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Fuzzy Logic Whereis Everyone: Telstra’s DIY “big brother”
Fuzzy Logic Whereis Everyone: Telstra’s DIY “big brother” | Whereis Everyone: Telstra’s DIY “big brother” |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Wednesday, 02 July 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 3 Although there is a certain “big brother” element to the technology, when used with the permission of the people involved, what could be an oppressive technology becomes a handy way to know where people are and where they’re going – or at least, where their phones are, for that is what it is truly tracking. Of course there are always ways around the system – leave your phone in the place it is supposed to be and have it forward calls to a different number. It will be expensive to divert calls, but it will also fool the tracking system. That said, if you’re asked by SMS to call home immediately and a different number (or caller ID blocked) comes up, you could get more questions that you bargained for. Also if you leave your phone off, or go into an area with no mobile phone coverage and you won’t be able to track users either, although in most cases phones will be on and in coverage areas. Telstra says the new “Whereis Everyone” service makes “finding lost or stolen phones, and locating family and friends” a lot easier, and that is certainly true. You can look up people’s locations on a map through your computer’s browser, have email alerts sent to you when people move from one zone to another, such as ‘school’ or ‘outside of school’, and SMS alerts can also be sent by the system, with both alerts able to be triggered at particular times of the day. Telstra Executive Director, Consumer Marketing and Channels, Ms Glenice Maclellan, said that people need only have their phone switched on and with them in a coverage area, and that “People can benefit in a variety of situations like checking the whereabouts of family members, co-ordinating meal times and activities, meeting up with friends in town or after work, or even seeing the location of a lost or stolen phone.” Maclellan continued: “Whereis Everyone can help you stay organised, as people can agree to let each other know where they’ll be at a specific time of day and see their location quickly on their Telstra mobile handsets. “A great example is the ability to see if your kids are on their way home from school. Or if you have friends that like surfing, you could see what beach they are at – there are many different ways people can use Whereis Everyone to find each other.” So, how does it work, how much does it cost, and what’s the alternative if you’re not a Telstra customer but want the same capability? Continued on page 2. |
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