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California court says cops need warrants to get phone location data
A number of states already have laws preventing the police from snooping on your phone's location history without a warrant, but they just got another big boost from a court ruling. A California-based federal judge has determined that cops need those warrants because you have a reasonable expectation that your position data will remain private, even if it's vague info like the whereabouts of cell towers you've used. Cellphones can follow you anywhere and transmit a lot of information, the judge says. That location data may reveal much more about your life than you'd willingly share, especially at home and other private places where you have plenty of constitutional protections.
Glympse for Auto shares your car's location without distractions
You no longer have to fiddle with your smartphone (or an in-car interface) to share your location while on the road. Glympse has trotted out Glympse for Auto, an Android app that lets you send your position with a minimum of distractions. You only have to tell it who can see your whereabouts and for how long using a big, car-friendly interface -- after that, you're free to focus on driving. It'll even show up on your infotainment display if you're using either Pioneer's AppRadio 3 or MirrorLink-equipped cars from Volkswagen and Peugeot (more in-car systems will work soon, Glympse says). While this hands-off approach won't get you home any faster, it should spare you from taking risks just to prove that you're still stuck in traffic.
Ad outlet tries using drones to track your phone's location
Irked that advertisers are already trying to pinpoint your phone's location? It might be even harder to escape their grasp if AdNear is successful. The ad intelligence group is experimenting with location-tracking drones that profile audiences in harder-to-reach areas (say, field concerts or pedestrian-only urban areas) by triangulating cellular and WiFi signals. In theory, this will help merchants find ways to attract you when you're walking by.
Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones
It's fairly easy to locate friends and family if you have an Android or iOS device, but finding your pals with a Windows phone? Not so much, unless you come across the right third-party apps. That may not be a big challenge for much longer. Spanish site Microsoft Place has detailed an as yet unreleased service, People Sense, that will let you share and track locations with other Windows phone owners. The basic concept is familiar if you've seen Apple's Find My Friends, but there's a stronger emphasis on reaching out -- you can call or message contacts in-app, and even get directions if you'd like to meet face to face. People Sense is still in private beta testing (it's listed as "Buddy Aware" at the moment) and has no clear release date, but it won't be surprising if the software plays a role in Windows 10.
WiFi Map uses community power to share network passwords
WiFi Map is a crowdsourced tool for finding all of the Wi-Fi hotspots in your area as well as the passwords to certain security-protected networks. Anyone in the area is able to comment on a WiFi network and leave the password for others to use, plus WiFi Map lets you save these in a collection so you never forget them. Contribute to the community too by adding Wi-Fi networks you're connected to that aren't publicly listed. The app is free for iOS, though there is a Pro version that sells for US$4.99. Both require iOS 7.0 or later. The days of unlimited data plans are just about over. Instead, we all have to face the reality of data caps. A solid Wi-Fi connection helps soothe that pain though, since none of your data usage over Wi-Fi counts toward your carrier usage. As an added bonus, Wi-Fi is typically faster than cellular networks, though the gap between the two continues to shrink. Finding a hotspot isn't always so easy though. WiFi Map intelligently lists all of the Wi-Fi networks in your area by distance from your current location. These networks include public or private. Public networks, like say Wi-Fi at a McDonald's, are more clearly labeled and often don't require a password. Private ones are only added by someone connected to that network, so fear not: your privacy should not be in danger. However, being that WiFi Map is crowdsourced, many of the listed networks are user submitted. These appear as a custom name determined by the user often include comments revealing the password if needed. There's no verification system so whether the password is true or not depends on the reliability of the commenter, but it does no harm to try them. WiFi Map also conveniently tells you the address of the location nearby, so if you desperately need a connection you know exactly where to find one. Although, don't let yourself get too desperate because the app itself requires some sort of Internet connection to pull up the list of networks. The pro version, which is a separate app for $4.99, allows for saving of your favorite network names and passwords to access offline. It also lists full details of networks beyond a one mile radius unlike its free counterpart. Of course, WiFi Map wouldn't be complete without a map. It acts just like any other one on iOS - markers scattered around your area to pinpoint the locations of Wi-Fi networks. If you live in an urban area, chances are it's harder to efficiently navigate using the map because there are so many Wi-Fi networks that the map is just cluttered when zoomed out. Using the map alone might work better in suburban areas. The app also has a handy search feature for finding Wi-Fi based on the type of venue giving out a signal - arguably the best feature to quickly check if your destination can grant you temporary relief from the physical and emotional pain that result from a glance at your phone bill. WiFi Map is undoubtedly practical for travelers and in general a nice tool for just about anyone to have, especially those with low-end data plans. The $4.99 price point of the pro version is a bit too steep, but I suspect the free version offers enough for the average user anyway. Both WiFi Map and WiFi Map Pro are available universally for iOS.
Police think Waze's traffic app puts officers in danger
You may use Google's Waze app primarily to avoid traffic jams and watch out for speed cameras, but some American police see it as a threat -- and they want Google to do something about it. Officers speaking to the Associated Press believe that Waze's police finding feature, which is mainly meant to warn about speed traps, makes it too easy for would-be cop killers to find targets. These critics hope to muster support from law enforcement groups and push Google into disabling the feature so that it's not relatively trivial to "stalk" uniformed people from a phone.
Location-sharing Waldo takes different approach from Swarm
Many have tried pushing location-sharing services to the mainstream and pretty much all attempts have failed. Almost on the brink of true success, Foursquare and Swarm arguably has yet to capture the interest of the masses. Even Apple tried with Find My Friends and didn't get very far with it. Armed with a slightly different approach to sharing location, Waldo emphasizes a mixture of both location and photo sharing that's more direct with friends than merely broadcasting where you are. The social networking app is free for iPhone, requiring iOS 7.0 or later. Despite taking a unique approach to location-sharing, it appears Waldo at least took a glance at Foursquare - especially the new redesign - and used it as a foundation. The design structure is reminiscent of Foursquare's while the color scheme seems to take a page from Swarm's book. Straight out of the gate, Waldo wants to use your location in the background and send you push notifications. These are crucial to the functionality of the app. The app uses your location in the background because it's constantly monitoring your location for sharing. In fact, when you open the app after the initial setup, it asks you to specify what type of location you're at: home, work, school, etc. At the top of the app is a placeholder for an image. Eventually, that'll become whatever image you snap with your camera. This is because on top of just mindlessly sharing your location with friends, Waldo encourages sharing images so your friends know about your travels and get to paint a picture of what you're up to. If you tap this area, the app takes a photo and keeps it as a header image of sorts. Waldo also includes optional auto-upload, but that's prone to backfire. These photos are also used as the backgrounds for each your friends listed in the app, which are sorted by the most recently active. Three gestures dominate these tiles and most of the interactivity that takes place within Waldo. Swiping left on someone's name sends your location directly to them, swiping right sends them a request to update their location and tapping and holding on the name sends an "a-okay" (read: like) on the status. It's an interesting concept and ensures socialization within the app instead of just relying on background location sharing, which is essentially what Swarm does. None of my friends were on Waldo already. If this is the case, the app asks you to select some of your top friends and it cleverly displays them. If you try to interact with them (like send or request locations) it sends an invite via text message to get them to join. I found this out when my friend sent me a screenshot asking "Uh, what is this?" Waldo is basically like Swarm, but with more and arguably better features.It ditches the egocentric stamps in favor of actual human interaction with peers. Plus it does so with solid design and minimal effort on the end user's part, so long as you don't mind the background location draining your battery a tad more. Waldo just needs to recruit some tastemakers to use the app and get everyone else on board. If you want to be one of them, download the iPhone app for free.
Geocannon lets you travel anywhere and conquer the city
You can conquer the world if you try hard enough. I'm sure some adult told you that at one point when you were younger. It seems like kind of a stretch though, doesn't it? Well, conquering the physical world is probably best left off your bucket list. It might be nice to conquer the world in virtual form instead. That's cool, right? Less casualties, too. With Geocannon, that power is in your hands. Pick any location on Earth and battle it out with other players on a real map to claim that area as your own. The game is free with in-app purchases for iPhone and iPad. Did you know that every single city in the world is actually covered with giant crates? It's true, well, at least in the game of Geocannon. These crates are the secret to slowly but surely conquering the world. Visit any city and Geocannon loads a 3D version of its satellite imagery as a playing field. The technology is just mind-blowing. Being able to visit any city in the world alone is just stunning already, but add a gaming layer to that and the concept gets slightly better. Your initial weapons are just a magnet and a bomb. Crates are scattered all around the territory. Launch the magnet (green) to collect as many of these crates together as possible. Then tap the pin to switch from the magnet to the bomb (red) and destroy them. The more you're able to bomb in one shot, the higher your score is. Geocannon plays online or offline, but offline is boring. When you log in with Facebook, you battle against every other Geocannon player to own that city. Whoever scores the most points during their short visit in that city claims ownership. It's also important to monitor your "geopower" which is basically a number representing how likely you are to score well relative to other locations. Your geopower is at its greatest when you're closest to your current location. It's wise to start off playing in cities nearby to strengthen your abilities and geopower, then expand outward. When you get to level three, you unlock another important weapon: black hole. This acts like the magnet by gathering crates wherever you launch it, but takes the functionality a step further by sucking them up and dumping them right where you place your pin. That, as well as the ability to move your pin around the city, are two free upgrades. Other upgrades are available for in-app purchases of US$0.99 and up. They mostly just enhance what is already possible though. It took me a little bit to really get into this game, but it has a very peculiar charm to it. The game isn't even in my preferred genre, but there's no denying that visiting cities all around the world and earning points is entertaining. Collecting crates and bombing them also has a soothing effect too, almost a stress reliever. My one real gripe with Geocannon is it takes too long to level up. I've been playing for days and own multiple cities, yet I'm still on level one. It's kind of disheartening. Geocannon is free with in-app purchases and is universal for iOS devices.
Hangouts for iOS now shows your Google Voice messages
If you rely on your iPhone for Google Voice, Hangouts just became much, much more useful. As on Android, the messaging app's iOS version now shows your Google Voice texts and voicemail -- you won't have to switch apps just because you're embroiled in an online conversation. There are a few tangible upgrades even if you live well outside of Google Voice's service area, for that matter. You now get smart suggestions for sharing your location when it's relevant, and you can set status messages if you're eager to let everyone know what you're doing. All told, it's easily worth swinging by the App Store for an update.
Twitter may tap Foursquare to make location more relevant in tweets
Twitter's been focused quite a bit on mainstream appeal over the past few years -- often to the point of ignoring aspects of its platform that sorely need some updating. Take the way Twitter handles location: You can manually add where you're tweeting from, but that data doesn't yet serve much of a purpose. That could all change next year, though. Twitter is reportedly planning to take advantage of Foursquare's treasure trove of location data to add some much-needed context to your posts, according to Business Insider. For example, when you tweet about visiting a new city or restaurant, you could automatically get some recommendations of other places to visit, or some tips on what's hot on the menu. And yes, you may even get to check in right from Twitter.
Snapchat now lets users submit their own location-based photo filters
Remember when Snapchat launched its peculiar geofilters earlier this year? Yeah, we scarcely do either - you could only add those location-sensitive photo effects in a smattering of special locales, so there's a decent shot you've never even had the chance to try them. Now the wildly popular messaging startup is trying to make those things a touch more accessible by letting users like you and me create and share our own geofilters (...once the company signs off on them, anyway).
AT&T's latest smartwatch for kids is both easier and tougher
Your kids may be too young to put a Moto 360 or Pebble on their wrists, but that doesn't mean they'll have to go without a smartwatch. AT&T is now selling the FiLIP 2, an upgraded version of last year's hybrid kid locator and wrist-worn phone. The new version is easier for parents to set up through mobile apps and better suited to real-world use. The screen has been toughened up to survive some roughhousing at the playground, and the wristband is now both more comfortable and adjustable; your children won't have to stop using the watch just because they've had a growth spurt. If you're anxious about your young ones' safety, you can snag the FiLIP 2 for $100 ($150 after the holidays) plus $10 per month to add the wristwear to your phone plan.
Check out HelloTel when you check in to your hotel
HelloTel is a brand new social networking app. This app allows users to "check-in" to a hotel much like a user would check-in on location based apps like Foursquare. The user is then also able to see nearby users who have checked into their hotel as well as nearby hotels. It requires iOS 6.0 or later and is compatible with iPod touch, iPad, and optimized for iPhone 5. Once a user has checked-in, they can message others and give them "kudos", which I guess is just a positive quick way to say you like their profile. I think I might be one of the very few female users currently on this app because I instantly was swamped with messages and kudos. Users can also add you to their favorites list. HelloTel is a very easy platform for meeting people if you are from out of town and traveling alone. You might want to have a quick drink to pass the time the night before an important business function or other purposeful visit. There is also an option for a user to indicate that they are on the app for business. Truthfully I don't see people using this app for business because the design has more of a dating app feel and the content that people can put in their profile is all personal. The social aspect of the app is quite appealing though. The interface design is reminiscent of Tinder, without the option to swipe left or right on a user. I like the basic white/teal color palate. The hotel themed icons - such as the bellhop - are really cute. It's easy to navigate from tab to tab and to message other users. Users have the option to add photos of their stay and to post a status about the hotel. Setting up my profile only took a minute and finding other nearby users to message was simple and straight forward. I will probably use HelloTel next time I am traveling alone and looking to socialize with other hotel visitors. Sometimes it's fun to meet a new person to have a drink at the hotel bar and check out an indoor pool with, and it's probably much safer to do this with a person who is staying in the same place you are, versus a random person from a bar or another dating app. I recommend HelloTel for people who travel often and are looking for a social media app that can allow them to meet people where they are instead of staying in their hotel room all alone. Chances are, getting out and meeting people will be much more fun than any of the premium movies you can order from your hotel room TV.
Apple launches Maps Connect to let businesses add details to their Maps listing
Apple Maps has experienced some growing pains over the years, but with time the app has become a useful GPS solution. Of course there's always room for improvement, which is why Apple has launched Maps Connect. Maps Connect is a new service for small business owners who want to add more information to their Apple Maps listings, or change details that are out of date. Users can login to the site using their Apple ID and update or change their business's information for free. You can include your business' address, hours of operation, links to your social media pages, and even your Yelp page. Once you update your information a verification code is sent via telephone. A source at Apple has told Search Engine Land businesses would also be able to verify their information using an email connected to their business website in the future. Their source also said that updates and new listings could take up to a week to show up on the service. Apple is also using the service to promote their iBeacon technology. When you login to the service you'll see a drop down menu in the upper left side of the screen. This allows you to specify if your business is indoor or a store front. If you select "Indoor" it shows you the following screen. Apple is prioritizing access to the service to larger venues currently. Here's what the sign up process looks like. You can sign your business up right now by heading over to MapsConnect.Apple.com.
iOS 8's privacy notification not sitting well with some developers
Along with the more headline-grabbing feature additions to iOS 8, Apple tweaked a few smaller items such as the way users are alerted to each app's use of location data. That change isn't going over well with some developers who feel that the alerts can create anxiety and shake the trust of the user without reason. When an app that uses location data needs to keep its information up to date in the background, a new notification alerts the user to this fact, asking if background location tracking is ok or not. "It sounds like a confusing and almost nefarious thing," Runkeeper's Max Freiert explained to The Information, suggesting that the wording and timing of the pop-up might cause unnecessary alarm. In the end, it's up to the user to know what is happening on their device, and in an age where privacy and personal security is everyone's top priority, it's a good thing that users are alerted to an app tracking their location. However, with so few words to work with in a relatively small notification window, I can certainly see how the message could be misconstrued and feel more like a dire warning than a simple reminder. Many apps already include their own pop-ups that explain why the phone is about to ask for a permission before it actually does, allowing the developer a chance to put the user's mind at ease ahead of time. That may be the best solution in this case, as privacy alerts are certainly not going to be going away any time soon.
iOS 8's WiFi location privacy isn't as powerful as you might think
If you were hoping that iOS 8's ability to hide your device ID from nearby WiFi networks would render you invisible to nosy hotspot operators, you'll want to dial back your expectations a bit. AirTight Networks' Bhupinder Misra has found that Apple's hardware address randomization only kicks in under a very narrow set of circumstances. You not only have to put your device to sleep and turn off location services, you have to turn off cellular data as well -- in short, your iPhone has to become a paperweight. Even then, the masking only appears to work with iOS devices using at least an A7 processor, like the iPhone 5s.
Glympse's Android keyboard lets you share your location from any app
It's not hard to share your whereabouts from your phone, but you usually have to dive into specific apps to do it; what if your friends on a new social network want to know that you're nearby? That's when Glympse's new Keyboard app for Android may come to the rescue. So long as you have the regular Glympse on your phone, the input method lets you share your location through virtually any app. If there's a text box, you can probably let others know where you are. You don't have to give up keyboards like SwiftKey or Swype, either, since there's a Quick Send mode that gets out of your way as soon as you're done. Glympse Keyboard isn't going to be as sophisticated as apps that have position sharing built-in, but its sheer ubiquity could help the next time you're meeting your friends for a night on the town.
Skype on Windows Phone now lets you share where you are
Out on the town with your Lumia and eager to hook up with friends? It shouldn't be too hard to socialize after today. Skype has upgraded its Windows Phone app with a location sharing feature that lets you send your position to whoever you're chatting with, making it a bit easier to meet at the pub. The update is potentially important if your pals are overly talkative, too, since you can switch off notifications for individual conversations. Map sharing certainly isn't a new concept in the smartphone world, but it's hard to knock something that could liven up an otherwise dull weekend.
iOS 8 Messages app feature: Sending and sharing your location
iOS 8 is getting closer every day. For those of us who have been using the developer betas for the past several months, it's been fun to see the glitches being worked out, watch performance getting better, and to start making use of the new features. Over the past several days we've looked at the new iOS 8 Messages app features, which include both audio and video messages that you can record and send with simple gestures. Now let's look at another feature of Messages -- the ability to share your location with others. When you're in a conversation with one or more people in iOS 8 Messages, you may decide to share your location. It's fast and easy to do! At the top of the conversation screen, just to the right of the name or address of the person or group you're conversing with, you'll find a Details link. Tap on it, and part way down on the Details page you'll find two more links -- Send My Current Location and Share My Location. The first time you tap one of these, you'll be asked if you wish to allow Messages to access your location while you use the app. You'll have to tap Allow in order to send your location. Tapping Send My Current Location sends a short visual message showing a thumbnail map with a pin highlighting your current whereabouts. The recipient can tap on that thumbnail to open Maps and view more detailed information about the location or get directions to there. Share My Location is a bit different. Tapping on this link displays a pop-up with four different choices: Share for One Hour, Share Until End of Day, Share Indefinitely, or Cancel. What's nice about this is that you can share your location for a very short amount of time -- perfect for those situations where you want someone to join you, but not necessarily to know where you are all the time -- or share your location all the time. The latter situation might be useful for parents who want a location for their kids at all times. Before you use Share My Location, you'll need to enable the capability in Settings > iCloud > Share My Location. Now when you choose Share My Location, no message is actually sent. Instead, if the recipient of your message taps the Details link, they see a map showing a little face icon at your location. Think of it as "Find My Friends", but through Messages -- an app that most people use. Sending your location to a friend using an iOS 7 device works as well -- they'll receive the same map thumbnail along with the nifty link to the Maps app. However, on a Mac running OS X Mavericks, they'll see just the thumbnail map with a pin in it. It's even more strange in OS X Yosemite Developer Beta 7 -- it sends a contact card with your location and does not display the map. I guess that's why they call it a beta...
Yelp escapes extortion lawsuit unscathed, except for its reputation
For years, businesses have accused Yelp of running an extortion racket. If companies refused to pay for ads, Yelp would allegedly pull down some of their positive reviews (and wreck sales) until they gave in. Well, those accusations don't appear to hold much legal water; an appeals court has upheld a California judge's dismissal of a 2010 class action lawsuit that claimed Yelp was committing civil extortion. Needless to say, the recommendation service is ecstatic. It cites the ruling as proof that the shops simply had an "axe to grind" and were either trying to "draw attention away" from bad reviews or else prop up review manipulation schemes.