Where am I now? Who's asking?

Latitude is nice, but its a little barebones.

Friendview is excellent, but maybe 50 people total use it. It really needs to be cross platform with an open API to take off. Optimally, it would be integrated with Ovi Chat.

Jaiku would have been great if GPS location was integrated.

I'd love to see a Facebook app. Hopefully someone comes along and makes one.

I think the only way real-time positioning is going to gain any traction, is for it to be introduced to social networking services with existing popularity (e.g. Facebook). I'm a keen Google Maps user, and have experimented with Latitude, but the only friend I know who is also set up with Latitude, is like me a bit of a 'techie'.

The only way I can see mobile positioning working with non-technical users, is to have native, positioning-aware clients for the various platforms (Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc.), which integrate so seamlessly with the relevant service(s) that the average user doesn't have to think about setup issues.

There are obvious privacy issues with this, which is one reason why I don't think positioning services like Latitude will be mainstream for a long time to come, if ever. It also doesn't help that the current generation of phones (like my N95) just can't handle the power requirements - if I leave Latitude running, I'd have a flat battery within three hours (and I've tried this).

BTW: I second the request for a native S60 Facebook client (though I understand the developer of Gravity is working on FB compatibility as we speak)...

I dont like the thought of losing my privacy. I mean, I am not up to any mischief, but I am not comfortable with ppl (even the close ones) knowing where I am all the time. If I want to tell, I will if they ask. But voluntarily, I do not want to divulge details on where I am to all. I am sure there are many others that agree with this thought and it could be one of the reasons why it may have failed.

Good article Steve. I took agree that these are great apps but it is hard as hell to get people to use them not to mention that leaving these apps running all day will kill your battery faster than a cat can lick its butt. 😊 I have tried to get some of my friends to install friend view and a few did, used it for about 3 days and then forgot it. I think a better system would be is if there were some one to set up a filter where your location is sent to a server and your friends received an SMS when your position changed drastically or if you wanted to send out a broadcast sms which would then give the option to start the mo-lo-so application whereby the user could then interact.

As for FB. Talk about a privacy invasion.

I was also excited about Google Latitude, but it wouldn't automatically restart when the phone was restarted....big mistake since I turn my phone off every night. It was too much trouble.

I read that this has changed with the latest release, so perhaps I'll give it another go, or try friend view a try.

With Latitude, the "only geeks know about it" excuse can be dismissed because for two or three days it was big news in the British press. All negative!

The scaremongering was misplaced as only people you WANT to see you could. But on reflection there was no one I wanted to see my location, and on speaking to friends, they didn't WANT to know where I was. All my interactions with people are based on email or text communications and a mutual agreement to meet in a set place. Be it professional or social, until I get there, all you need to know is I know the time and the place and I'm on my way.

I think mobile LBS will start to gain traction, but not from broadcasting your position a la Latitude (initially). Take the new Palm Pre � one of the features that has been discussed goes like this:

1) You�re driving to a meeting, but you�re late
2) Your Pre knows your position and speed from your GPS, and time from the clock
3) It calculates you can�t make the meeting that�s in your Calendar
4) It automatically emails the attendees to say you�re going to be late

Detailed here: http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=3833

That sort of thing doesn�t have privacy implications that people will be concerned about with Latitude, but it does show how using location and other data can provide an incredibly useful, joined-up experience. From this, I think acceptance of services whereby you broadcast your location, will grow.

Cheers
Matt

Another excellent article! I thought about the same thing recently:
Even if all your friends would be geeks (more than 95% are only
using their phone as a phone and the occasional SMS text), there
are too many services with location awareness: twitter clients,
Aka-Aki.com, Lokalisten.de here in Germany, and so on. Facebook
will also integrate it in their iPhone client, too, I'm sure.

Same problem as with the "social network" software thing:
how many accounts do you need? or instant messaging, there
are far too many different products...

mattrad wrote:
1) You�re driving to a meeting, but you�re late
2) Your Pre knows your position and speed from your GPS, and time from the clock
3) It calculates you can�t make the meeting that�s in your Calendar
4) It automatically emails the attendees to say you�re going to be late

Detailed here: http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=3833

That sort of thing doesn�t have privacy implications...

Yeah, but I want that to be MY call! I don't want my phone doing calculations on my speed...what if I'm speeding? What if I made an unscheduled stop to pick up flowers and my phone interpreted that as me being stopped in traffic and informs my date I'm about to stand her up? I could be in a taxi that's stuck in traffic and get out because It'd be quicker on foot...yet people already think I'm going to be late despite the fact I COULD make it on foot.

For me it's a solution LOOKING for a problem to solve. The technology works...it's not a proof of concept thing, it's just the practicalities of it are just not sound.

"it's a solution LOOKING for a problem to solve"

I couldn't agree more.

If you have really obsessive friends, who have unlimited data bundles, have network coverage, have GPS signal, and all use the same system... well then it might work as a concept

Why take the social interaction (ie calling someone who lives/works nearby) out of a process designed to improve social interaction?

I really like the insight that says that no-one cares where you are now. they only care about where you are going to be. our agenda is much more interesting than our location.

we can already share our calendars pretty easily but most of us don't. even though that is the more interesting bit of information than where we are now. fascinating. maybe our calendars should tie to addresses and maps too?

nice article and the thinking about sharing our future agendas is very clear-headed.

I really don't want others knowing where I am at any given time during the day. And, if they do really need to know, then they can just give me a call and ask me, and I'll tell them if I feel it's appropriate. As for as where my friends might be, I don't really care.

About the only people that I can think of that would find such tracking useful would be teens and 20-somethings who are really into socializing - they could use the software to hook up at those oh-so-secret raves they like to go to. *wink* Also, certain transport companies might find it useful as well.

Dr Tran wrote: I'd love to see a Facebook app. Hopefully someone comes along and makes one.

I have been using Pocket Life at pocketlife.com for quite a while now - it is still in 'beta', but the concept is great! They have a facebook application, check out the details on their blog site.

it seems you need to refresh your location feed from pocketlife to facebook every 7 days or so at a minimum for security purposes. worth a try

I guess whoever goes completely open source including the server structure and how data is stored (or NOT stored) will become a hit.

Companies expect users really trust them, especially Google while it is not the case.