Source: LyonSHARE Communications

Glympse(TM) Makes It Easy to Share Location in Real-Time on Facebook(R)

Newest Feature Lets Users Share Location Dynamically With Friends in Their News Feed for Set Period of Time

REDMOND, WA--(Marketwire - April 16, 2010) - Sharing location with friends and family on Facebook® has just become easier -- and more engaging -- thanks to Glympse™ (www.glympse.com). Glympse goes beyond static "check-ins" or a simple map showing your location, and allows iPhone™ and Android users to quickly update their status via their mobile phone so their Facebook friends can follow their real-time movements on a dynamic map, for a set period of time. 

Glympse offers users freedom to share their location with as many or as few people as they would like. Once downloaded to a smartphone, users can choose individuals from their contact list and send an email or text message or share with Twitter followers and, as of today, Facebook friends. Glympse users can simply send a Glympse to check-in at a location, similar to many popular social location games; or, they can set the patent-pending GlympseWatch™ timer and specify how long they want their ongoing location to be visible, for up to four hours.

"Location integration in Facebook has been unchartered territory, and now we've created a way that people can share where they are, while still maintaining control over their privacy," said Bryan Trussel, co-founder and CEO of Glympse, Inc. "Glympse goes beyond check-ins to provide a tool that people can use in almost any location situation, whether it's social or work related. By having real-time movement on a map, Glympse makes sharing whereabouts on Facebook and Twitter fun and interactive." 

Glympse is available for free on iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile® devices. The Glympse app also works to send or receive on the iPad and iPod touch®. Once Glympse is downloaded, a user can quickly set up access to their Facebook account with their News Feed and specify privacy settings using Facebook's privacy controls. This lets senders control whether their location is shared with every friend, select friends, specific networks or if it's just contained to their Wall. A sender can simply share their location or add in a personal message or destination.

To view a Glympse, Facebook friends simply click on the News Feed thumbnail image which then expands within Facebook to show a dynamic map that pinpoints the sender's movements in real-time, including speed of travel, and -- if a destination has been included -- the estimated arrival time. Once the Glympse expires, friends are only able to view the sender's last location.

Some of the location scenarios, ideal for Facebook and Twitter, recently shared by users, include:

  • Cross-country road trip
  • Cyclist on an 85-mile ride
  • Runner completing a marathon
  • Afternoon on a ski mountain
  • Meeting up for happy hour
  • Paragliding flight
  • Group meet up at a conference

Glympse recognizes there are few people you want to know where you are at all times and has built-in controls giving users the tools to easily manage who can see their location and for how long. To help promote responsible location sharing among users, Glympse works with safety group ConnectSafely.org, and new location sharing tips for teens and their parents can be found here: http://www.connectsafely.org/Safety-Tips/gps-location-sharing-tips.html.

"Social networks and location sharing services have opened up new ways for people to communicate, and they've also shifted the balance of a person's private life into a more public sphere. We need to teach young adults about when and with whom it's appropriate to share their location," said Anne Collier, co-director of ConnectSafely.org. "By teaching kids about protecting themselves online and in our new mobile world, including actively managing their privacy settings and carefully sharing location only with people they know, we can utilize these new technologies in safe, constructive ways."

For more information on how to download Glympse, visit http://www.glympse.com/get_glympse.

NOTE TO WRITERS/EDITORS: An overview video, b-roll and graphics depicting Glympse location sharing on the iPhone and other mobile phones and a computer may be requested via pr [at] glympse [dot] com.

About Glympse Inc.
Glympse, Inc. was founded in 2008 by former Microsoft veterans who collectively saw a need for a new type of location-sharing service. Glympse™ allows GPS-enabled mobile phone users to share their location for a pre-set period of time with anyone they choose using patent-pending GlympseWatch™ technology, so users can "check-in" or allow their location to be shared for longer durations. Available on iPhone™, Android and Windows Mobile™, Glympse visually answers the question of "Where are you?" with a dynamic map that updates a person's whereabouts in real-time. Glympse was developed with consumer safety and privacy in mind, and the service provides users with complete control over WHO can view their location, WHEN and for HOW LONG. The company works with several industry groups, including ConnectSafely.org.

Glympse™ and GlympseWatch™ are trademarks of Glympse Inc.

Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, iPod touch and Windows Mobile trademarks featured or referred to within this release are the property of their respective trademark holders. Their use does not imply any affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement of Glympse products or services.