Location

Apple responds to Chinese media warning against iPhone location tracking

Cody Lee ∙ July 13, 2014

Last week, China's state-run China Central Television broadcasted a report that labeled the iPhone as a "national security concern." More specifically, the CCTV criticized the “frequent locations” function in iOS 7, which records time and location for the owner’s movements.

Yesterday, Apple issued an official response to the report on its Chinese website. The statement reaffirms the company's commitment to privacy, and states that the Location Services found in the iOS firmware are only used to help users for activities that require navigation...

Foursquare refreshes Swarm with better check-ins, easier sharing and other enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 8, 2014

Foursquare, the popular location-based social networking service, back in May took all the gamified features out of its main iOS client - the mayorships, check-ins, leaderboards, achievements and what not - and created a new app around them, Swarm. As a result, the main Foursquare app is now focused on place discovery , not the check-ins.

The lightweight Swarm app makes it easy to see who’s out nearby, who’s doing what, who wants to hang out later and more. Today, the app has received a refresh bringing out several new features.

Now available to download in the App Store, Swarm 1.0.6 features better check-ins, friend leaderboards, easier sharing, more detailed information about places and more...

Apple patent filing reveals that iPhones could have location-based security and settings in future

Joe Rossignol ∙ July 3, 2014

Apple has filed a new patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an invention that dynamically changes the security, settings and behavior of a device based on its location. For instance, most users may only require a four-digit passcode on their iPhone while at home, but would prefer to use the more secure Touch ID while in the workplace or traveling.

The hardware and software of a device would work in tandem to identify the location of the user and adjust the security levels accordingly, based on its proximity or connection to cellular data towers, local Wi-Fi networks, other cell phones and more. There would be certain thresholds depending on how confident the device is in the security of the surrounding location…

Garmin launches Víago app with turn-by-turn navigation, lane assist, offline maps and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

GPS navigation giant Garmin has released a new consumer navigation app in the App Store which seeks to offer a reasonable tradeoff between basic features and more advanced stuff found in significantly more expensive navigation software for the iPhone.

Featuring the latest maps from the Nokia's Here service (formerly Navteq) licensed worldwide and costing 99 cents ($1.99 after July 13), Viago allows you to search addresses and points of interests anywhere in the world, with turn-by-turn navigation available within your region.

Advanced features such as landmark-based directions and active lane guidance that simplifies junction navigation are paid upgrades just a tap away.

Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

How iOS 8 defeats Wi-Fi location tracking in stores, malls and elsewhere

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 9, 2014

In a move designed to appease privacy watchers and further protect your privacy, Apple has made it that much harder for pesky marketeers to identify your device (and consequentially you as a user) or track your location as you go about your business. As discovered by Swiss programmer Frederic Jacobs, iOS 8 randomizes your device's MAC address while scanning for networks.

A MAC address serves as a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. By randomizing your device's MAC address each time it scans for nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, iOS 8 effectively disguises any trace of the real device. Here's hoping this becomes an industry standard. Jump past the fold to learn more about this nifty feature...

iOS 8 uses M7 chip and motion sensors for accurate indoor positioning

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 5, 2014

Apple with iOS 8 is advancing the CoreLocation API with new features designed to provide users with even more reliable, faster and precise indoor positioning in supported venues. Currently, iOS determines your location using a combination of GPS, a crowd-sourced location database of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and the cellular triangulation technique that determines your rough location based on cell tower signal strength.

As GPS/cellular are often unavailable or perform poorly inside buildings and in underground places like parking lots, iOS 8 can resort to using a combination of iBeacon transmitters, if any, and motion data provided by your device's accelerometer, compass and gyroscope sensors...

Find My iPhone in iOS 8 introduces ‘Send Last Location’ feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 4, 2014

Find My iPhone is a great way to locate your lost or misplaced device - that is, unless a thief was smart enough to find a way to disable it right after you've been mugged and your device has been taken from you.

Additionally, if the person has shut down your device or it has run out of battery charge, Apple's free Find My iPhone app will only display its last known location for up to 24 hours.

The same goes for the web interface over at iCloud.com. After the 24 hour cut-off period, you're basically unable to locate the device on a world map until it has been restarted and has established a network connection...

iOS 8 puts app shortcuts on the Lock screen based on your location

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 3, 2014

Another handy improvement we've discovered in iOS 8 deals with location tracking improvements.

Apparently, Apple's upcoming mobile operating system puts an app icon right on the Lock screen whenever in a vicinity of a location that has a corresponding app in the App Store. Just walk up to a nearby Apple Store and an app icon appears on the Lock screen. Same for places like Tesco and Vons.

"When Location Services is turned on, the device's current location is used to recommend relevant apps on the lock screen," as per iOS 8 release notes. Again, you don't even need to have the app installed on your device. It's important to note that this feature is unrelated to iBeacons, here are full details...

Foursquare’s new Swarm app now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2014

Earlier this morning, I diligently informed you that the crowd-sourced location platform Foursquare has updated its free iPhone check-in software ahead of the impending launch of a brand new Swarm app later today.

Now available free in the App Store, Swarm for iPhone integrates gamified features from the main Foursquare app to “help people keep up and meet up with their friends”.

It combines all-new mayorships, while introducing intriguing new stuff such as popular stickers. Basically, the app offers detailed insights about your life and lets you connect to friends in your neighborhood to explore their activities.

Swarm arrives ahead of Foursquare's search-focused revamp due this summer. And when it drops, the Foursquare app will no longer let you check-in to places. If you have updated to the new Foursquare 7.0.8 and have Swarm installed, you should be able to peek at some of the upcoming changes inside the Foursquare app...

Foursquare updated ahead of Swarm app launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

Foursquare, the popular location-based social platform, is set to release a brand new Swarm app today which will "help people keep up and meet up with their friends".

As a result, the existing free iOS client has just been updated with some changes you should know about. Announced two weeks ago, Swarm combines new mayorships, introduces stickers, offers detailed insights about your life and much more.

If you have Swarm installed, the new Foursquare 7.0.8 update includes a peek at some of the upcoming changes to Foursquare ahead of a major search-focused revamp due this summer...

Facebook launches its own Find My Friends feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

Social networking giant Facebook is bound to stir controversy all over again as it's just introduced a new friend-tracking feature. Similar to Apple's free Find My Friends iOS app, Facebook's Nearby Friends basically notifies you when your friends are nearby.

It's a rather radical idea, one Facebook said Thursday was designed to encourage people to "meet up and spend time together" in real life. Go figure. Learn more about Facebook's Find My Friends right below the fold...

Instagram reportedly testing location integration with Facebook Places

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

Facebook-owned Instagram has traditionally relied on Foursquare for its vast database of points of interest.

For example, upon uploading a photograph Instagram gives you an option of choosing a location where the image was taken using its Foursquare integration, simply by tapping a 'Name This Location' button.

Post acquisition, however, things have become a little weird.

Facebook has long been maintaining its own location database, Facebook Places. Two years into the acquisition, Instagram has now started using Facebook Places as its mapping service, at least for a subset of its users.

Despite this (expected) change, more than the 150 million Instagram fans can continue to share their check-ins to Foursquare from Instagram...