Apple bought mapping API company called PlaceBase back in July that allows developers to embed maps in a site using JavaScript, though no one heard a peep about it. It sounds like Steve Jobs is looking to take a bite out of Google Maps.

Most modern gadgets have technology built-in, which in theory can be used to track stolen devices down. Many of the consumers out there know this, but the companies selling the devices are not willing to help. Some consumers even suspect that companies may not be helpful for ulterior reasons.

Ever wonder which burger place you went to last time you were in town? Now you can use Street View to check out business search results in Google Maps to jog your memory.

It seems somewhat doubtful that when GPS was first invented that the inventors had ‘avoiding traffic tickets’ ticked off in the ‘pros’ column of their checklist, but that hasn’t stopped one company from leveraging the technology to do just that.

Worried about your children traveling abroad during their gap year? Then why not stalk them for the duration? GPS makes this very easy to do, but whether your kids will thank you for it in years to come is another matter.

The US Air Force is trying to quell fears that the Global Positioning System used for satellite navigation might fail. It follows a Congressional warning that government targets for the long-term reliability network will likely be missed.

A Congressional report has warned that the Global Positioning System used for many navigational devices could begin to fail next year. But tales of impending doom may be exaggerated as there is only a 20 percent  chance of any noticeable problems developing.

Asus announced the first netbook with a touch screen computer back at CES in January, but details have been slow to emerge since. Now we have a ballpark launch date for the UK and pricing information for the first touch netbook for the mass market.

Google launched Latitude back in February as a way of sharing your location with friends on the service. Until now, your friends actually had to join the service to see your location, but now Google Latitude has new tools to share your location via the Web or Google Talk.

Microsoft’s latest service integrates Twitter-esque status updates with mapping and news streams to help keep up with family and friends in a time of emergency. Luckily you don’t actually have to be caught in the middle of an emergency to use it.

The latest iPhone OS 3.0 developer beta includes some of the underlying programming libraries necessary for both voice control and synthesis on the device. The latest version of the iPod Shuffle included some voice features, but the iPhone could take the concept much further.

The open source Android system has been making the most news at a major mobile phone industry conference. Announcements at the Barcelona event include several new handsets using the system, a paid application store and a viewer for Microsoft Office files.

Google is launching a service to allow users to track the physical location of friends and family through their GPS-enabled cellphones. However, privacy concerns mean it will be less useful for keeping tabs on children and more useful for people wanting to cover up an affair.

Microsoft will be the biggest investor in Microsoft N-trig, an Israeli start-up that makes touch-sensing screen hardware. The start-up capital will be US$24 million capital and the other investors will be mainly venture-capital firms.

The Open Handset Alliance, the administrative body behind Google’s Android phone system, has taken on 14 new members. It’s not just a bureaucratic move though: reports suggest Sony Ericsson and HTC are both planning to release further Android devices next year.

Google has released a version of its world visualization tool called Google Earth, which runs on the Apple iPhone. The application improves on its desktop counterpart by using the iPhone’s touch-screen navigation, location-sensing and tilt functions to help navigate the globe.

Having “always on” geolocation functionality in our portable devices has always given me a bit of the creeps. Sure, I enjoy having a GPS system in my car that helps me find my way around, but I’m not one to leave the location based programs in my cell phone or laptop set to “always on”. You never know who’s got better, more invasive tools than you do.