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Live location sharing now available with Google Latitude!
After only 5 minutes of reading, and a quick "copy/paste" I had my Google Latitude badge up and running at www.watchmyrace.com. My Google Latitude badge is getting location information from my AT&T Blackjack with GPS. Easy!
I installed Google Latitude a couple of months ago on my phone, and was very impressed with the ability to get 13 friends sharing location information within the first 24 hours. Google reported a million using the application within days after launch. Latitude is going to be a great way for a lot of people to use and experiment with location sharing very quickly. This is because of 2 things Google has done that most of the live location broadcast applications have not:
1. With the Google Latitude badge the location sharing can be distributed quickly on blogs and social networks. This is great for athletes and fundraisers who really want to publicize what they are doing and where they are. Many of the live GPS broadcast applications available today do not enable badges or widgets.
2. The Google Latitude application can be used on so many phones in the market today. The application uses cell towers, WIFI AND GPS for location, so it is not limited to phones that also have GPS. Here is the list of phones Google is supporting:
* Android-powered devices, such as the T-Mobile G1
* iPhone and iPod touch devices (coming soon)
* most color BlackBerry devices
* most Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices
* most Symbian S60 devices (Nokia smartphones)
A word of caution, which Google correctly reinforces: Be careful with sharing your location, and MAKE SURE you want to share before you start throwing around badges that connect to your cell phone and where you are right now. Use the tools available when you DON'T WANT TO SHARE YOUR LOCATION. Google has done a great job of building privacy features and reminders into Google Latitude and the sharing badge. You can have the application "Detect your location", you can "set your location" to whatever you would like, or you can "hide your location.
"How do I get set up?", you ask. Here's how I did it:
1. Load Latitude on your phone, click here for Google's directions.
2. From the application on your phone set your privacy to "Detect your location".
3. If you haven't already, create an account and get the embed code (badge) from Google.
4. Copy and paste the embed code into your blog site or web site.
For more information check out the story from Fierce Wireless.
If you want information on other live GPS broadcasting solutions check out the reviews at http://gpsrunner.blogspot.com/
I installed Google Latitude a couple of months ago on my phone, and was very impressed with the ability to get 13 friends sharing location information within the first 24 hours. Google reported a million using the application within days after launch. Latitude is going to be a great way for a lot of people to use and experiment with location sharing very quickly. This is because of 2 things Google has done that most of the live location broadcast applications have not:
1. With the Google Latitude badge the location sharing can be distributed quickly on blogs and social networks. This is great for athletes and fundraisers who really want to publicize what they are doing and where they are. Many of the live GPS broadcast applications available today do not enable badges or widgets.
2. The Google Latitude application can be used on so many phones in the market today. The application uses cell towers, WIFI AND GPS for location, so it is not limited to phones that also have GPS. Here is the list of phones Google is supporting:
* Android-powered devices, such as the T-Mobile G1
* iPhone and iPod touch devices (coming soon)
* most color BlackBerry devices
* most Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices
* most Symbian S60 devices (Nokia smartphones)
A word of caution, which Google correctly reinforces: Be careful with sharing your location, and MAKE SURE you want to share before you start throwing around badges that connect to your cell phone and where you are right now. Use the tools available when you DON'T WANT TO SHARE YOUR LOCATION. Google has done a great job of building privacy features and reminders into Google Latitude and the sharing badge. You can have the application "Detect your location", you can "set your location" to whatever you would like, or you can "hide your location.
"How do I get set up?", you ask. Here's how I did it:
1. Load Latitude on your phone, click here for Google's directions.
2. From the application on your phone set your privacy to "Detect your location".
3. If you haven't already, create an account and get the embed code (badge) from Google.
4. Copy and paste the embed code into your blog site or web site.
For more information check out the story from Fierce Wireless.
If you want information on other live GPS broadcasting solutions check out the reviews at http://gpsrunner.blogspot.com/
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1 Comment
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Comment by Marilynn Billquist on May 7, 2009 at 6:01am - We will be watching Matt & Steph on tomorrow's celebration day! Since you will be there to personally welcome them on their completion of the race, thank them from the southwestern Florida--ARCADIA--couple! P & M
© 2009 Created by Greg Hendrickson
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