The Eagle has landed, people. Google Latitude looks like it’s back in the App Store, and hopefully for good this time. If you’ve not used it, Google Latitude allows you to broadcast your current location to a selected group of friends, so that they can track you at all times know where you are. It’s useful if you’re meeting up with people and want to know how far away that last straggler is, or to brag to your friends that you’re on vacation in the Bahamas while they’re freezing in a snowy winter wonderland. Privacy settings allow you to choose exactly who you are sharing your location with.
Latitude is not new, but it seems to fly under the radar for most people. While not as popular as Foursquare or Gowalla, Latitude offers real-time location broadcasting, without having to check in to any particular venue. Previously you could only use Latitude via a web app, which was helpful but required you to be in the app in order for it to update. The new Google Latitude app will update in the background, even when the app is closed or the screen is locked. One thing to be aware of is the impact on battery life, as having your location continuously broadcast can seriously reduce how much time you get from a charge. You can also view your Latitude friends on your computer, letting you see where they are before you head out. To meet them. Socially.
So if you want to play your own real life game of Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, now you have the perfect tool for it. Just don’t do anything illegal, ok? Because we’ll know where you are.
Article ia Engadget
Photo Credit: Google
