Starting yesterday, the Google Latitude location-based service has been made available for iPhone users. Instead of being integrated with the Maps application, though (as was originally expected), it's been released in the form of a web-based app, which can be accessed via your handset's browser.

The geo-tracking app allows users to find the current location of their friends and contacts on a Google map, provided they've given you permission to see where they are. Their locations are  plotted with an icon and a picture at the exact location where they're detected.

Clicking on that presents a menu that allows you to either send an email, get directions to their location or change your settings for that particular user. You can choose to let each individual detect your exact location, keep it to city-level only or block them entirely. It integrates directly with your contact list in Gmail, as well, so you don't really have to enter any new information. Other features of the web-based service include searching the map, viewing traffic information and an alternate satellite view.

Since the iPhone cannot run apps (even browser-based ones) in the background, Latitude can't update in real-time. Instead, it will only refresh when you first launch the site and when you have it in the foreground, so expect a bit of delay every time you switch to it.

While Google Latitude does seem like an interesting application, it can be a bit of a bother to use on the iPhone (compared to the way it works on Android). Without a competing visual geo-tracking service on the platform, though, it should find plenty of users trying to find out where their friends are - at least, until a better alternative comes along.

Photo Credit: Gizmodo

If you're not averse to bringing your iPhone along during your morning runs, you might want to take a look at RunKeeper, a free app that turns your handset into a full-featured pedometer. If you've been hoping to get some stats to go along with your jogging route, this is as low-cost and effective a solution as you can find - certainly beats having to get a separate pedometer or that Nike + iPod pairing.

Instead of tracking every step like standard exercise gadgets do, RunKeeper uses the iPhone's built-in GPS to track relevant information, such as duration, pace, distance, speed and more.  All calculations and updates are performed in real-time, allowing you to pull out your phone at any moment to check your numbers.

Once you've finished a run, you can upload the data to RunKeeper's website, where all your workout information is stored. Want to check your route from last Friday's evening run? Simply log on to the site see the exact path outlined on a map - all for free.  Even better, it offers integration with other services, such as Facebook and Twitter, automatically updating your messages and status in case you want to gloat.

A Pro version of RunKeeper is also available, which adds niceties like audio cues, custom workouts and other add-ons for $9.99. You seriously don't need it if all you want is an easy-to-lookup, detailed record of all your workouts, but more serious athletes might be so inclined.

Make sure to find a good way to carry your iPhone, though, like a fitted armband or such. Last thing you want is to drop that precious phone in the middle of a rocky trail. Ouch.

RunKeeper

The V-Cockpit GPS is a bit misleading. While it is a GPS app, it's not at all designed to help you get anywhere. In fact, if you use it while driving, you'll probably end up either ignoring its splendor to focus on the road or getting into an accident.

Instead of a utilitarian tool, V-Cockpit GPS is a sideshow entertainment of sorts, which displays an airplane-like cockpit dashboard right on your iPhone's screen. Rather than show arbitrary data, though, the app displays accurate readings of your speed, altitude, vertical speed, acceleration and heading on analog instruments, making you feel like you're piloting a plane while you're actually riding a bus. You also get an artificial horizon panel, just for good measure, and a data computer that shows a digital summary of the different readings.

You can tap on any of the instruments to bring them up to a full screen; a double tap, on the other hand, turns up a moving chart that plots the specific data against time. Other options include a mirror mode (basically just the same thing mirrored on an upper panel), night vision mode (where all you see are lights) and some authentic airplane sounds, such as radio chatter and engine noise.

It's a visually-fascinating app that really doesn't do anything useful - unless you're really interested in monitoring how fast you're going when riding a train. If that's the case, then you'll love this because it offers pretty realistic and accurate readings. Other than that, though, I can't really recommend getting the paid version - it's not as if we're in a dearth of cool things to entertain us as it is.

You might want to try the V-Cockpit GPS "lite", which comes with limited features, but is still just as fun.

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