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Google Latitude: Find Friends on Google Maps

Google has just introduced Google Latitude on top of its mapping service. The new feature enables you to track friends on Google Maps via their GPS-capable mobile phone.

Latitude is available on most phones — the Blackberry, S60, and Windows Mobile, and will be available on Android in the next few days. It’s highly likely it will be coming to the iPhone, through Google Mobile App, very soon — according to the official Google blog .

google latitude google maps

I tried installing it on my Nokia 5800 and it replaced my existing Google Maps to version 3. Here are some of the screenshots I took on the phone.

google latitude google latitude

You can also view the location of your friends on Google Maps in your desktop (via iGoogle Gadget). The accuracy of the tracking will depending on how many satellites your GPS is connected too — up to 20 meters on 4-5 GPS satellites and as far as 800 meters on 1 satelite.

google maps

Looks cool but at the same time a little scary (especially when you know others can snoop on you). Of course, your privacy is of utmost concern for Google so you can pick who you share your data with (and assuming there’s no glitch in the system).

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

21 Responses

  1. Avatar for alm0st alm0st says:

    maybe you can use this to track ur own cellphone.. register it as a friend.. who knows baka maya maya ma snatch yan.. edi useful tlga to.

  2. Avatar for allan jones allan jones says:

    Most of us thinks that it violates ones human’s rights (of course i think so)… But anyway, i can not use this here in the philippines. Hopefully this will work soon here using eTouch phones in my location. hehe. If you’re an ethical person, you’ll use this for security purposes (location of your mom, dad, son, wife, etc). Of course you can not teach computers about ethics, hehe. anyway napadaan lang.

  3. Avatar for Lloydi Lloydi says:

    Pano ito i activate sa 7210 na supernova. at ska pano magsend na lng ang google sa phone kasi di nmn supported ang Philippines. can you teach me kung pano?

  4. Avatar for peejay peejay says:

    is this compatible with my N82? i installed the google maps in my phone early this year.

  5. Avatar for GensanBoy GensanBoy says:

    This is a cool app. to all thos who are paraniod simple lang gawin nyo. turn off your phone if your dont want to be “seen” or dont get a phone with a build in gps. why cringe on a new technolgy that can be very useful.

  6. Avatar for Migs Migs says:

    Alvin,

    You can use latitude on your phone. Just download the latest version of Google Maps mobile on your phone. :D

    Buti na lang hindi techie ang GF ko! wahahahhaha

    Pero yung friend mo dapat “online” din (connected to update the GPS) for you to be located diba?

  7. Avatar for Pinoy Gamers Pinoy Gamers says:

    Fan ako ng google earth, bago ako mag trip palabas lalo na kung hindi ako familiar sa place yan ang ginagamit ko plus a real map. What an awesome feature.

  8. Avatar for John John says:

    Is anyone else as freaked out about Google Latitude as I am? Do we really want the government to be able to subpoena Google on this data?

  9. Avatar for jepoy jepoy says:

    I hope Google replaces their map with the map being used at Map Maker… the current map is sooo inaccurate.

  10. Avatar for Snow Snow says:

    I don’t like this Google latitude…It violates one’s right to privacy… :(

  11. Avatar for Kitty Kitty says:

    Ouch! I super don’t like this.. Uber Stalking Galore!

  12. Avatar for Rico Rico says:

    Parang yung sa movie ng Charlie’s Angels. Very cool!

  13. Avatar for Alvin Alvin says:

    Di ko pa ini-install sa 5800 ko kasi akala ko di pa supported ng Google Latitude ang Philippines-> http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=136658. Di siya listed sa Countries, pero ang wierd kasi listed ang Filipino sa Languages na supported. Maybe for Filipinos who talk Filipino in the United States. LOL.

  14. Avatar for wh@ wh@ says:

    thats cool yuga. at least i can kep track of my friends…

    weee

    birthday ko na bukas

  15. Avatar for madzman23 madzman23 says:

    @Yoe
    I agree buddy, I agree. :D
    And it will soon-to-be the most hated apps for men. :p
    Wonder’ng who did that… Hmmmm…
    hehehe…

  16. Avatar for Yoe Yoe says:

    Wow, its the snooping/paranoid girlfriends soon-to-be favorite app

  17. Avatar for Red Red says:

    that is, assuming people will look for you. hahaha

  18. Avatar for Angelo Panares Angelo Panares says:

    I was seriously thinking about tinkering around with this last night, but i was a bit apprehensive and the paranoid side of me won. I’ll probably wait and see how far this service will go and what comments are from the early users. But, used in the right way, I think this is a good service.

  19. Avatar for Andre Marcelo-Tanner Andre Marcelo-Tanner says:

    ayun na mas accurasate sa whereis searches

  20. Avatar for raymac raymac says:

    cool and scary!

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