Program works with wireless devices, but users must agree to monitoring
BRIAN WOMACK
Sun
SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc., owner of the world’s most popular Internet search engine, is adding a mapping feature that lets users track the locations of their friends, a bid to expand the frontier of social networking.
The Latitude program, a feature in the mobile version of Google Maps, will work with wireless devices in 27 countries, the company said Wednesday. A wife could use it to see if her husband is on the way to meet her at a restaurant. Or someone in Los Angeles might notice if a friend is visiting from New York.
“It really enables a new type of social interaction,” said Steve Lee, product manager for the mobile version of Google Maps. “It increases our user base and also increases the amount of usage per user.”
The company is counting on Google Latitude to help expand beyond Internet searches and raise its profile in social networking. Google plans to build a base of customers for the feature before it considers offering space to advertisers. The company currently gets most of its sales from text ads that run near search results.
Google Latitude uses wireless networks, the global positioning system and mobile-phone towers to pinpoint users. The service will initially be available on most Research In Motion Ltd. Black Berry phones with colour screens, as well as newer devices running Windows Mobile or some Symbian software, including Nokia Oyj smart phones.
Users can upgrade their mapping software at http:// Google. com / latitude. An Apple Inc. iPhone version also is coming “very soon,” he said.
Google isn’t the first company to try the idea. Software developers have created location tracking programs for the iPhone, for instance. Still, the popularity of Google Maps may broaden the appeal of the feature.
Latitude is an opt-in program, meaning users have to agree to be tracked by it. Google also lets people limit their location information to a city, if they’d prefer not to be watched so closely. Or they can hide their location temporarily.
Locations can be seen on mobile phones and also on personal computers via the iGoogle site, which lets users personalize their Google applications.
