14 DAY TRIAL // Google's latest update to the Maps Android app came with a hidden surprise, points for check-ins in Latitude. The location-based service that's been a part of the Maps app since the beginning hasn't really captured the world's imagination. Google itself hasn't given it much attention, while the service has evolved over the years, it's far from a crucial product.
Google has been shy about stats as well, while it boasts that Latitude has millions of users, that's not really saying much since every smartphone user that installs the Maps app also gets the Latitude app.
Out of curiosity, some may even use it once or twice. With hundreds of thousands of new Android phones being activated each day, all of this adds up.
Regardless, it seems that Google is not giving up, not yet anyway, and has now added a social/game feature to Latitude, points for check-ins and leaderboards.
Users that check into a location get an amount of points and it all adds up for a competition with your friends, or at least the people in your Google+ circles, this being the second big feature, Google+ integration.
Google is bent on building Google+ into everything it does, for better or for worse. While there are some questionable combinations of products, a social component to Latitude makes a lot of sense.
That's not saying that this makes Latitude or Google+ for that matter worthwhile products, but being able to compete with your friends or just the simple social component is something that other location based services offer and it's a good fit for Latitude, which has lacked in this area.
It seems that Google has more planned for Latitude, such as "status levels" for the places you check into, going from visitor to guru.
None of this is new, of course, Foursquare and company have been doing it for a few years. Google does have a few things going for it, scale and a built-in audience, thanks to both Android and Google+.
But size has rarely been enough for a product/company to be successful, some of the most successful to date, Google, Facebook or even Apple, have done so while fighting companies and products that were much bigger than them at first.