Keep tabs on your kids or your other half

Last night I was at an event called "Being Location Aware" which was looking at the imminent rise of location based services (LBS).

In essence LBS use newly refined geospatial devices, like the one in your mobile or your digital camera, to identify where you are.

A potential goose for many of the hopefuls at Ogilvy & Mathers' swank Canary Wharf offices last night. But will that goose being laying any golden eggs? Google, Yahoo and the likes certainly seemed to think so last night. Others weren't so sure.

What is certain is that LBS is already starting to affect our lives. With a few quiet minutes and your non-tech-savvy partner's phone, you can already use Google's Latitude service to, in effect, set up a tracking device on them.

Last night I learned of a new service called Kidspotter - I think aimed at tracking the under 10's. Venues like Chessington have started to use it. A great comfort to many parents, I'm sure.

So whilst there will no doubt be some great stuff offered by LBS, I don't mean to be the shrill sound of paranoid hysteria, ought we to be concerned by some of the opportunities it offers.