Online giant Google has released a feature that will make it easier for mobile phone users to share their whereabouts with friends and family. The tool, called Google Latitude, is an enhancement to the search engine's existing Google Maps feature for mobile and iGoogle, a personalised search service.
While the feature will not tell chosen contacts exactly where an individual may be at any given time, it will give users a rough idea of the person's location. To participate in the service, users must invite friends to join Google Latitude; once they have accepted, their profile picture will appear on a map on your mobile device or desktop PC.
Directions to their location can also be obtained. Developers have been at pains to stress that the feature is an "opt-in" service, and users will also be able to hide their location by adjusting their privacy settings. Hugo Barra, group product manager for Google Mobile, told The Telegraph: "We believe this is the kind of technology that will allow people to meet up more spontaneously with people they happen to be around. It's a very intuitive service."
Google Latitude is available in 27 countries - including the USA, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Australia, Poland, China and India - and in 42 languages. It's also available on a wide range of smartphone devices, including the T-Mobile G1 (and future Android handset releases), most BlackBerry devices, many Window Mobile 5.0+ handsets, Apple's iPhone and Nokia smartphones that run on Symbian S60.
Online users that utilise iGoogle.com are able to access the service too.
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