Update: We use, rate, and review AT&T FamilMap.
For better or for worse, the number of ways we can track each other with mobile electronics is increasing rapidly. Many people "opt in" to tracking with services such as Loopt, which let you share your location with a select group of friends and family (if you have certain GPS-enabled phones). Other means of tracking may not be so benign, with GPS tracking units secretly placed on vehicles, for example.
AT&T has jumped into the tracking business with its new FamilyMap services. FamilyMap is versatile and powerful because it works with virtually all AT&T phones, whether GPS-enabled or not. If the phone does not have GPS, AT&T uses the less-accurate cell tower triangulation method to place the mobile phone user within a 100-yard range.
FamilyMap shows tracked phone locations on a map accessible via a Web browser or mobile phone. Users may set alerts for when the tracked phone enters or leaves certain locations. This could be useful for providing automatic notification when children arrive at home or sports practice, for example.
AT&T emphasizes that this is not a "secret" tracking service and that tracked phones will receive text message notifications. FamilyMap costs $9.99 per month for two phones, or $14.99 per month for up to five phones. Tracking is only available within the same billing account. By the way, this service will also be useful in locating lost or stolen phones, as long as the phone is turned on.
