Google Latitude? Fun techno gadget or scary stalker tool

Paul in Cannon Beach

If you haven't heard yet, Google unveiled "Latitude" yesterday which is a free mobile service which lets you see where your friends are. The idea is that you have friends and that they want to know where you are at any given moment.

I of course signed up immediately. I can now see right where I am. I havent added anybody yet though. I dont think it will work on my daughter's cell phone but you betcha I am going to try.

How about you guys? You could literally have your big brother know where you are.

plynnl

I can't wait to try it on my husband. I have always wanted to know his every move! (Not really)

Paul in Cannon Beach

I dont know if it works on EVERY cell phone or not... Are you going to tell him about it first?

plynnl

Of course not. Let him be surprised when I show up somewhere he didn't expect me to be.

NaeNae55

Paul, I am so glad to see you back here. I was really starting to worry about you. Between all the bad weather and the massive layoffs someone being quiet for a week or so can be scary.

I tried this, but put my hubby's number in instead of mine. Oops. When I went back it said it was unavailable. I guess I'll try again later.


Nae

Paul in Cannon Beach

Thanks Nae! Everything is A-OK here. Just extremely busy. Its our summer staff recruiting season so I am either on the road or doing double duty while our HR administrator is traveling.

I signed up for Latitude. I cant help myself. I am such a tech nerd. I just dont know anyone else thats on it so I am just stalking myself right now.

I plan to put it on my daughters cell phone but I dont think hers is supported. We'll see.

ACU Frank

I already have a similar service through Sprint that lets everyone in my family track everyone else in my family. It works pretty well.

KSR6450

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-06-09 AT 01:18PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Oh no, another way for my mother to track wherever I go... x:-(

Paul in Cannon Beach

well, as it turns out the program only works on certain phones, you have to have a data plan, and you can change your location so it looks like you are somewhere else.

I'll have to check out Franks option.

ACU Frank

The Sprint service is called "Family Locator". It's only good on the phones in your calling plan, and it's $5 a month. You can also set it to alert you when one of the phones arrives at a certain location. So I set it to let me know when my daughter is back to her dorm after a weekend visit home. Sure, she COULD just call to let me know, but I think most of us have probably been down that road with our teens.

KSR6450

I am with another carrier and would love to have that service. I have scoured the non-user friendly webpage of AT&T and cannot find where that is an option they provide. Does anyone know? My nephew seems to think staying out all night and not checking in is an appropriate behavior; but didn't we all - when we were young (and foolish).

Paul in Cannon Beach

So I a still the only person I know who has Google Latitude installed on their phone. Its been fun tracking myself.

I was going to delete it but then I thought, if my phone gets stolen, this could come in handy.

NaeNae55

I installed it, enjoyed it for a few minutes and then went on to something else. The next day I had to reinstall it to find myself (I am NOT kidding), and no one else showed up on the map. It is not working again. I think I must have done something wrong. #-o I know, I know, big surprise.

ACU Frank

Or, if you terminate the wrong employee, your family will know which landfill to look for you in.



(Ignoring the very real possibility that your body would be dumped into the ocean, where the salt water would render Google Latitude useless... Because I want this to be a positive post!)

Paul in Cannon Beach

Hey Nae, can I stalk you? Seriously! I just want to see somebody show up on my little screen other than myself.

I wont drive by your house at night.

Much.