Google Latitude for iOS gets check-ins, Places boosts language support
Google updated two of its iOS applications with new features that make it easy to share and connect with your friends. Google Latitude, the social mapping application, now lets you check-in to places when you are out and about. With Latitude, you can see your friends on a map and share your location with them. Now you can use the check-in feature to help them pinpoint the exact place you stopped for happy hour. No worries if you forget to update your status as Latitude, when set to continuously monitor your location, will automatically check you out when your leave.
Similar to Foursquare and Gowalla, multiple check-ins at a location will earn you the title of Regular, VIP or Guru for the establishment as well as open up special offers. The application requires iOS 4 and is available for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and recent iPod touch models (third and fourth generation). Continuous monitoring of your location requires a mobile device with GPS.
Google Places with Hotpot was also the beneficiary of an update, which added support for 30 languages and saved places. New languages include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Polish and Russian. The point of interest finder and recommendation application lets you find restaurants, bars and other places within your immediate environment. If you locate an establishment that you wish to remember, you can use the new save feature to star this location for the future. These starred locations will sync with Google Maps (maps.google.com) and you can view your favorite places easily from a variety of devices. Google Places is Compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later.
Both Google Latitude and Google Places are available for free from the App Store.
