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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,283
30,344


Google today officially debuted its Google Latitude application on the App Store, bringing a native iOS app experience to users of the company's location-sharing service for the first time.
With Google Latitude, see where your friends are right now. Latitude lets you stay in touch with your friends and family by making it easy to share where you are and see each other on a map.

With Latitude, you can:
- See your friends on a map - find out who's nearby and meet up.
- Share your location continuously with whomever you choose - help friends and family stay in touch with you, even when you can’t take out your phone.
- Control your privacy - share only city-level location, hide your location, or turn off background updating at any time.
The application briefly went live in some countries last week, but was quickly pulled for unknown reasons. That version was labeled 1.0.0, while today's version is labeled 2.0.0.346, so perhaps a significant issue with the initial release was discovered as it was being rolled out.

Google Latitude launched in February 2009, but did not initially offer support for iPhone users. The company rolled out a web app version of Google Latitude for iPhone users in July 2009, noting that Apple had requested that Google utilize a web app rather than a native App Store app over fears that users might confuse a Google Latitude app with the built-in Maps app on iOS.

Back in September, Apple published its App Store review guidelines for the first time, increasing transparency and relaxing some of the earlier restrictions on App Store content.

Article Link: Google Latitude Comes to the App Store
 

the vj

macrumors 6502a
Nov 23, 2006
654
0
Now your jealousy girlfriend/ wife can track you. This application will become a mayor reason of brake ups/ divorces.
 

junkmail

macrumors newbie
Jun 18, 2009
21
0
battery drain

How does this app updating location in the background affect battery life? Anyone used it for a little bit yet?
 

dubnde

macrumors regular
Mar 21, 2009
166
11
UK
please just give us an update google maps navigation like the one of android and we wont trouble you anymore
 

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,620
4,590
How does this app updating location in the background affect battery life? Anyone used it for a little bit yet?

When you change cell towers, it updates the status. This functionally is built in to iOS...
 

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
The internet is certainly making too easy to invade people's privacy. Perfect way for parents to track their kids every move. :rolleyes:
 

HyperX13

macrumors 6502
Sep 3, 2009
351
7
The only people benefiting from this app will be lawyers! Divorce rate will go up!
 

danwri

macrumors newbie
Aug 27, 2009
4
0
The internet is certainly making too easy to invade people's privacy. Perfect way for parents to track their kids every move. :rolleyes:

The only people benefiting from this app will be lawyers! Divorce rate will go up!

good god... have you never heard of the privacy settings!

I'm now using this ...it's nice to track where i've been! I'm the only one who can see where i am as i've changed the settings to private!
 

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,620
4,590
The perfect burglering tool. There really is an app for that!

Don't friend buglers...

The internet is certainly making too easy to invade people's privacy. Perfect way for parents to track their kids every move. :rolleyes:

Parents do this now, every cell phone company has a paid service to allow you to track a phone...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

madina

macrumors member
Apr 13, 2007
32
0
England
W

Stalkers will like this ...but then so wont the FBI/US Government??? I do hope Google are able to prevent handing over this very sensitive and personal information.
 

Roessnakhan

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2007
3,518
510
ABQ
Stalkers will like this ...but then so wont the FBI/US Government??? I do hope Google are able to prevent handing over this very sensitive and personal information.

They already do.

For all the people saying this is good for stalkers, parents, burglars - you realize you have to authorize someone to see your location, right? And you can even set how specific the location detail they get is (best available, city-level, or hide).
 

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
good god... have you never heard of the privacy settings!

I'm now using this ...it's nice to track where i've been! I'm the only one who can see where i am as i've changed the settings to private!

Yeah, try explaining to your parents that you "accidentally" turned on the privacy feature. Parents buy their kids phones for one reason, to keep up with them. Parents will now force their kids to have this app installed and keep it turned on. Some kids DO need to be watched based on their behavior but this type of app will just make it easier to micromanage children when they are outside of the home. :p
 

shartypants

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
922
60
Not sure I want my position known, although might be helpful for meeting up with someone. I wonder if Google will put out an SDK to allow app developers to build it into their apps as well.
 

shen

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2003
390
0
Once again the forum regulars prove themselves to be forward looking and posative. :rolleyes:

Let's see, shopping at the local outdoor mall, no need to have a meeting time and place yet the kids can shop on their own. Noticing a close friend is at the coffee shop round the corner and saying hi. Not needing to interfer with my wifes calls and still being able to see how close she is to home so dinner can be hot and ready....

Maybe if you guys weren't all dishonest kids that hide from your parents, or cheating spouses, or criminals in training, you could think of posative uses!

Pathetic.
 

rwilliams

macrumors 68040
Apr 8, 2009
3,740
1,006
Raleigh, NC
Nice app, but I'm still a bit weirded out by all of these location apps. If I want to hang out with someone, I'll just call them and ask to hang. It strikes me as odd that people will find a friend's location using something like Foursquare and then just show up unannounced.
 

justgeig

macrumors member
May 17, 2010
34
13
I love seeing more Google apps in the app store. I don't use them all but I love seeing the fact that the new transparency is allowing some more quality apps into the store.
 

pacohaas

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2006
516
3
agree with you shen.

Would have been much more useful if they had introduced the app alongside iOS 4 multitasking support. Now the adoption rate of Latitude is pretty bad and services like this don't work if only a handful of your friends use it.
 
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