A New York based start-up Mapfia, Inc. have cracked the nut on LBS app's privacy issue. Mapfia's app for iPhone and Android phones lets users make free "map calls" to see each other's real time location. Its patented technology allows users to share location by simply making a phone call, and once you hang up, that's it! It only shares your location privately while you are on the call. Mapfia also integrates seamlessly with users' existing address books and does not require a PIN or username. Because of its private and temporary nature, Mapfia is especially useful for people who are constantly meeting up with others, such as college students, salespeople, real estate brokers, or even taxi drivers. And also for those who frequently want to know each other's location but still want to control when to share their location information.
Among the challenges for this vision: the name of the app.
Facebook did some location analysis of check-in and determined the "most social places" around the world.
Among the no. 1 ranked landmarks across the 25 cities:
- 7 are sports stadiums/arenas
- 6 are public areas: squares/avenues/parks/gardens
- 2 are amusement parks
- 2 are concert arenas
- 2 are shopping-related: shopping centers/malls
Facebook's friend finder was originally called “Friendshake” but now seems to be “find friends nearby” (http://fb.com/ffn). It's available via that URL or in the mobile apps. It finds friends and people you don't know who are local within an unknown distance.
For now, the app works like this. Users have to be logged into Facebook and also into the Friendshake URL, and then others who are near can pick each other up. You can see both your own friends, as well as those you may not know.
For now it looks like the main purpose is to quickly add people who you meet at a specific event — like a hackathon, or a bar.
Between the time I wrote this on Monday and went to post it on Tuesday, the app was pulled per Wired.
- RWW offers a "how to" for what calls FB's new "stalking" app
- Wired
