Locatik Beta updated again

Psiloc has released another update to their beta software Locatik. Honestly I'm at a lost the ultimate purpose of this software. Locatik is a S60 application once loaded on the device intermittently sends location updates to their website.

Beyond sending these updates and being able to pinpoint the person on the map it serves no functional purpose. In playing with this application for many months I still find it cumbersome, if not impossible to add "friends." The application on the device is a huge battery killer, running GPS regularly. This latest version has some improvements in user settings. Being beta software bugs are expected but I find that running this application causes reboots, sluggishness and other random problems, resulting in near instant disabling and sometimes uninstallation.

One notable improvement is the ability for the software to search contacts that are also registered, making adding people considerably easier than before. Even so, I'm left asking why do I want this application? What ultimate service does it serve? Even more importantly do I want people, even if they are "friends" to know exactly where I am?

In the end I have to ask myself what am I missing and what is Psiloc's goal with this application?

-- Matthew Stevens

Note: The application is a closed beta but appears to allow seemingly endless invites. Drop me an email (matthew at darla mack com) if you wish to try it out for yourself.

Comments

[Andy]

You're right - the app is almost useless for the users, but not for the company... The application sends a lot of information to the comapany's server, creating a big worldwide database of locations (cellID with its GPS coordinates, so it's possible that the user may be located without GPS - by using cellID only). The users are just building the database (also paying for the data transmission). The company may use the database in the future projects or sell gathered data... It's smart, isn't it?

[Zeeshan Sarfraz]

I think this app can be used to track a stolen mobile ? I haven't tried it yet but from your description this sounds like a mobile tracker.

[Nigel Jones]

I signed up for the beta months ago, and tried a few versions briefly, but it was the most power hungry application I have ever used. I never heard any response to the feedback so combined with other apps such as Jaiku, Nokia Sports tracker being far more useful I've completely given up.

Biggest mistake - no community/online forums etc..