New York Based Start-Up Mapfia Solves LBS App's Privacy Issue

June 21, 2012 in Utilities

[prMac.com] New York, New York - Mapfia is pleased to announce Mapfia 1.1.0 for iOS, a newly launched application for iOS and Android phones that lets users make free "map calls". The launch of GPS embedded phones sparked several Location-Based Service (LBS) apps such as Loopt, Google Latitude, and Apple's Find My Friend. These LBS apps generated some hype and usage among early technology adopters. However, to most users, LBS apps are more hype than actual usefulness for one obvious reason - its privacy issue.

The problem with current LBS apps is that they are built upon the social media concept - users send friend requests, and once a relationship is established, users can see each other's locations permanently. Yes, diligent users can go through the steps to adjust their privacy settings and turn buttons on and off to gain some control of their privacy, but at the end of the day, many people don't want to go through the hassle of constantly messing around with privacy settings, and definitely don't want to broadcast their location 24/7.

Despite this privacy issue, there are still millions of users using LBS apps, indicating that there is definitely a need for it. For example, users can use LBS apps to meet up with friends whose locations are hard to describe - such as in a park, on a campus, or in unfamiliar cities. Parents can use LBS apps to see where their kids and families can use LBS apps to know when to expect each other. So the question is how do you develop an LBS app that allows users to easily and fully control their privacy.

A New York based start-up Mapfia, Inc. have cracked the nut on LBS app's privacy issue. Mapfia's app for iPhone(R) and Android(TM) phones lets users make free "map calls" to see each other's real time location. Its patented technology allows users to share location by simply making a phone call, and once you hang up, that's it! It only shares your location privately while you are on the call. Mapfia also integrates seamlessly with users' existing address books and does not require a PIN or username.

Because of its private and temporary nature, Mapfia is especially useful for people who are constantly meeting up with others, such as college students, salespeople, real estate brokers, or even taxi drivers. And also for those who frequently want to know each other's location but still want to control when to share their location information.

There are a ton of LBS apps out there, but Mapfia is a simple one that's worth a try.

Language Support:
American English and Spanish

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* 5.8 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Mapfia 1.1.0 is free and available in the U.S. and Canada exclusively through the App Store in the Navigation category.

Located in New York, Mapfia was founded in 2012 by a team of engineers whose collective experience comes from Google, Oracle, eBay, and Netflix. Mapfia is our patented technology to make navigation and location sharing simple and secure. All Material and Software (C) 2012 Mapfia, Inc. / All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

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Stephanie Liang
VP of Marketing

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