Zhiing: Location Based Messaging for All Smartphones

No sign up is required to get this free downloadable application that allows users to send their location to their contacts via text (Zhiing)messages. When at a restaurant, you can send your location to a friend and he / she will receive turn-by-turn directions on his / her phone. Zhiing allows to send your current location or an alternate location to use later, locations can be stored just like emails or sms and opened later to get directions.

Zhiing is compatible with RIM, iPhone, Android, Symbian,Windows Mobile, and is map agnostic. It works with the main providers like Google Mobile Maps, Blackberry Maps, Nokia Maps as well as premium voice-activated maps.

According to ZOS Communication, the developer, unlike most GPS-enabled application, Zhiing works indoors and provides the most accurate location by combining GPS, cell tower IDs and other location data provided by third parties such as Skyhook, AGPS and Google Mobile Maps. At some point we will be able to install a browser plug-in for the desktop and send locations to friends from any website to their phones.

We published about a similar application last week, Glympse, unlike Zhiing, it does not provide turn by turn directions from a text but you can follow a friend on a map for a limited duration.

Eliane Fiolet
Categories: Cellphones, Top Stories
Tags: GPS, location-based, Smartphones, text message