Tech: IT Easy - Stalking Made Easy

Mobile phones better than police tracking

It was big news last week when a couple of developers identified a 'secret, unencrypted file' on iPhones and 3G iPad that track everywhere the device goes and, by extension, everywhere YOU go. This shouldn't really be a surprise; Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets do this too.

Smartphones have really evolved; using data from cell sites, WiFi hotspots and even built-in GPS, your smartphone can identify your physical location within just a few metres (or yards if you are old school like me). The tech term for this feature is: geo-location.

Geo-location services can be so cool. Using geo-location services, we can get directions to where we want to go on interactive maps (i.e. Google Maps), we can post tips on places we visit, find friends wherever in the world they may be (i.e. Foursquare), and we can know exactly where a specific panoramic shot was taken (i.e. picture properties). Soon, Jamaica will further exploit the potential of geo-location services to track traffic and offer coupons based on businesses and stores we frequent.

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