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Save on phonecalls and internet searches by geo-locating your friends … or at least that's the idea. But is it worth it?
App: echoecho
By: Purpose Wireless Inc
Price: Free
Available on: iOS/Android/Blackberry/Ovi
What is it?
An app to help you geo-locate friends on the move and to source nearby bars, cafes and restaurants.
What does it promise?
"With just one click, you can see where your friends are. Or tell them where you are."
Is it easy to use?
It's a little fiddly. First you have to register via an SMS – never my favourite way of doing things given the ease of stumbling unwittingly into expensive text-based services or scams – then invite friends to join. Once you've done this, and assuming all your friends have too, you can see where they are on an integrated Googlemap – although you have to send a request to that friend each time you want to find them. This seems counter-intuitive: if they've accepted your friend request they are surely already OK with you seeing where they are. But I'm guessing the service uses a ping-style request system to avoid accusations that the app can be used to stalk people.
When we tested it in the office it placed me exactly where I was, but put a colleague who was sitting at the next desk 300 yards down the road, which isn't ideal.
The creators claim a WebEcho service allows users to share their location with (and find) friends even if they haven't downloaded the app – but I couldnt fathom how to do this from within the app itself.
Is it fun?
If you can get people you know to download the app and they don't mind telling you where they are, it's definitely amusing to see where your friends are hanging out.
Is it pretty?
The logo is a neat two-tone orange graphic, while the app itself boasts a neon tube-like title spelt out in the same orange colours at the top of every page.
Should you download it?
The app offers a simple interface that will be attractive to many users, but the more techie smartphone user will probably have been using Google Latitude to do a similar thing for years. So whether you download it depends on whether you would use it out in the real world and if you can persuade your friends to sign up.
If you often meet friends (especially flitting from group to group in the same evening), it could definitely be a time-saver. We've included it in the consumer app of the week slot because it could save you cash – if you use a pay-as-you-go phone, using echoecho to find friends could be cheaper than having to text or call them to find where they are, then searching for that venue on Googlemaps.
Echoecho's creators claim that "you are in control of what you share, when you share it, and with whom you share it", which is laudable. But in reality, asking friends where they are before you can find them, rather than just opening the app to see where they are instantly, adds an unnecessary delay that frustrated me. Others may prefer this method.
Mark King
guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Save on phonecalls and internet searches by geo-locating your friends … or at least that's the idea. But is it worth it?
App: echoecho
By: Purpose Wireless Inc
Price: Free
Available on: iOS/Android/Blackberry/Ovi
What is it?
An app to help you geo-locate friends on the move and to source nearby bars, cafes and restaurants.
What does it promise?
"With just one click, you can see where your friends are. Or tell them where you are."
Is it easy to use?
It's a little fiddly. First you have to register via an SMS – never my favourite way of doing things given the ease of stumbling unwittingly into expensive text-based services or scams – then invite friends to join. Once you've done this, and assuming all your friends have too, you can see where they are on an integrated Googlemap – although you have to send a request to that friend each time you want to find them. This seems counter-intuitive: if they've accepted your friend request they are surely already OK with you seeing where they are. But I'm guessing the service uses a ping-style request system to avoid accusations that the app can be used to stalk people.
When we tested it in the office it placed me exactly where I was, but put a colleague who was sitting at the next desk 300 yards down the road, which isn't ideal.
The creators claim a WebEcho service allows users to share their location with (and find) friends even if they haven't downloaded the app – but I couldnt fathom how to do this from within the app itself.
Is it fun?
If you can get people you know to download the app and they don't mind telling you where they are, it's definitely amusing to see where your friends are hanging out.
Is it pretty?
The logo is a neat two-tone orange graphic, while the app itself boasts a neon tube-like title spelt out in the same orange colours at the top of every page.
Should you download it?
The app offers a simple interface that will be attractive to many users, but the more techie smartphone user will probably have been using Google Latitude to do a similar thing for years. So whether you download it depends on whether you would use it out in the real world and if you can persuade your friends to sign up.
If you often meet friends (especially flitting from group to group in the same evening), it could definitely be a time-saver. We've included it in the consumer app of the week slot because it could save you cash – if you use a pay-as-you-go phone, using echoecho to find friends could be cheaper than having to text or call them to find where they are, then searching for that venue on Googlemaps.
Echoecho's creators claim that "you are in control of what you share, when you share it, and with whom you share it", which is laudable. But in reality, asking friends where they are before you can find them, rather than just opening the app to see where they are instantly, adds an unnecessary delay that frustrated me. Others may prefer this method.
Mark King
guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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