Anyone know if Google Maps needs to be running for others to see you? How does that effect your memory? Does having the GPS on all the time drain the battery faster?

Its freakin sweet, I just got it yesterday, and came here to post about it, but saw this review post!

Its fan-freaking-tastic so far. I've been looking for something so i can see where all my friends are at and this finally does it!

@SmoothRT: This is google maps, and latitude is just a service you can join from it. Most phones have the GPS on all the time so you won't notice much battery drain.

No clue if you need to leave it running for others to see you or not, I'd imagine you probably do but can't confirm yet as i haven't left the house.

Seems to be well written being from Google and isn't using a ton of memory at the moment either.

freakin sweet

GPS & GMM still no workie on my VZW Curve 8330.. :( So not Latitude for me.. :(

I'm downloading the new version now. This should be fun to play with. I like how with My Location you don't even need to select a starting point when getting getting directions cause it already knows where you are!

While the whole concept of this seems pretty cool, and I can see the uses...this is how I see it ending up.

Girlfriend: Hey, where are you? Can you come over for a second?
Me: Uh, I'm on the complete opposite side of town, I'm sorry baby.
Girlfriend: Your latitude says that you are three streets over...
--
Me: Hey bossman, I'm not going to be able to come into work today. I'm at home sick.
Boss: Really. Your latitude says you are sitting at the beach right now...

Also...on the download site for the new Google Maps 3.0 it says you don't even need GPS to be tracked...

Doesn't seem to work on the Storm.

It works for the Storm with the inaccuracies of GPS tracking that existed before. It currently shows my location within 2400 meters of where I actually am. To Josh's point, cool technology doesn't help you stay off the grid. One feature though allows you to mask where you are by selecting a location from the map...so you could mark yourself at home (if you remember to do so) and head to the beach or golf course with only the fear of a sunburn giving away your true location the next day.

One other observaion, when you exit the program, it gives you the option to continue sharing or not....

Does Google have something against the Storm? I mean, did the Storm team sh!t in Google's Cheerio bowl?!? I don't for a minute believe the explanation given up by Thom from Google.

GPS will still not work if your using a Verizon blackberry. The Cell "triangulation" (I'm sure it's only using one tower for me so I don't know how they call that a tri-angle) still works good though.

This is so cool, I was considering writing a program that did something similar. Of course, I need to switch to AT&T first if I actually want to use it...

Verizon will be loosing me due to this one fact...

That is not cool at all. Why would you want someone to know where you are at all times?
Plus it's stalkeresque if you feel you NEED to know where your friends are at all times.

Works on my Storm with 800 meter accuracy. Sad :(

When you log out of Google Maps/Latitude, it asks if you'd like to "Exit and Continue to Share (your location)" or "Exit and Suspend Sharing". My question is this, if you choose to continue sharing your location, does the app continue to invoke your GPS or does it just use the approximate radio location? Good question considering the fact that most of us live and die by our battery life.

Tried looking on the Google FAQs, but not much help.

Thanks!

I'll be downloading this app today and see how it is!! It sure looks FANTASTIC - MIND BLASTING!@

There's about 156 replies about the topic "Google Maps GPS and Blackberry Storm" over at Google Mobile Help. You'll find Thom, a Google employee reiterate over and over that they're working on allowing landscape mode as well as allowing GMM to use the internal GPS.

Read more about it here: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=777251d49...

this is a really slick addition, but what happened to Street view??

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

privacy issues?

violence?

abuse?

Hacking?

the list may continue..

but still cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!

seriously? no storm love? this is such crap!

Google has told us Storm users that they were working on a fix for the storm... I don't get this I use GPS on 6 other apps (BB Maps, Garmin, Nav4All, Weather Bug,Trapster and GPS Tracker) and all work fine but still Google Maps doesn't work using GPS (I know I can use Cell triangulation) come it cant be that hard.

Downloaded it and it works awesome. It doesn't use GPS from what I understand it uses only the radio signal. You can only track or be tracked by people you allow to see you. This means your friends have to have google maps and a google account to join also. If you log out of latitude and suspend sharing it stops so it won't drain your battery this way, however I notice some slight battery draining if you stay logged into latitude all day because it constantly updates the location of you and your friends.

It would be pretty sick to be at a bar or something in Boston and look down at your phone see what bars your your friends are at. Imagine how useful it would be to get everyone together after work or something?

ADDED BONUS: If someone steals my coveted Storm, I can log into iGoogle and see where my phone is. Well unless they are smart enough to stop sharing its location or they shut it off. Scratch that, without GPS It would be only within 2200 meters anyway.

Still Cool I'm Getting It.

Way too many privacy issues for me.

No storm love but no iPhone love yet either

GPS still doesn't work on the Storm with Google Maps.

Good article on it:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_GOOGLE_PEOPLE_TRACKER?SITE=MA...

When I went to upgrade my second BB I noticed they already had an update up for Latitude. It's now at 3.0.1

go to manage connections> mobile networks> network selection>gsm.
after turning on your gps, go back to google maps, and this will show you how verizon locked the gpa since they dont want to gie the unlock code to google!!!great work verizon!! keep it up (n)

OK, so I set up an account on google, downloaded he app, but everytime i enter my login info, i just get an error saying login failed. Anyone had this issue?

This is a nice application, I just wish Brightkite would have released a Blackberry application!
http://www.brightkite.com .
Brightkite is kind of similar but allows you to post photos, notes, update Flickr/Facebook/twitter all from within.

It is really, really, really neat but they just dont have a Blackberry application!

I'm frustrated because to get exposure these companies must realise that they have to make their application available to the masses first, so that means, Symbian, WM, Blackberry applications before Android and iPhone - which is exactly what google have done.

C'mon BK guys get a damn app out for Blackberry :)

I have a storm. It is showing me 2.5 hours away!

Why would anyone want to track their friends or be tracked by anyone this way. If you want to know where i am ASK ME

As was mentioned before if you open google maps and then go back and set the phone to GSM then poof your GPS activates and you're pinpointed.

I think we should start to bring this to Verizon and start filing as many formal complaints that they block this as possible. The more entries we get into the database the better. The more we get service reps talking about this the better. People talking if there are enough of them gets around.

We need to tell them that we've tried VZNavigator and its not what we want. Google Maps is a better fit for what we want and we're not willing to pay for VZNavigator.

It may also be a good idea to state if you were in need of turn by turn directions that you'd still buy it to compliment Google Maps.

Which ever of these two stories that you feel will do better PLEASE call and tell the VZW reps that you want google maps to work for you.

Don't just call once! Make sure you get them to formally log your complaint into their system.

First they don't tell you that keep track of EVERY google search you have ever done.
Now they now keep track of you and all your friends 24/7??
Are they turning into the American KGB???

this is pretty cool haha. my friend just got it and so did i. next thing u know i cud see where he was hahhaha..kinda stalkerish but its still really cool =D

who cares about latitude i want gps support for my storm. another dissapointless release thanks google

working perfect on mine

I have wi-fi and email but no data plan. I can get app to download but when I run it hangs up and won't start. not sure why I need data plan to make it work. Does anyone know if I do need data plan.

please help i can't or i don't know how to install google latitude on my blackberry pearl 8100... i go on to google.com/latitude on my phone and sends me to a page that shows a logo of google latitude and says VISIT NOW

there is no place for me to select download or anything! HELP PLEASE!