Google today released software that allows mobile phone users to automatically share their locations with family and friends.
Photo: Google Latitude Software Tracks Mobile Users Photo 1
The U.S. Internet search company's new Google Latitude service will be able to broadcast users' whereabouts to others constantly. Controls allow users in 27 countries to select who receives the information or to go offline at any time.
In 2005, Google acquired Dodgeball, a location-finding service that used text messaging to keep mobile phone users aware of their friends' proximity.
A few weeks ago, Google announced that it was terminating its Dodgeball service.
Unlike Dodgeball - which could be used with virtually any phone - Latitude is an add-on to Google Maps. It relies on Google Maps' My Location feature, which uses the signals from nearby cell phone towers to plot a user's location.
That means the mobile version of Latitude can be used only on smartphones. Latitude will work on Research In Motion's BlackBerry and devices running on Symbian S60 devices or Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Google's own Android operating system.
The software will eventually run on Apple's iPhone and iTouch and many Sony Ericsson devices.
"Fun aside, we recognize the sensitivity of location data, so we've built fine-grained privacy controls right into the application," said Steve Lee, Product Manager for Google Latitude. "You not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see."
Google's new service is similar to the service offered by privately-held Loopt. Companies such as Verizon Wireless already offer Loopt's service.
