New software
Parents will
soon know where their kids are on Google maps thanks to new phone software which
is about to be released.
With an upgrade to its mobile maps, Google hopes to
prove it can track people on the go as effectively as it searches for
information on the Internet. The new software dubbed "Latitude" will enable
people with mobile phones and other wireless devices to automatically share
their whereabouts with family and friends.
Google is doing its best to avoid
a backlash by requiring each user to manually turn on the tracking
software. The software puts a picture of the person on Google's map by using
mobile phone towers, global positioning systems or a Wi-Fi connection to deduce
their location.
The software will run on Blackberries and devices running on
Symbian or Windows Mobile. It will also operate on some T-1 Mobile phones
running on Google's Android software and eventually will work on Apple iPhone
and iTouch.
It is expected that the service will be used to make sure that
kids are where parents think they are.