Apple's New 'Find My Friends' is a Scary, Yet Practical GPS-Based App
Omar Yusuf — October 13, 2011 — Tech
Launched well ahead of schedule and ahead of the iCloud's release, Apple's new 'Find My Friends' app does precisely what its name implies: identify the exact GPS co-ordinates of your closest friends and relatives.
Whereas prior GPS applications would either broadcast your location as scheduled updates or whenever you renewed your Facebook status, the 'Find My Friends' app perpetually announces your current co-ordinates as you go about your business. For added privacy, users can select chunks of time to go off the grid -- during Happy Hour, for instance, you wouldn't want your professor discovering you're at the local bar instead of in a class tutorial. Personally, I place a degree of value on chance and serendipity, though it would be foolish to ignore the utility of this application. Finally, having the infamous "Where you at?" conversation will be a thing of the past.
Whereas prior GPS applications would either broadcast your location as scheduled updates or whenever you renewed your Facebook status, the 'Find My Friends' app perpetually announces your current co-ordinates as you go about your business. For added privacy, users can select chunks of time to go off the grid -- during Happy Hour, for instance, you wouldn't want your professor discovering you're at the local bar instead of in a class tutorial. Personally, I place a degree of value on chance and serendipity, though it would be foolish to ignore the utility of this application. Finally, having the infamous "Where you at?" conversation will be a thing of the past.
Trend Themes
1. Perpetual GPS Tracking - Apple's Find My Friends app features perpetual GPS tracking of friends and family for added convenience and safety.
2. Privacy Management Tools - Find My Friends allows users to manage their privacy by selecting when they go off the grid, creating opportunities for innovative privacy management tools.
3. Chance Enhancement Services - Chance and serendipity become valuable services in response to the convenience provided by Find My Friends.
Industry Implications
1. Mobile Apps - Find My Friends is an example of how mobile apps can enhance safety and convenience, providing opportunities for further innovation.
2. Privacy Software - Possible further development of apps like Find My Friends could involve privacy-centric software to balance convenience with user safety.
3. Social Networking - Developments in social networking might explore ways to use geo-tracking to enhance social experiences, creating entirely new platforms for social discovery and connection.
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