Navizon a provider of GPS and WiFi based location positioning software for mobile devices, has launched a freeware service called Navizon Lite
that allows users who don’t have a GPS capable phone to determine their current location based on information from GSM cell ids from nearby cellular towers. This is on lines of the “My Location” feature introduced recently in Google Mobile maps.
The service has an accuracy of approximately 1500 meters (1 mile) and consists of data provided by volunteers.
Navizon Lite features most features of the full version like Buddy Finder, Directions and rewards for uploading cell tower information except for WiFi positioning and trailing.
With Navizon, you can create or join groups and display its members' geographic location thanks to the buddy tracker.
These groups can be anything you can think of: "Geocachers in the UK", "Find a date in New York city", "Cab drivers in San Francisco"... or if you want to make it a more private group "Joe Shmoe's family". Your imagination is the only limit.
With the Buddy Tracker, you can see the geographic location of the members of the groups you belong to. Similarly, you can share your whereabouts with your friends by selecting the "Send Location" feature on Navizon (only if you want to and whenever you want to).
So whether you want to make sure your daughter gets to school safely or see where you friends are gathering so that you can join them, the Buddy Tracker will be the ideal companion.
On your phone, use your buddy tracker and set your privacy options:
See your buddies' location on the map:
When you see the map, hit Menu > Buddies > List ., and then Menu > Show on map, you can also call them or search a particular contact.
NOTE: Check 'Update Live' to update the positions each time Navizon connects to server.
Choose the groups you want to see on the Map:
Click on Manage groups, and check the groups you are interested in.
Make your location available to your group buddies:
When you see the map, hit Menu > Buddies, and check 'Send Location'
If you are using Navizon with a GPS, you will be able to share your location with your group members' wherever you go. If you don't have a GPS and are using Navizon in Wi-Fi/cellular positioning mode, this feature will work in the areas already covered (see "My coverage" in the user section).
NOTE: You can also find your buddies on the web interface, in the member section, click on Tracker and you will be able to see the position of your friends who made their location available.
No Big Brother here
With Navizon's buddy tracker, only users that are member of your groups can see your location. So you can only be located by the people you want.
And if you don't want anyone to know where you are, you can even turn it off altogether by unchecking "Send location".
With Navizon, you can create notes that will be attached to a specific location. We call them "Geotags". These geotags are then shared with the rest of the community, thereby creating a directory of spatial annotations.
This directory can be very useful to share some information with other people on a specific place. Let's say you're in a restaurant. You really like it or really hate it. You post a note using Navizon's Geotags. Then everyone else that will pass by this restaurant will see this note pop up on his device (as long as he has the same interests than you). Another example: let's say you see a speed radar on the highway, you could have in the comment "Speed radar here. Slow down!" and tag it with "speed radar driving".
How to create a Geotag?
Let's continue the example of the restaurant. So you really like it and you want to let people know about it.
Once you see your positioning information on the map, just hit Menu > Geotags > List... and click on 'New Tag'
With Navizon you can see your location on the map...
...and search for pretty much anything, right around where you are:
Let's say you are in New York city and are looking for the closest Pizza joint.
With Navizon, you can keep track of everywhere you go with the trail capability. Here's how to enable this feature:
1) In your account, go to Preferences and check "Save my trail"