Find Me Tracks Your Steps

Before going out and getting one of those affordable GPS systems, I used to rely on the ever-dependable online mapping services. Going to LA for the weekend? Just print out those handy-dandy turn-by-turn directions. But technology has evolved, and printing directions is becoming a thing of the past. Well, at least for some.

Mapquest is offering an additional service to Sprint Nextel customers called Mapquest Find Me. For a few dollars a month, users with Nextel GPS, Java-enabled phones or Blackberries can use a service that identifies their location and shows them what points-of-interest are around them such as ATMs, restaurants, movie theaters and even gives them turn-by-turn directions.

Now this is where it gets interesting. It also lets you share your location with others.  Once you add them to your approved list,  it let's them see an online map of the places you've been.

I already see how this tool can be useful to worrying parents. AOL plans to add this service to their Instant Messenger later this year says the New York Times. I don't have a Sprint phone, so I hope they extend this service to other phone carriers.