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By now you have seen the various applications available for your BlackBerry that allow you to update your social media profiles including the Facebook for BlackBerry application and TwitterBerry. Today we are going to check out an application called FindMe developed by Electric Pocket. Using FindMe you can tag various locations that you visit regularly and have them broadcast to your Facebook status and mini news feed automatically by your BlackBerry. You can now let your friends know where you are whenever you like and even give them the ability to map your specific co-ordinates. With FindMe you always have the option of “Going Dark” so that you can maintain your privacy when needed.

Installing FindMe to your BlackBerry and Facebook profile

Installing FindMe on both your Facebook profile and your BlackBerry is a painless process. Simply go to the FindMe Facebook application page and follow the on page instructions to add it to your profile as you would any other application.

You will be prompted to enter your mobile phone number and the email address that is associated with the BlackBerry device. Once you have entered the applicable information you will be asked whether you want to receive the software download link via SMS or email. The download will be sent OTA to your BlackBerry.

Once installed, you will see a new FindMe icon on our BlackBerry applications screen. On your Facebook profile each of your location updates will be visible in your mini news feed. Additionally, a new module is made visible that allows your friends to map your current location.

Using the FindMe application on your BlackBerry

Click on the application button and then click on the FindMe icon to launch the application.

Upon launch, FindMe recognizes that you are in a brand new location and asks you if you want to tag this location. Click the “Tag this place” button to bring up the location identification fields. You have the option of naming your location and entering a specific address if you like. This address will not be visible to your friends in your FindMe information unless you have enabled the “Map It” functionality.

Additionally, you have the option of allowing FindMe to add your location to your news mini feed and to update your main profile status. You can choose to disallow either of these things if you like. If you choose to let FindMe update your status, you can choose to be notified or allow modifications without notification.

Repeat the above process for every new location you want to be recognized by your BlackBerry. The FindMe software will work with your BlackBerry and recognize each tagged location with the help of cellular tower positioning.

On the BlackBerry device, when you click the track wheel/track ball, a menu appears on the right of your display.

Your options are:

• Edit “current location”: Click this link to change both tag and address details for your current location from your BlackBerry.
  
  
  
• Split Tag: Will split the current locations tag into multiple locations. I was not able to delete any of these split tags or delete tags in general. The most recent tag given to a location takes precedent over any previous tags and the split tags option goes away once you have split a tag.
  
  
• Show History: This displays your timeline of updates. During testing, the FindMe application did not seem to recognize the split tag ids and only listed the original tagged location.
  
  

Hide Me: This has the same effect as “Going Dark”. You see a screen on your BlackBerry with a red shaded radar to indicate your location is not visible to people via the FindMe application. A checkmark appears in the menu to indicate you are in hidden status. Clicking “Hide Me” also updates your Facebook status to read “Has Gone DARK!”



• Go To Facebook: Exactly what it sounds like takes you to your Facebook profile.
  
  
• Find My Friends: Launches your BlackBerry browser and displays some general FindMe profile information.
  
  
• Status: lists random information about your location and updates - not very useful on first glance.
  
  
• About Find Me: Here you will find a quick blurb and an option to check for upgrades.
  
  
• Help: Not very helpful

FindMe on your Facebook page

In your left side navigation on Facebook you will now see a FindMe link. Clicking this link will take you to your FindMe profile page.

On this page you will find your current location and an option to map it (pulls a Google map with a relatively accurate estimate of where you are geographically — for me it was within meters). You can set your location status prefix ie: “is”.

You can also change your message when you are in an unknown location. The default value is “unknown”. The final field you have an option of changing is your location.

By default, FindMe will broadcast the locations which are tagged in your BlackBerry. In the event that you would like to manually change your location and override your tagged location, you have the ability to do so.

Other options on the Facebook page are:

• Refresh locations: Click this link to refresh your locations and synchronize between your Facebook profile and your BlackBerry.
  
  
• Go Dark: Disables the FindMe client from broadcasting your location out to the world.
  
  
• Change mobile number: Click this link to change the mobile number associated with your FindMe account.
  
  
• Get mobile client: Click here to download the FindMe mobile client if you have not done so already.
  
  
• Invite a friend: Use this link to let your friends know about the FindMe application.
  
  
• Findme home: Click here to visit the FindMe home page.
  
  
• Help: Some general FindMe information and a link to the Mobile Application download.

My Opinion

I like this application. I can see myself getting some great use from FindMe. Whether it is just letting my friends know which of my popular haunts I am at at a particular time, or getting them specific directions to a lesser known location via the map it feature, FindMe will work just fine.

The entire tagging process is quick and easy and was intuitive all the way through (except for that whole split tag thing, but I am sure I will figure that out soon enough).

FindMe is available for all BlackBerry Smartphones with trackballs, including 81xx series (Pearl) , 83xx series (Curve) and the 88xx series, plus all GSM Windows Mobile phones, at http://www.electricpocket.com/findme. The application was tested in this case on an 8700 with no problems whatsoever.

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