iPhone Safari to Support Geolocation, Google Latitude Demoed

[5855997]

I can't believe how careless Apple has become. Every few days a new tidbit is released about the upcoming iPhone. It's as though Steve Jobs himself is providing tips to rumor sites.

Or maybe they really do. I would.

 

[ale4529]

what else is new?

ComputerWorld points out a little publicized fact that iPhone 3.0's Safari browser will support Geolocation services. This means that websites will be able to request your current location (if you give them permission). This certainly hasn't been a secret to developers who were notified by Apple in March of the support:The possibilities, however, came to the forefront last week when Google demoed (via SlashGear) their Latitude location service on the iPhone through a web browser alone.

Google said they will be launching the Latitude website for iPhone after the 3.0 OS is released.


Article Link: iPhone Safari to Support Geolocation, Google Latitude Demoed

ya this isn't creepy..... i tell ya- the world today has become very scary

 

[rwskemer]

You can kind of make Latitude its own app my pushing the "+" button on the website and making it have a home-icon...

I'm wondering though.. Once you leave the browser, it is no longer tracking you, right? I would think probably not...

I was thinking the same thing. If you're in Safari, using Google Latitude, would you still be able to track your friends with their iPhones if they weren't within Safari running Google Latitude themselves? If it's only working when you use Safari, this would defeat the entire purpose of Google Latitude, as it works on other GPS enabled phones. It must be able to run in the background someway.

 

[kdarling]

I was thinking the same thing. If you're in Safari, using Google Latitude, would you still be able to track your friends with their iPhones if they weren't within Safari running Google Latitude themselves? If it's only working when you use Safari, this would defeat the entire purpose of Google Latitude, as it works on other GPS enabled phones. It must be able to run in the background someway.

Correct: you can only track other iPhones that are sitting actively on the Latitude website. Makes it only useful if you contact everyone and tell them to drop everything and go online.

It runs in the background on other phones. That's why Google refused to add it as an app to the iPhone, opting for a website instead.

 

[davidwarren]

ComputerWorld points out a little publicized fact that iPhone 3.0's Safari browser will support Geolocation services. This means that websites will be able to request your current location (if you give them permission). This certainly hasn't been a secret to developers who were notified by Apple in March of the support:The possibilities, however, came to the forefront last week when Google demoed (via SlashGear) their Latitude location service on the iPhone through a web browser alone.

Google said they will be launching the Latitude website for iPhone after the 3.0 OS is released.


Article Link: iPhone Safari to Support Geolocation, Google Latitude Demoed

does the Google Latitude page pull up your current location for the first image? Or does everyone see downtown Louisville? There is a marker right where I am......

 

[rwskemer]

Correct: you can only track other iPhones that are sitting actively on the Latitude website. Makes it only useful if you contact everyone and tell them to drop everything and go online.

It runs in the background on other phones. That's why Google refused to add it as an app to the iPhone, opting for a website instead.

So Google Latitude on the iPhone is pretty much just like Loopt except it'll provide real time GPS data if the iPhones are on the Latitude website. Very disappointing. I was hoping if the 3.0 OS allowed the user to specify certain apps to run in the background, this could have been one that I'd allow.

 

[vvebsta]

does this have anything to do with that live street view? where they point the camera at the street and it shows you the names of streets and buildings???

 

[kdarling]

does this have anything to do with that live street view? where they point the camera at the street and it shows you the names of streets and buildings???

That's something the compass gives the ability for. Otherwise a phone app wouldn't know which way you were facing.

Interesting question though: do the geolocation APIs for Safari web pages include compass info?