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Glympse is the first location based mobile phone program which I’ve seen (apart from plain old maps of course) which could actually become an essential install. The freeware program basically provides an instant tracking function which lets you share your location with other people.
What makes it different, and rather special, is the excellent interface and clever functionality. For instance, you can save favourite ‘Glympses’, which are pings to a particular person. This means you could set up a bookmark icon on the front screen of your handset which you click to let your loved ones track your journey home from work after a long day.
No hassling around with settings or adding contacts or any nonsense, just click, click and it’s done. Great also for letting people know where you are en route to a meeting, or for coordinating a random meeting place on the fly. The beauty is the fact that it’s fast to use, and you can set up time limits for the tracking, for added flexibility and security.
It’s available for Android, iPhone and Windows, and you can send these tracking map links to other mobile phones or to computers via SMS, email or even via a direct Facebook status link. Once the recipient clicks on the link, their browser opens and they’re instantly looking at your movements on a real time map. Slick. A really lovely bit of coding and design all round.
Why Glympse? Simple. Glympse is easier and faster than a phone call or text message, simply select a contact, set a duration, and hit send. Flexible. Anyone with an Internet-enabled phone or computer can receive a Glympse – no software or setup required. You can send a Glympse to a specific person, several people, or even to Facebook and Twitter.
About the Author:
Nigel is the managing editor of the Red Ferret, as well as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Times newspaper in London. Loves tech and fancies himself as a bit of a futurist, but then don't we all?
Nigel – who has written 5153 posts on The Red Ferret Journal.
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