Google launches friend finder app Google Latitude

04 Feb 2009

Google Latitude is Google's new friend finder application in its maps for mobile available immediately in 27 countries and 42 languages across a wide range of mobile platforms.

Only requiring a Google account to sign in, users can easily invite friends from an existing list oft contacts or by entering their email address. Furthermore, Latitude is integrated with Google instant messaging service, Google Talk, as well as iGoogle, a personalized Google web page.

For Latitude, Google uses its geolocation web service, MyLocation, which blends GPS and Wi-Fi (if available on the phone) and Cell-iD. On The PC screen (iGoogle) the location can also be updated via Wi-Fi posiitoning.

In order to overrule the privacy concerns, Google has been working hard on its privacy settings offering a wide choice to broadcast the location. It can be set up in automatic mode with the most accurate location, manually, limited to a city level or completely disabled; each of these choices can be defined for a particular friend. In addition to that, friends can of course be banned from the whole application.

According to Google, only the last location sent to Latitude - either automatically updated or manually entered - is stored in their servers.