Just when you thought the Google announcements were over, MG Siegler over at TechCrunch reports that Google Latitude is now available in the Japanese App Store. After skimming through the comments other users in Australia and even the US have found that the app is also available in those regions. Google Latitude essentially allows Google to track your location almost in real-time so that you can share it with your friends or those you specifically choose. This makes it easy to meet up with friends and see if they are nearby.
A quick review of the Latitude App page on the App store lists the following features:
- See your friends on a map, who’s nearby.
- Share your location continuously with specific indviduals.
- Control your privacy.
The app uses iOS 4 background location services to continue running even if the application is closed. It requires and iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 running iOS 4 or above for background tracking.
I wish that Google would have somehow bundled this with a Maps App for the iPhone, this would eliminate the need to jump between apps when using location services. Look at what Facebook did with their app. What do you think?
