Google Maps for Mobile had launched a location-sharing portion a few months ago called Latitude, which, despite its socially creepy connotations, actually helped a San Francisco resident get her purse back from dastardly thieves. Janina Valiente’s BlackBerry Bold had Google Maps installed and was happily tucked away in the purse when a man took it and ran for the hills. After calling up her sister, who had permission to see her Latitude position, police were able to track down and apprehend the crook. Besides being a feel-good story that gives due credit to the awesomeness of location-based services, a lot of folks are still skeptical about making their exact wherabouts known to anyone or anything. The fact is, Latitude, and most (if not all) LBS services, gives you full privacy control. Hopefully this story is just one of many examples to come of how GPS is shaping mobility. Check out the full story on CBS.
[via TechCrunch]