Google has finally released the latest in their mapping arsenal: Latitude, a free service that allows you to map the location of your friends around town. Latitude is opt-in and can be shut off at any time, but when the tracking device is on, it can zero in on your exact local within 500 meters -- sometimes as close as 10. Latitude is configured for 27 countries, on BlackBerries, Nokia Smartphones, and T-Mobile G1 phones, with versions coming soon for the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
While this technology sounds cool, really, it’s opening the door to a dark, dark space. Do you want your boyfriend/girlfriend knowing where you are at all times? What happens if you refuse to turn on your tracking device? I’ll tell you what happens: a fight. There is however, a loophole. It seems you can overwrite your own location, effectively lying about your location, which also sounds like a dubious ethical road. If you want to throw caution to the wind, download here. Or if you’d rather just look and not touch, check out the video here.
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