Locating friends, family with Google Latitude Video

Locating friends, family with Google Latitude Video Transcript

>> You got to check this out this morning in the Health Watch, a Google program that keeps track of people such as your kids. Natali Del Conte, Senior Editor of our partner CNET TV has a sneak peek, good morning.

>> Good morning. You know GPS have up until now been associated with road navigation, but Google is giving the concept of GPS a new spin releasing a program just today that allows people to track each others whereabouts using just cell phones. So Google gave us an exclusive access to the program and I found a family to give it a test run. The Geller family is always on the move.

>> It's constantly a challenge to keep up with my daughters because they're always on the run, they're out with their friends, they're now in their teen years, so they have more independence.

>> This one is yours. And sometimes the parents don't know where 14-year-old Jordyn or 16-year-old Carly are hanging out.

>> We usually don't get the call or text message until later.

>> So, who better to test the new Google program called Latitude that allows users to track each other using just cell phones. It's using a combination of GPS and what's called cell tower triangulation. If they don't want you to know where they are, they can choose your name and block you.

>> Oh really?

>> We'd rather...

>> They have full control, you can't override it.

>> Oh, right.

>> What?

>> Don't tell them that.

>>Yeah. We gave them cameras to record a video diary as they tested out the new program.

>> Jordyn, do you know your Mommy is and Carly?

>> She's at the mall.

>> Which mall?

>> I don't know.

>> It looks to me like they're at the Westchester Mall.

>> And sure enough Mom was, but when Nance looks for Carly at the mall...

>> It says that she's in Harrison, New York. And she's actually never been in Harrison, New York.

>> What about keeping tabs on mom and dad?

>> It's 12:02 a.m. and I'm sitting at home waiting for my parents to come home from the city, and it said that he is swimming in the Hudson River?

>> The Gellers live in an area that has spotty cell phone receptions, so they found that when they went to more urbanized areas the accuracy of the program increased. This program can work with pretty much any phone with Internet capabilities, except the iPhone for now.

>> Except the iPhone.

>> For now.

>> Why?

>> They tell me it's coming.

>> Okay, so basically if I have what's kind of a standardized telephone plan with my family, right?

>> Right.

>> I can go on Google and download this thing.

>> You put it on top of your existing Google Maps application. You just download it into your phone and then you have to network with your friends and family and say, yes, I allow you to track me. So, right now we're tracking each other and since we're in urban Manhattan it knows where we are.

>> Right. I just blocked you.

>> You did! That's rude.

>> Alright. Natali Del Conte. Thanks very much. ^M00:02:45 [ Music ]