New wireless/cell phones are appearing that combine accurate GPS, social networking, and other "services" that are amazing, and are likely to be extremely popular with large numbers of people. The most recent new releas is the Apple iPhone 3G, and reports are that people are standing in long lines to get one.

An article at MSNBC gives a quick look at some of the new features:

Using a cellphone to tag along

Combination of GPS, Internet and mobile phones means a new set of tools

By Ellen Nakashima
The Washington Post
updated 2:00 a.m. CT, Sat., July. 12, 2008

With Loopt, available on the iPhone and other smartphones, users can locate one another on a map anytime their cellphones are turned on, said Brian Knapp, the company's chief privacy counsel. "You can have your own little broadcast message: 'Hey, I'm at this cafe now. Join me,' '' he said.

Then there's Pelago's Whrrl, which Pelago Chief Executive Jeff Holden said aims to show users "cool places" that their friends have visited and recommended. "You can filter it down through the eyes of your social network, the ones who I trust to get a great dinner,'' he said.

Whether these are things that look "fun to have" or "useful," the article also notes:

Mark Rasch, a security consultant and former federal prosecutor, said the social network aspect of location technologies poses risks. "As these things integrate into Facebook and buddies lists, suddenly I'm not sharing information with five or six people, but maybe with 200 or 300 people," he said. "If the cops want to find me, they don't have to find out where I am; they can go to somebody on my buddies list."

And

Merchants can use this information to target ads, malls to entice shoppers, insurance adjusters to calibrate premiums, employers to catch moonlighters and parents to keep an eye on children. But what many users may not realize is that by sharing this information, they are creating often permanent records that can tell not only wireless providers, but also social networking sites, other users, and potentially law enforcement and civil attorneys every place they are and have been, as long as their phone and tracking device are on.

Obviously, you'll want to read the full article before commenting, as you'll want to see all the good things these phones can do. Equally obvious is that carrying a "tracking device" that continuously records every place one goes could be extremely helpful to some and extremely embarrassing to others.

Thoughts and Comments?

John