location

Google's My Location comes to Windows phones

Google has slowly been adding its location feature to Google's mobile applications. Last week, Windows Mobile phones were the latest to get the handy localization feature.

In Google's mobile maps apps, My Location appears as a blinking blue dot that shows either your approximate location, based on cell tower triangulation, or a more precise reading based on your phone's built-in GPS. The same principle now applies to search in the Google Mobile App. The blue dot will list your current location below the search box. Instead of specifying a city or zip code, you just type in … Read more

Navigon iPhone app gets more new features

For the second time in as many months, Navigon has released an update to its MobileNavigator GPS app. The big news this time? Text-to-speech.

Since MobileNavigator debuted in late July, the App Store has grown crowded with competitors, including CoPilot Live, iGo My Way, and TomTom.

But not one of them offers the coveted text-to-speech feature (yet), which announces actual street names instead of just saying "turn right ahead."

MobileNavigator 1.2.0 adds that highly desirable capability--along with a few others. A new integrated iPod control provides one-tap access to your media library. A new location-sharing feature … Read more

Can GPS help prevent another missing child?

The recent recovery of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was located 18 years after being abducted by a stranger, once again has parents thinking about how to protect their own kids. That's one of the reasons behind a growing number of child locator products that typically use GPS and a cellular device to help a parents and authorities pinpoint a missing child to within a few yards.

But before getting into the technology, here are some important statistics to put this problem into context.

Stranger abduction is rare A 2002 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice found … Read more

California data held up for Offender Locator app

Previously, after a short banishment, the Offender Locator iPhone app was back on iTunes, but without access to offender data from California.

After contacting California attorney R. Sebastian Gibson to determine whether the app breaks any California laws, ThinAir Wireless, the app's creator, submitted an updated version of Offender Locator re-enabling access to the California data well over a week ago.

In his reply, which CNET obtained Wednesday, Gibson said that Offender Locater does not break any California laws. He also disputed an early complaint about the app (shown below) that said it was not legal in California because &… Read more

Offender Locator iPhone app makes a partial comeback

After Apple'ssurprise removal from the App Store last week of a sex-offender-location app called Offender Locator, the app is back in the store again.

In an interview with Trip Wakefield of ThinAir Wireless, the maker of Offender Locator, Wakefield confirms that the app was pulled for legal reasons. According to Wakefield, ThinAir was successful in quickly contacting Apple, which had removed the app because it was possible that the app violated California law. Once ThinAir removed access to any data pertaining to the state of California from the app's database, the change took place immediately for all … Read more

Offender Locator for iPhone tracks sex offenders (review)

Editors' note: As of Thursday, August 6, the paid version of this app was pulled from the iTunes App Store by Apple, but the free version is still available.

Every neighborhood watch group and PTA parent knows that online crime statistics and sex offender databases have been available online for years. Now, Offender Locator for the iPhone or iPod Touch makes these statistics accessible via your phone. But is it useful to have this data on the go? Or does this app simply appeal to our baser fears and curiosities? We took a look at the app to find out.… Read more

GoodFood App - The Dinner Saver

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not a fan of driving around cities I'm not familiar with. My sense of direction is nearly non-extinct and I often stick to the interstate, only venturing off for gasoline and food. When I do need one of these necessities, I do my very best to get them close to an on and off ramp so I can't get lost.

Because of my fear of big city adventure, I'm often found eating fast food, and I miss out on the good eats I might be able to find just a street … Read more

Google's Location comes to iPhone's Safari

Google on Wednesday rolled out the My Location feature for Google.com on the iPhone. Now, when you visit Google.com from the Safari browser of an iPhone sporting 3.0 software, you'll be greeted with a hyperlink urging you to enable My Location.

The My Location feature, which launched for Google Maps for Mobile in 2007, traditionally smacked a blue circle in the map, indicating your rough whereabouts. Since then, it's been integrated into Google Mobile App on iPhone. On Google's iPhone search page, it pulls down your location from the cloud and returns search results … Read more

Find your friends with these services

Social networking is fun. You can communicate with friends. You can share experiences with them. And you can even plan get-togethers. But finding where they are isn't possible with most social networks. You'll need to keep sending messages back and forth to figure out where to meet up.

With the help of location-based social networks, you won't have that problem any longer. All of the following services will allow you to see where friends are at all times. The guessing game is over.

Location-based social networks

Brightkite Brightkite is a great location-based service. After you download the free app onto your mobile phone, you can start finding friends.

When you become friends with someone, you can see their location as they travel away from home. You can also find folks who are in close proximity to you to get to know them a little better. Brightkite even lets you take pictures. That picture will then be geo-tagged, so your friends can see where it was taken. Brightkite is a really nice location-based social network. And since it works on any mobile phone, the Web, and an app is available for free in the Apple App Store, it's definitely worth trying out.

Loopt Loopt is designed specifically for GPS-enabled mobile phones. When you sign up, you need to input your mobile phone number. From there, Loopt will determine your location. You can then share your location with those who request to see where you are. You can even take pictures with your mobile phone and geo-tag them.

If you don't want someone to know where you are, Loopt lets you block access to your location. It's a great privacy feature. Loopt works with practically any mobile phone. It also has an app available for the iPhone. Both versions are free.… Read more