As of today, users of mobile devices running the popular Android operating system can keep tabs on loved ones by taking advantage of Moby, a free yet powerful family and friend location-finder app.
Moby is not your typical location-based check-in app, where you tell the world where you are, and what you’re up to. Creator Contigo developed Moby to be a private, secure, real-time location alert system. Whenever you start up Moby on your phone, the app continues to run in the background for a time period you choose, passively alerting desired contacts in the network as to your location.
Moby has a storied history with Contigo, a company that has developed software for enterprise-level GPS systems for almost a decade. "We’ve always wanted to create a family locating system, but the technology just was not in place at the time," said Rob Goehring, Contigo co-founder. "With the rise of smart phones, we thought we could get back to our origins. This makes sense, because everyone is getting a smart phone, even kids as young as 7 or 8 years old."
With the announcement of a free iPhone 3GS offer from Apple following its iPhone 4S release, Goehring’s statement will likely be especially true, with both free Android devices and iPhones beginning to flood the market as consumers renew their mobile contracts.
Originally released for the iPhone and Blackberry operating system platforms, as of today millions of proud Android users can download Moby from the Android Store and keep track of those they love the most.
Going on a family trip to Disneyland anytime soon? After turning on Moby, your 12-year-old daughter’s mobile phone can alert you to the fact that she is in line at Space Mountain (again.) Letting your 15-year-old son go to the drive-in theater (do those still exist?) Moby will help you find out if he’s sticking to his promise to come straight home after the movie. If you want to meet up with an old friend for lunch, Moby lets you privately request a location check-in, so the two of you can catch up on your lives.
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