Google's Latitude has had a much lower profile in the social location space compared to the likes of Foursquare and Gowalla. But that may start to change with the addition of check-ins to the service,
letting users go beyond showing where they are on a map to checking in at actual Google Places locations. "Until today, sharing my location let friends and family know if I was across the globe or in
their neighborhood. Now, check-ins let them see the cool restaurant I'm trying in Taipei or join me for a latte at the cafe nearby," stated a Google Mobile
blog post today.
Beyond standard check-ins, Latitude offers three related options:
-Notifications: Turn on check-in notifications in Latitude's settings and get a notification to check in at a nearby place once you arrive. Never forget to check in again. -Automatic check-ins:
Choose to automatically check in at specific places you designate, and you'll be checked in when you're there. You can talk to friends or finish your bagel without fumbling with your phone. -Check
out: Once you leave, Latitude knows to automatically check you out of places so friends aren't left guessing if you're still there.
Google's Ken Norton told ReadWriteWeb, that Latitude doesn't yet publish check-ins to other services like Facebook or
Foursquare but is looking at adding that capability.