Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • IT Management
    • Mobile

    Google Latitude Check-ins Rival Foursquare, Facebook

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    February 4, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Google Feb. 1 added check-in functionality to its Google Latitude application, allowing the service’s users to connect their location with specific places on Google Maps from their mobile phones.

      Google launched Latitude in February 2009 as a Google Maps feature that lets users see the approximate location of friends who opt to share their location. The company later added Location History and Location Alerts, real-time updates and desktop accessibility.

      Now Google has taken a page from the books of Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places and other location-based social services by allowing users to “check in” to a restaurant, shop or some other location from their mobile phone.

      Google offers screen shots of this new utility, which is completely opt-in, here.

      To distinguish itself from Foursquare and Facebook a bit, Google is allowing users to turn on the option to automatically check in and check out of specific places.

      Users may also turn on check-in notifications to receive an alert to check in at a nearby place when they arrive. The idea is to solve the all-too-common problem of forgetting to check in.

      Because Latitude is built into Google Maps for Android, users will see Google Place pages, or local business listings, filled with reviews of locations they pop into visit.

      Google also apes Foursquare’s game mechanics a bit. When users check into a favorite place, they can become a Regular, a VIP or a Guru on a Place page.

      The launch of Google Latitude check-ins is tinged with a measure of irony considering that Foursquare CEO and founder Dennis Crowley left Google to create his new service after the search engine bought his previous startup Dodgeball and let it go to pot.

      Interestingly, despite Latitude’s limited functionality to this point, it already has 10 million active users, while Foursquare only has 6 million. Adding check-ins could boost the user quotient for Latitude.

      Indeed, some experts believe standalone check-in services such as Foursquare and Gowalla might become obsolete in the shadow of the bigger platforms offered by Google and Facebook, which has 600 million-plus users.

      To access check-ins via Latitude, users must download the latest Google Maps 5.1 for Android from Android Market and then join Latitude from the main menu.

      Google Latitude for iPhone users will be able to see their friends’ check-ins but can’t yet check in there themselves, though Google is working on this.

      Clint Boulton

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×