service.
So how does it work, exactly?
Latitude shares your current location through Google Maps’ “My Location” feature, which helps you control which friends are invited to see the information. It also lets you control how much information each person sees, individually, including city level, neighborhood level and “best available.”
So for example, you could allow your best friend John see your exact location, while your colleague Linda can only see the city and state in which you’re located. And if you’re sneaking away for a long lunch, you can temporarily block your location from being seen by anyone.
To join in, simply download the latest version of Google Maps for mobile with Latitude for free. If you’ve got a laptop, you can also add Latitude to your personal iGoogle account and upload your location that way.
Sorry, iPhone users, you can’t participate just yet—it’s only available for smartphone operating platforms like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Android, and Symbian S60. That said, Google has promised that an iPhone version will be available soon.
Related links: Wired, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Google Latitude
By Sarika Chawla for PeterGreenberg.com.
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