Microsoft Releasing Their Own Friend-Locator Mobile App: People Sense
According to a report on Engadget, who reported from Microsoft Place (a Spanish Microsoft news website), Microsoft is developing a new Windows Mobile app which can help users find their friends on a map. The application is called ‘People Sense’, though it is currently code named ‘Buddy Aware.’ People Sense can show friends who are around the user’s area (or the video shows friends around a user’s country) and has built-in features to allow the user to message, call, or retrieve directions to any friend located on the map. Users can also choose a contact first, then see their location on the map. The app also appears to have a built-in friends list for quick access to contacts.
This is definitely not the first app of its kind found on mobile devices. Apple has their Find My Friends app, and Google had their Google Latitude app (which retired as of 08-09-2013). Social media websites also have a feature which is of a similar concept. Users can turn on location sharing on their mobile devices when posting status updates to Facebook and Google Plus. Microsoft also featured a location sharing feature on the Skype mobile app. Though this is the first time Microsoft is said to have an official app solely for location sharing and mapping purposes.
And we have already discussed Microsoft in depth on Episode 12 of TiG Tech Talk, which covered Microsoft’s wave of emerging technologies mentioned at their Live WebCast a couple weeks ago, which included a look at Windows 10 for desktop and mobile devices. So this would be no surprise if this was another add-on to Windows 10 once it officially launches (which could be as early as June, 2015).
Sources:
Engadget, from The Verge, from Microsoft Place.
