Find And Meet Any Friend Via Smartphone

Uncommon Projects has introduced Marco Friend Locator 1.0 for iOS, the free SMS powered app that shows the user's location on a map, along with that of any friend with a smartphone so they can find each other easily. On launch the app displays the user's position on a street level Google Map, and they may then ask their friend's location using SMS. The recipient, who need not have the Marco app on his or her smartphone, can choose to respond. By doing so, the recipient connects to the Marco website which automatically reads the smartphone's current location. Now linked, the user can see both their locations automatically, and may request directions if necessary.

After a user launches Marco they immediately see their location on a street level Google Map. The app requires neither an account login nor any checking-in. Pressing the Find Your Friend button brings up an address book from which the user can select the contact information for anyone listed. An SMS (Short Message System) with a link is composed requesting the recipient's location, and the user can attach a personal message before sending. In just a few clicks the sender has initiated a Marco. The recipient receives a normal SMS that includes a web link to the Marco website/server. The recipient can choose to reply or not, respecting their right to decline sharing their location. Clicking on the link brings up the Marco website which checks the recipient's device for compatibility.

The owner of a compatible smartphone will see their location on the Google Map, as determined by the location finding system of their own device, and may manually correct it for greater accuracy before sending it out with the click of a button. Now both users can see each others' locations on their respective maps. The original user of the Marco app can zoom in, watch their progress live, and even get directions. Marco was designed to be compatible with iPhone, Droid, Pre, WinMob, and Blackberry devices. If a recipient's smartphone does not support location finding, they still see the sender's location and the sender is immediately notified. The locations and connections are never posted publicly and the sessions are time limited. Marco promotes a private experience that will appeal to the widest audience of casual, non-technical, and business users. The app has been carefully designed for maximum compatibility across devices, ease of use, and absolute privacy.


Feature Highlights:
* Find someone when you’re lost
* Show someone where you are
* See progress on a real-time map
* Works with iPhone, Android, and more
* Marco does not broadcast the user's location
* Each request is opt-in
* No personal data is stored
* No accounts required
* As simple as three taps
* As fast as SMS
* Recipient doesn’t need the app
* A lightweight app and no social networking

One in four adults in the U.S. has a smartphone and the number is expected to double by the end of 2011. Navigating (maps) and Social Networking (Facebook) are two of the top four uses of smartphones according to a recent Nielson study. Google, Facebook, and Foursquare each have location applications for smartphones. But privacy issues at those brands and recent studies all point to serious privacy concerns by a majority of mobile users. Marco enables parents, partners and colleagues to meet one another without social networking or broadcasting their location. Marco focuses on local, urban, pedestrian mapping, "micromapping", with the goal of refining the last 100 yards of wayfinding. By finding friends on a shared map, Marco helps solve the problem in a simple, practical fashion.

"Marco Friend Locator is a free, elegant solution for locating and meeting friends," stated developer Tarikh Korula. "It is the must have utility for any smartphone user."

Pricing and Availability:
Marco Friend Locator 1.0 is a free app available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Navigation category.


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