AT&T Launches Family Locator Service
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Doesn't Google Latitude do the same thing at NO extra cost?
I have Google Maps on my phone, but I don't use Google Latitude, I'm pretty sure Google Latitude is the same as this service ATT just announced minus the $10-$15 monthly charge.
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i'm pretty sure google latitude doesn't update unless you open the program up. kids could easily just not use it while they go out.
i could be wrong but i've used latitude very briefly. also, google maps means the person has to download the program using the phone's internet. some lower end phones may not support it also. the ATT family locator can find any phone, regardless of specs; as long as it has reception (or so i assume).
once again i could be wrong
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do you have to have a phone with a gps chip or can they just triangulate your family member's position using cell towers?
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japhyApr 15, 2009, 3:01 PM
GPS isn't needed - most phones can triangulate bsed just on towers. If you're not using it for navigation, just a location, cell-tower only triangulation works pretty well. My N75 (no GPS) with Google Maps rarely is more than a quarter mile off when I do a quick check of directions. Yes, turn by turn directions while driving is nigh-impossible without a GPS (or A-GPS) chip, but for tracking purposes, it doesn't need to be a constant stream of exact data.
Plus, I'm sure there's going to be huge disclaimers that the location is going to be within a certain range and can't be precise down to the foot, which would be the case even with phones with GPS. AFAIK, Loopt & the like have a margin of error measured in yards, not milimeters.
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TomHApr 15, 2009, 6:51 PM
It does, but I'm also pretty sure it also requires a data plan which is subtantially more expensive than $10-$15 per month as well as requiring a much more expensive phone. This plan can be a huge savings over trying to implement Google Latitude on phones that don't have that capability.
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Data plan is substantially more? I pay $10/mo for unlimited MediaNet.
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That $10 data is just for your one line. $10 family map is for 2 lines and $15 for up to 5 lines. That would cost you $50 in data at your rate.
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TomHApr 16, 2009, 3:41 PM
That's gone down a lot then. Used to be $20/mon was the cheapest they had for unlimited. My Tilt is supposed to have the $30/mon plan but I've been getting away withthe $20 plan since I upgraded from a Smartphone.
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