Google Latitude

[phazey]

Just been playing with this - pretty good so far (using the igoogle version)

[Guest Bellini]

The only problem I have is that in Italy the mobile data packages are rather expensive, not like in Thailand where DTAC charged me only 35 Baht per day for single days, a little cheaper for a monthly package.

Let's say I have a dinner appointment with some friends and we all switch on Google Latitude, GPRS and GPS on our mobiles. There is a traffic jam, some people get delayed, and those already in the restaurant can follow the progress of the others on their mobiles.

Let's say you run a trucking business and you can see on your computer screen where your vehicles are at any given moment, if the drivers have Latitude and GPS switched on on their mobiles

Without GPS, Google Latitude uses mobile cell information to give an approximate location.

[webfact]

IMHO it is quite a privacy threatening software. Is it 100% guaranteed data can not be tracked by other parties at the same time, like friendly governments or state agencies? Ok, the user can at least decide to turn off or on but if I take a look at this invention I remember George Orwell. "Big brother is watching you" - even if you don't know about it.

[Guest Bellini]

If you want a 100% guarantee then Google Latitude is probably not for you. I know very little about mobile telephone communication but I believe anything I transmit over my mobile phone -- phone calls, SMS, MMS, data via GPRS/EDGE -- can be tracked by a government or state agency if they want to. The same goes, incidentally, for my use of the Internet.

But if I want a friend to see my location on Google Latitude I have to send him an invitation, he gets an email, and he has to click on a link in it. After that, we can see each other's location.

[Digitalbanana]

Just been playing with this - pretty good so far (using the igoogle version)

But if one tries to use it in Thailand it doesn't work... interesting their web site shows a Thai map, but no access to any Thai phone system

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

[Guest Bellini]

But if one tries to use it in Thailand it doesn't work... interesting their web site shows a Thai map, but no access to any Thai phone system

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

I have seen it used in Thailand last December on a G1 phone with a "DTAC happy" pre-paid SIM. On the web page to which you linked I see no limitation regarding mobile phone providers in Thailand. The limitation is on the mobile phones, not the carriers (mobile phone service providers); not all phone models can handle Google Latitude.

[CDNinKS]

But if one tries to use it in Thailand it doesn't work... interesting their web site shows a Thai map, but no access to any Thai phone system

I think what he is referring to is the drop down menu for sending an invite to someone. No Thailand listed. This has no effect on downloading the program or using it in Thailand. I just installed it in my Nokia 6210 Navigator and it works just fine. Shows me a fair distance from my actual location until I activate GPS, then the location is spot on.

What an amazing piece of kit!!

[webfact]

But if one tries to use it in Thailand it doesn't work... interesting their web site shows a Thai map, but no access to any Thai phone system

I think what he is referring to is the drop down menu for sending an invite to someone. No Thailand listed. This has no effect on downloading the program or using it in Thailand. I just installed it in my Nokia 6210 Navigator and it works just fine. Shows me a fair distance from my actual location until I activate GPS, then the location is spot on.

What an amazing piece of kit!!

Yes indeed an it works - at least on my phone. But how can I get those maps in English? Now the street names/locations are written in Thai. If I switch to Nokia maps, its in English.

Can't find any hint how to tell Google "I can't read Thai and need the map displayed in English language" ?

Advise is appreciated.

[Guest Bellini]

My phone model can't use it, so I only use it with iGoogle on the computer. Here, the map data is in English and Thai. You'd think that Google would use the same map on the mobile phones but perhaps it's not quite so simple. If they had to choose between only Thai and only English it is understandable that they would choose Thai.

The road signs outside the major tourist areas are probably all in Thai, anyway, and this way you can compare the hieroglyphs on the signs with those on your phone

Hopefully, though, the maps for the mobile phone will also be made bilingual before long, or give the option to switch between languages. It would be nice.

Edited February 25, 2010 by Maestro

[Guest Bellini]

I think what he is referring to is the drop down menu for sending an invite to someone. No Thailand listed. This has no effect on downloading the program or using it in Thailand. I just installed it in my Nokia 6210 Navigator and it works just fine.

How did you install it then on your phone? Is there a guide for it on a website?

Shows me a fair distance from my actual location until I activate GPS, then the location is spot on.

What an amazing piece of kit!!

Perhaps that's why Google did not include Thailand in the list of countries to which a download link can be sent to the phone. Not enough cell data yet, which would disappoint users, ie a user might get disappointed with the imprecise location on Google Latitude and by extension think less well of other Google applications. Just my thought.

[britmaveric]

Nice tool to track your teerak from a far for those that need it!!

[webfact]

I think what he is referring to is the drop down menu for sending an invite to someone. No Thailand listed. This has no effect on downloading the program or using it in Thailand. I just installed it in my Nokia 6210 Navigator and it works just fine.

How did you install it then on your phone? Is there a guide for it on a website?

Shows me a fair distance from my actual location until I activate GPS, then the location is spot on.

What an amazing piece of kit!!

Perhaps that's why Google did not include Thailand in the list of countries to which a download link can be sent to the phone. Not enough cell data yet, which would disappoint users, ie a user might get disappointed with the imprecise location on Google Latitude and by extension think less well of other Google applications. Just my thought.

How did you install it then on your phone? Is there a guide for it on a website?

Use your phones web browser and type http://google.com/latitude

It then will download and install the program to your phone.

Google Latitude is a feature of Google Maps for mobile on these phones:

* Android-powered devices, such as the T-Mobile G1

* iPhone and iPod touch devices (coming soon)

* most color BlackBerry devices

* most Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices

* most Symbian S60 devices (Nokia smartphones)

* many Java-enabled (J2ME) mobile phones, such as Sony Ericsson devices (coming soon)

[humarkus]

Yes indeed an it works - at least on my phone. But how can I get those maps in English? Now the street names/locations are written in Thai. If I switch to Nokia maps, its in English.

Can't find any hint how to tell Google "I can't read Thai and need the map displayed in English language" ?

Advise is appreciated.

Google have added English labels to Thailand (in map view) for mobile maps. There's no need to download a new version of Google Maps Mobile, the current version with Latitude automatically downloads the new map data.

[Digitalbanana]

Use your phones web browser and type http://google.com/latitude

* most Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices

When I type in the url above to my Windows Mobile 5.0+ mobile browser it just loads a java version of Google Maps in my browser (Opera 9.5), and all I see is maps, like I can already see with my already installed PPC version of Google Maps- no mention of Latitude anywhere. Am I missing something?

Edited February 25, 2009 by Digitalbanana

[webfact]

Use your phones web browser and type http://google.com/latitude

* most Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices

When I type in the url above to my Windows Mobile 5.0+ mobile browser it just loads a java version of Google Maps in my browser (Opera 9.5), and all I see is maps, like I can already see with my already installed PPC version of Google Maps- no mention of Latitude anywhere. Am I missing something?

Your phone can receive the GPS satellite signal?

[Crushdepth]

IMHO it is quite a privacy threatening software. Is it 100% guaranteed data can not be tracked by other parties at the same time, like friendly governments or state agencies? Ok, the user can at least decide to turn off or on but if I take a look at this invention I remember George Orwell. "Big brother is watching you" - even if you don't know about it.

Unfortunately, governments can get tracking data off phone companies directly. For example, the Australian government is currently trying to sneak through some legislation that will allow law enforcement agencies to request tracking info without a warrant or judicial oversight.

Gives me the creeps. If they needed a warrant I wouldn't care, but without judicial oversight this is going to be abused for sure.

[Guest Bellini]

Your phone can receive the GPS satellite signal?

You don't need a GPS capable phone to use Google Maps and Google Latitude, which from the post of humarkus I understand to be some sort of add-in for Google Maps. Without GPS, cell phone locations are used to calculate an approximate location for you, ie a location within a certain range.

Digitalbanana, my old phone model cannot handle Google Maps and therefore I cannot help you. Perhaps the OP will be so kind as to give you step by step instructions. And even if I had a phone that could use Google maps I would be reluctant to use it for that because of the high cost of GPRS in Italy.

[Digitalbanana]

Your phone can receive the GPS satellite signal?

You don't need a GPS capable phone to use Google Maps and Google Latitude, which from the post of humarkus I understand to be some sort of add-in for Google Maps. Without GPS, cell phone locations are used to calculate an approximate location for you, ie a location within a certain range.

Digitalbanana, my old phone model cannot handle Google Maps and therefore I cannot help you. Perhaps the OP will be so kind as to give you step by step instructions. And even if I had a phone that could use Google maps I would be reluctant to use it for that because of the high cost of GPRS in Italy.

Thanks to various replies. I retried the google.com/latitude url on my Pocket PC phone after reinstalling Opera 9.5 and this time the web/java version of maps did not appear on screen and I was taken to a download link for latest PPC version 3 of Google Maps that I installed (previously I had an older version). With this version 3 there is an option for Latitude on the menu, and it appears to work ok in Thailand as long as I have GPS turned on. With no GPS it cannot locate me by the GSM location services, presumably because my Happy Dtac account is not compatible.

[Guest Bellini]

I'm sure Happy DTAC is compatible but Google probably has no or insufficient cell tower location data for your area. Go around with GPS switched on for a few days, then try it again without GPS and see if there is a difference. If you're on an unlimited GPRS data package it is best to leave GPS on all the time (except that it drains the battery faster, I guess)

Edited February 27, 2009 by Bellini

[Digitalbanana]

Yes, you are right. Happy DTAC did fix me once or twice during day on Latitude so it does work, but mostly it didn't work. I am in the business district of Bangkok so cell coverage must be as good as it gets. I got a fix on Rama4 road and Victory, but in Central World couldn't locate at all.

[Guest Bellini]

I believe Google gets cell location data from users like you who walk go around with My Location, Latitude and GPS switched on, not directly from the mobile network companies.

[Digitalbanana]

Thanks for feedback. I found further summary on how Latitude works here http://preview.tinyurl.com/d5faw9 and like you said it seems to be a combination of GPS, cell phone towers and also Wi-fi bases collected by users of Latitude and not related to telephone providers directly. Basically Google uses a database of Wi-Fi AP and mobile phone tower locations which I guess improves over time as more users log on.

Edited March 1, 2009 by Digitalbanana