Find your friends anytime via GPS

Forget the feds – from today you will be able to locate any of your friends at any time, provided they have subscribed to the Mapmates service

Forget the feds – from today you will be able to locate any of your friends at any time, provided they have subscribed to the Mapmates service via their mobile phone.

The new technology, developed by a local Dad, Michael Robson, allows friends, family members and workmates to find one another on a map using the GPS navigation systems in their mobile phones.

The idea for the service – which was some 14 months in the planning stage – first came to Robson after watching his teenage sons spend over an hour planning a nights activities by surfing the net (on sites like facebook and myspace) and phoning around to friends.
Robson, thought to himself that there must be a simpler way and the kernel of an idea for the Mapmates service sprang to mind….Cut to several months later after talks with a number of programmers and Mapmates was born

The service works on a fairly simple premise. Once two users have accepted one another as “mates”, they can view each other’s most recently updated location on the Mapmates website or through an application on their phone. The idea itself is not a new one – similar mobile services are currently on offer in the US and Europe, but Robson believes his Mapmates is the most accurate.

Mapmates is a Java application suitable for any GPS-enabled mobile phone with internet access. Users must download and install the program on their phone, and register their details with Mapmates to use the service. Once set up, the Mapmates program sends your location co-ordinates to its web servers, and your location can be accessed by registered users you have allowed to see your details. Likewise, you can see their locations.

Thus you can find friends by looking online (their location will be pinpointed on a Google Map) or you can have the map sent to your mobile phone. Users have the option as to how often their location is updated and can also nominate times that you are visible/invisible to friends.

“I’m already getting feedback from parents who say they want that to track their kids.” Says Robson.

Source: News.com.au

Source: News.com.au