Google Locate

Background

In the near future, wireless Internet connections will be available in most urban areas of the country.  Additionally, the wireless Internet will most likely be tethered to geographical location identification technologies.  Such an availability and a combination of the two technologies will open the doors to vast possibilities of new Internet applications.  One concept example of a possible social networking program that could exists with the availability of these technologies is a geographical location sharing chat/call application.

Google Locate

My mock up of such an application is called "Locate", created by Google.




Locate is a hybrid Text/Voice Conferencing application that shares users geographical locations.  The geographical locations of friends is used to calculate the real-time distance that separates the user from the friend.  This distance is displayed next to each friend in the main application window. Additionally the friends list can by sorted by the current distance of the users to their friends.


   

The geographical distance from the user to their friends can be displayed as a numerical value or as a description of the distance.





Friends must be added through a mutual approval process before their location information can be shared and visible to each user.



                  

Once a friend is added to a users account, a distance proximity alarm can be set for that friend's profile.  The application will alert the user if their distance to the friend becomes less than the proximity distance they set for the friend.  If the user wishes to physically locate the friend they can select the "Go to person" option which will direct the user to their friends location.