Loopt strikes deal with AT&T for background monitoring on iPhone
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 4th 2009 4:42PM
posted September 4th 2009 4:42PM
Well, it's not quite the sort of background application that most folks have been hoping for on the iPhone, but Loopt has nonetheless scored something of a first for its location-based iPhone app. As Silicon Alley Insider reports, the company has struck a deal directly with AT&T that'll let it monitor your location whenever you have a network connection, regardless of whether you have the Loopt app open or not. That, as you might have surmised, is done entirely on a server-to-server basis, and it'll initially be made available as a part of free 14-trial program limited to 5,000 users, after which it'll run them and everyone else $3.99 a month (added to your AT&T bill). Feeling lucky (or quick)? You can put your name and number into the hat by hitting up the appropriate read link below.
Read - Loopt Always-On Location Trial Sign-up
Read - Silicon Alley Insider, "Loopt Location To Update In The Background On iPhone"
[Via MacRumors]
Read - Loopt Always-On Location Trial Sign-up
Read - Silicon Alley Insider, "Loopt Location To Update In The Background On iPhone"
[Via MacRumors]
Right, genius. Because there aren't millions of black spanish or Portuguese speaking people in Cuba, DR, PR, Colombia, Venzeula, or Brazil. Spot-on observation.
Not with iPhones.
att apple and the iphone show their weakness once again. The most expensive cellphone plan on Earth, and they still find a way to charge the sheeple who own one. And they will pay, most likely.
Agreed
Land of the free, home of no privacy
Most willingly give away their privacy now anyway. Gotta stay connected and have everyone know what you're doing every minute of every day.
There's not enough tin foil on the planet to protect us now....
Nor enough to fashion the required headgear of the paranoid conspiracy theory nutjobs who troll the comments.
I think you just completely failed to understand.
Um. Loopt isn't forcing you chodes to subscribe. Why are you bitching? Let the fools who want to be tagged like dogs get it. Let them pay the $3.99 to be monitored. I just don't see why you people are complaining.. It's funny. It seems like you all just want to bitch about AT&T and any topic will do, even if it doesn't apply to you.
@TZK: Genious! My Verizon bill for my Storm was equal in price for 700 mins, unlmited data and unlmitied SMS (family plan). I guess you're wrong about AT&T being most expensive....
No we're bitching because we're already paying $30 a month for unlimited Internet... now somehow they want to charge us $3.99 for something that should be free.
Corporate America. Bitch.
I've never used Loopt. As someone else mentioned, can you login to Loopt.com and see the location of your own device? If I wanted this only to track my own phone, and not send updates about my location to anyone else, is that possible? I don't care to know who's around me or provide that information to others. But I would like to be able to locate my phone if it's lost or stolen. Or do I have to share my location with at least one friend, and then ask them to find the location?
and to think... if you could run apps in the background on the ihone you could do this without having to pay monthly... in truth all smarthphones suck, thats why im waiting :)
Have any of you procreated? I'd pay way more than $4 to keep tabs on my 15 year old, extremely gullible daughter.
You do realize that your comment just intrigued a large portion of Engadget commenters, right?
Sooo... your saying nothing is keeping track of her now? BRB I have to go spraypaint "free-candy" on the side of my van...
In all seriousness though, I agree with your theory, but anyone who wants to try to track down someone *without* their knowledge should be shot. If your daughter is okay with this, though I would imagine not, that's entirely fine, and there are several other options you can look for. Try googling cat tracker.
When I have kids, I'll always know where they are, which is where they belong. Tied up and locked in the basement.
Deep down I'm actually pretty sane, don't let my comments fool you. But using technology in place of traditional supervision is not acceptable in my view, watch your kids, beat them when they deserve it (and not just because you were almost drunk and they spilled your beer), and praise them when they deserve it. I guarantee you take her to watch one natural (pain killer free) birth and she will keep a nickel between her knees 'till 30 :)
Tell me more about her Jake.
Does she even have a jake? Oh, and what's a jake?
And what will happen the next?Like in China - convicted to die must pay for the bullet - we will have to pay for chip implemented in our foreheads:full&total control!
or you could just get loopt and background it with backgrounder then its free :)
No integration with facebook? Isn't this a time saver for people to no longer type "... is now at work.", "... is now at home.", "... is now in the bathroom"....
This sounds extremely undesirable.