SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc., owner
of the world’s most popular Internet search engine, is adding a mapping feature
that lets users track the locations of their friends, a bid to expand the
frontier of social networking.
The Latitude program, a feature in
the mobile version of Google Maps, will work with wireless devices in 27
countries, the company said Wednesday. A wife could use it to see if her husband
is on the way to meet her at a restaurant. Or someone in Los
Angeles might notice if a friend is
visiting from New
York.
“It really enables a new type of
social interaction,” said Steve Lee, product manager for the mobile version of
Google Maps. “It increases our user base and also increases the amount of usage
per user.”
The company is counting on Google
Latitude to help expand beyond Internet searches and raise its profile in social
networking. Google plans to build a base of customers for the feature before it
considers offering space to advertisers. The company currently gets most of its
sales from text ads that run near search results.
Google Latitude uses wireless
networks, the global positioning system and mobile-phone towers to pinpoint
users. The service will initially be available on most Research In Motion Ltd. Black Berry phones with colour screens, as well as newer devices running Windows
Mobile or some Symbian software, including Nokia Oyj smart phones.
Users can upgrade their mapping
software at http:// Google. com / latitude. An Apple
Inc. iPhone version also is coming “very soon,” he
said.
Google isn’t the first company to
try the idea. Software developers have created location tracking programs for
the iPhone, for instance. Still, the popularity of Google
Maps may broaden the appeal of the feature.
Latitude is an opt-in program,
meaning users have to agree to be tracked by it. Google also lets people limit
their location information to a city, if they’d prefer not to be watched so
closely. Or they can hide their location temporarily.
Locations can be
seen on mobile phones and also on personal
computers via the iGoogle site, which lets users
personalize their Google applications.