Google relaunches location sharing technology
Google has recently relaunched its location sharing app, which allows friends and family to see where you are in “real time”, but also enables users to “share” their location if needed by sending a message to alert them through the app.
Available on both Android and iOS, the technology was previously launched as Google Latitude, but was quickly scrapped due to the market’s concerns surrounding privacy back in 2009. Utilising GPS, which is now embedded within all smartphones, the technology will now be competing with other tech giants, such as Apple’s ‘Find my friends’ technology, which locates where family and friends are through the same source.
However, privacy concerns have been rectified, as users will have to grant permission for others to see where they are, and can set the time in which the sharing technology will remain activated. If left on continuously, Google will notify the user every couple of weeks to remind them that this has remained on.
In addition, the technology will also enable users to gain directions to various destinations and find nearby places of interest, such as restaurants, successfully enabling the planning of a number of itineraries.
