Once added, you can quickly see a person’s whereabouts in real-time over a Google Maps overlay. The app runs in the background, allowing for constant tracking 24/7, and even if your child wants to remove it, they will need a password to uninstall the app. Most importantly, Footprints can measure the speed of the person as he moves, which is interesting if your kid is driving.

Footprints is one of the few tools that has no qualms about debates in privacy, since they believe that when used correctly it helps keep the family safe. The accuracy of the tool is suspect but at least you’d know if your child is in a bad neighborhood or not.

Features:

• Know where your friends and family are.
• Share location in Facebook.
• Real-time location update.
• Available for iOS devices only.
• Similar tools: Puntalo, BuddyWay, NavXS, ChildPulse, Lookout, Prey and FindMyiPhone.

Checkout Footprints @ itunes.apple.com/us/app/footprints/id400119299?mt=8

To start using Puntalo, choose your phone’s brand and model on your dashboard. Then you will be instructed how to install Puntalo on your phone. Once installed, you can start adding new people to notify and create an area within the map where you expect the phone to be at a given time.

When you lose your phone, Puntalo will tell you where you phone is while locking your phone to make sure your personal information is kept away from strangers. Your lost phone will be tracked on the map, and if you can’t get it back, you can remove the data in your phone remotely to protect your privacy.

Puntalo currently works only for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung. While the app is free, you can sign up for a premium account to get SMS and e-mail notifications, remote phone lock, remote phone wiping, and more.

Features:

• Free and paid options available.
• Track your family and kids
• Use it track and find your lost or stolen phone.
• Real time monitor lets you know when your phone has arrived/left at a specific area on the map.
• Remove date remotely if your phone gets stolen.
• Similar Tools: BuddyWay, NavXS, ChildPulse, Lookout, Prey, and FindMyiPhone.

Check out Puntalo @ www.puntalo.com

With Shipfinder, you can view different ships as they sail through the oceans in almost real-time. You can click different filters such as cargo, dive vessel, dredger, high speed craft, tanker, military operation, and more. You can search for ships by typing in their call sign, destination, MMSI, or ship name. You can also go to a specific location using the search tab, Then click on a ship to read more information.

Ship finder is a great-way to find instant information on specific ships. This is especially useful if you are on a cruise and want to find out where the other ships are going to. The tool is also available in the iTunes app store.

Features:

• Find ships position in Google Maps.
• Filter ship plots by ship type.
• Click on ships to view their full details.
• Search different vessels by Name, MMSI, Call Name, and Destination.
• Share link to specific location or embed map.
• Similar tools: MarineTraffic and Sailwx.

Check out Shipfinder @ www.shipfinder.co

You can view details like your maximum speed, maximum altitude, average speed, number of tracks and number of stops during any given day. The speed and altitude chart, for example, lets you find out your speed and altitude at any given point during your trip. Couple it with customized street views and various map modes like satellite and traffic, Xtracked is no doubt one of the most comprehensive trip analysis software.

Features:

• GPS mobile phone tracker to analyze your trips in detail.
• See charts, reports and customized maps.
• Tons of fields and values for greater insight.
• Customized street views and point-in-time information.

Visit Xtracked @ www.xtracked.com

ChildPulse also  lets you set GeoFencing so if your child is ever away from one of the usual places like home, school, work, you’ll instantly get an alert. You’ll also get an alert if the tracking is turned off intentionally or un-intentionally. The app is free but only allows you to track one child at a time. However, for a small fee, the upcoming version will allow users to track multiple children.

Features:

• Track and know where your kids are using their iPhone.
• View their location on a map.
• Track them using your iPhone or the web.
• Get alerts based on unusual locations.
• Works with iPhone 3G or later models.

Download ChildPulse using iTunes [Via TechCrunch]

All the information is private and can be deleted using the history management feature. The app works on Mobile phones with GoogleLatitude as well as your iGoogle page. So if you ever wish to see where you were on a certain day, the app is gonna wonders for you. It is also a great way to make sure your account hasn’t been compromised by quickly glancing at all the locations and making sure there is no strange entry.

Features:

• Track your location history using mobile phone or computer.
• See your history on Google Maps and Google Earth.
• Get alerts when a friend is nearby your location.
• Your information is private and completely removable.

Download GoogleLocationHistory from http://www.google.com/latitude/apps/history [Via DownloadSquad]

GPS FAQ helps you by providing all sorts of information about your GPS device. You can use it to read and write reviews on any GPS, or even compare gps devices with each other.

The site has very detailed information about each device including price, dimensions, characteristics and screenshots. Many listings also include a video demonstrating that particular device.

The GPS information is not limited to cars – they also have GPS information for boats, planes, yachts, handhelds and much more. You can also use the forum to ask any GPS related questions or read news and articles about the GPS industry.

Features:

• Reviews for hundreds of GPS devices.
• Detailed information such as specifications, cost and features.
• See screenshots and videos for any GPS device.
• Ask questions using the forum.

Visit GPS FAQ @ www.gpsfaq.com

Once the app installed, it will passively record your route as you drive, and send data to Waze to update the live traffic information map. For example, Waze will know that you are stuck in traffic and appropriately update the map for others to see.

You can also actively send reports with a few easy clicks. For example, if you come across an accident or construction work that obstructs traffic, you can make a quick report for other users to see. You can also take a photo of the road and upload them to the live map.

The strength of Waze is its user-generated content. With its crowd-sourced philosophy, users can update or report errors in the live map. The more users use Waze, the better the live maps are.

In fact, Waze added a little incentive for users by giving points for hitting a waypoint in the live map. These waypoints will show as goodies in the live map. Users can drive over these goodies to help the Waze community complete the missing data in these maps.

Waze is the perfect tool for drivers that demand real-time data where today’s GPS maps cannot deliver. With updates from the Waze community, everything happens in seconds.

Features:

• Free downloads available for iPhone, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and other mobile systems.
• User-generated real-time maps help you navigate while driving.
• Quickly tells you if there is traffic, accident, or road blocks.
• Easy interface allows users to update maps by adding in missing roads, street names, junctions and more.
• Available live maps all around the world.
• Take live photos and upload them to update the map.

Checkout Waze @ www.world.waze.com

What that means is that if you’re cruising along a highway and there’s a traffic jam ahead, you’ll get a warning from someone stuck in the jam who decided to be nice and inform the world about it.

It’s not only for traffic jams, police traps, accidents, speed cameras, broken traffic lights and any number of “˜Custom’ events can be flagged up. What’s more, when these obstructions are flagged up by other users and if they’re in the way of your route, Waze will automatically alter your course so you can avoid them.

Despite all these features, it takes a community to make Waze what it should be; and there is a shortage of alerts with community activity being sporadic. However, the reason for the afore mentioned lack of community is that the program is still in beta (even alpha for some devices), plus the fact that it takes time for an active community to build up. In time, this will make an extremely useful app. Definitely worth having, especially for the commuter.

For more details watch demo video below:

Check out Waze @ www.waze.com (by Dean Sherwin)

Vessel locations are shown on the map using colored markers with each color representing particular type of vessel (Cruise Boat, Cargo Tankers, High Speed Craft, Yachts & Others). Clicking on a marker displays vessel’s image, speed, course, dimensions, voyage details… etc.

The site also lets you check real-time information on ports along with ship arrival & departure times.

Sailors have an option to install a VHF antenna and start sending and seeing their data on MarineTraffic.

Features:

• Track ship positions in real time.
• Search vessels by name or by type.
• See ship’s image, speed, course, dimensions, voyage details and more.
• Get info on sea ports, stations and navigation aids.
• No signup needed.
• Similar website: Sailwx.

Check out MarineTraffic @ www.marinetraffic.com