ReadWriteWeb

An iPhone application for Google Latitude, Google's location-based friend tracking service, was spotted last night in the Japanese iTunes App Store, thanks to a TechCrunch tipster. Shortly thereafter, the application was pulled down and is now no longer available. Obviously, Latitude's iPhone launch was a bit premature. But it's coming. Soon.

The question now is: should you use it? Or should you stick with your favorite check-in application, like Foursquare or Gowalla?

Services like Foursquare, Gowalla and others make it easy to post your physical location to the Web - but what makes people want to do that at all?

Fifteen-month-old Foursquare is adding 100,000 new users every week, and Facebook has made it clear that location is a feature it is preparing to offer soon. What's the motivation for users to register where they are in the offline world online? We asked some users of these services and found that they had varied and interesting answers.

Sure, it may be obvious to point out that location-based services (LBS) are growing in popularity and may be a great gravy train for young entrepreneurs to hop on, but the recent evolution of the platform has broadened the opportunities for startups. With the opening of Google Latitude's API earlier this week and other developments in the mobile space in recent months, the number of niches for startups to fill is quickly expanding.

Amidst the flurry of activity streaming from today's Google I/O event, the mobile team at Google has announced the launch of a free Application Programming Interface (API) for its Latitude location service. The API will allow developers to build location-aware apps that can take advantage of Latitude's "always on" location information, opening the door for unique implementations beyond the location-based check-in battle.

The reason why Steven Seagal's 80's movies lack relevance for modern day audiences is because if a group of creepy, rogue mercenaries were to abduct us now, we'd be able to ping 10 nearby friends for backup. If you're like us, you're using one or more location-based services that rely on GPS data, phone signal strength or visibility in relation to nearby wireless networks. In other words, through Twitter, Loopt, Brightkite, Foursquare or Google Latitude, your location is sitting in a database. Nonetheless, according to a recent report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, you shouldn't have to forgo your locational privacy to find nearby friends or restaurants.

Google released two new features today for its Google Latitude location-sharing service. You can now put a public location badge with your current location on your blog or web site, and you can now automatically update your Google Talk status with your current location as well. For Blogger users, Google provides a one-click install option for the public badge. Both the public badge and the Google Talk app are currently only available in the US.

Google's new geo-aware mobile application Latitude which lets you share your location with friends may have received all the hype, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best or the most innovative app out there. We've recently come across some smaller, lesser-known services that could give Google a run for their money - that is, if anyone knew they existed.

Google Latitude is out, giving your friends the ability to tell where you are (or at least where your mobile phone is) 24/7. You can, of course, opt out in whole or in part - updating your location manually, or concealing it altogether. Which should prevent certain awkward conversations ("If that's my mother, tell her I'm not here!")... but maybe at the expense of triggering others ("Exactly why weren't you on Latitude tonight while you were 'working late'?").

Where you are is as important as what you're looking for. That's why more and more services are looking to location as a filter for providing relevant information when and where we need it. So it only makes sense that Google - a company known for its ability to deliver relevant information - get into the location-aware app game. Today, they jumped in with both feet by releasing Google Latitude, a way to keep track of your friends' current whereabouts - and let Google have a view into your nomadic or sedentary habits.