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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,290
30,376



010021-findfriends.jpg


Some further digging into the newly released iOS 4.3 developer build has revealed settings for a new feature called "Find My Friends". The strings are associated with the Settings app and is related to "MobileMe". The obvious interpretation is that Apple may be looking to offer a location-based friend-finding service like Loopt.

Services like Loopt allow you to find your friends who near you at any given time by leveraging your mobile phone's GPS signal. The constant updates can broadcast your location to your friends to know who is nearby. Obviously, these sort of systems are opt-in only, but shows what Apple maybe up to in fleshing out their MobileMe service. Steve Jobs wrote in an email in December that the MobileMe service will get "a lot better in 2011".

Location-based services have seen incredible growth and interest in the recent years, with several companies like Twitter and Facebook offering location-based features.

Article Link: New iOS Feature Coming: 'Find My Friends'
 

levitynyc

macrumors 65816
Aug 19, 2006
1,123
3,704
How am I supposed to cheat on my wife then? :)

Thats a pretty cool feature so I could track where my delivery guys are to make sure they are not somewhere they aren't supposed to be.

I'd imagine if I was still in high school, or college and actually had friends, this would be a blast.
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,725
267
San Francisco, CA
I still think it would be nice if members of a MobileMe Family Pack could locate each other (with permission, of course). Seems like a very obvious missing feature, especially given the existence of the 'Find My iPhone' iPhone app.

But locating friends would certainly be... interesting. Don't think I'd be signing up, though.
 

Fraaaa

macrumors 65816
Mar 22, 2010
1,081
0
London, UK
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

JAT said:
Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

There is another feature called "Find new friends."
 

BlueRevolution

macrumors 603
Jul 26, 2004
6,054
2
Montreal, QC
Ah, the greatest innovation in stalking since the homing beacon. It's everywhere now!

A member of the Tunisian Pirate Party was arrested and subsequently beaten in detention after being located… via Foursquare. Turns out authoritarian dictatorships don't like people challenging their authority.

I know I don't have to use it, but this stuff still scares the hell out of me.
 
Last edited:

the vj

macrumors 6502a
Nov 23, 2006
654
0
Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

This application is for people who loose their friends, like in a party. :rolleyes:

If you do not have any friends? I do no... ask Steve.
 

fox10078

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2009
467
86
This application is for people who loose their friends, like in a party. :rolleyes:

If you do not have any friends? I do no... ask Steve.

Yes, I've been to many festivals and concerts where this would have been so nice to have.
 

cocky jeremy

macrumors 603
Jul 12, 2008
6,075
6,280
So. Lets take bets. How long until Apple gets sued because the crazy ex-bf kills his ex? lol.
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
This feature will serve two important functions:

1) In California, you can always find your friends at a party
2) In Soviet Russia, Party finds YOU !!
 
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