New York SBDC Research Network

I'm not sure how many of y'all read Entrepreneur magazine, but here's an article from their April issue that describes how GPS is used as a money-saving device. Bar owners use it to keep track of just how their inventory is being used. Those with vehicle fleets use it to track how efficiently their sales & maintenance calls are being run. Restaurants use it to maintain proper portion sizes. Companies exist that provide this service to businesses, and they have found a niche that seems to be growing. It might be worth looking into for some of our clients.

Google recently launched an application, Latitude , that tracks users’ location using GPS and cell-tower triangulation. "Latitude" is an opt-in application meaning users can choose to share their geographic location with friends. This application broadcasts the users’ location but is equipped with "fine-grained privacy controls" built into the application that allow the user to control how precise the location they broadcast is. The location can be as specific as available through "Latitude's GPS and cell-tower triangulation technologies" or as broad as city-level. Users can also control who is allowed to view their location by limiting the audience to a circle of friends or a specific person. Is this creepy or is it another way to minimize geographic distance and provide another avenue for information? Google Latitude video - Amy Peker