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Apple -- Here is how you do it


Apple was in news yesterday. I think they are in news everyday, but the news I am talking about has nothing to do with the stellar performance they had on the Quarterly results. I am talking about the other news, where they secretly spy on you using your iPhone, iPad and iPod without disclosing you anything about it.

I understand that there are plenty of reasons why Apple does what they do to keep things secretive about their products and services -- but when it comes to tracking your location secretly without any authority from the user is completely wrong. Google and other location aware applications do the exact same thing -- with your permission. That's a big difference and Apple needs to stop being a Bully and taking things for granted. That's freaking 120 million people!

Apple -- Here is how you do it.

1. Be open and give user the option to enable or disable the location aware functionality. Remember the location services button in your iOS settings? Give the user the option to opt-out from there from your services. This would be a start. 

2. If the user decides to opt-in, then give him the ability to manage his service. Let him decide if he wants to share with his friends from Contact, Twitter or Facebook. Don't be a smart ass as do what Google did with Buzz.

3. Give an user a dashboard to manage his content, his check-ins.

But being Apple, you would never do all of this. We all know this.

Here is what Google Latitude does it.

1. Gives user to access to opt-in or opt-out. For mobile Apps, it gets even better as you can either install the app or remove it and to top it gives the user choice to opt-in or opt-out.


2. Now, lets the user manage his service and yes the Dashboard








Comments

  1. KamalApril 21, 2011 at 5:11 PM

    I do agree with what you say, google does give option of switching "feature" on n off, but how sure a user can be when other application keep this "feature" off when using it?

    ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. AbhijitApril 21, 2011 at 5:39 PM

    That's a great Question -- which I don't have an answer. The finding of Apple secretly capturing your location was unearthed by college professors. So definitely people missed that mark.
    Our dependency on services and products like Google, Apple, FB and Twitter is increasing exponentially. It's exciting and crazy at the same time what they can do with all that data!

    ReplyDelete

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