iPhone, GPS
Remember when iPods first hit the market? The 20-GB, grayscale MP3 players were basically awesome. And how convenient they were, to be able to carry and store all of your music in one place. But they’ve definitely come a long way since then, especially with the introduction of the iPhone.
The iPhone is, as I’m sure you all know, an iPod touch combined with cell phone capabilities and technologies. Applications or “apps” can be installed to your iPhone through the internet. Applications can include just about anything: from games, to flashlights, to fake x-ray machines and restaurant finders as well as movie reviews and show times. And it doesn’t end there; the list of iPhone applications is enormous.
There are also applications with GPS technology incorporated into them. “GPS” is short for “global positioning system”, and is a technology that can track where you are in the world. It can also tell you how to get to a destination from where you are. This technology, while it can be incredibly useful, can also have a few privacy concerns.
The application called “GPS Tracker” (created by InstaMapper), for instance, is a program that allows you to create a free account using your e-mail address, a valid username, and password. You then install a small application to your iPhone which periodically sends your GPS coordinates to InstaMapper servers over the cellular data network. Login to your account from any computer and you will see the location of your phone, as well as historical data, on an interactive map.
This is a really neat technology, but is slightly worrying in the sense that your location data is being broadcast across the cellular data network. While it is believed the servers are secure, there is really no way of knowing who has access to your location information.
There is also an application available which allows you to show your location data to people on social networking sites (like Facebook). However, in order to do this, you must disclose your information to a third party, who can track you and your habits to direct marketing towards you and your peers. When you think about it, do you really want your friends and family knowing where you are at all times? Or being able to track your comings and goings? Probably not!
So, enjoy all the cool apps that come with the iPhone, but just be aware of where your personal or location data is going BEFORE you sign up for a service.