Sprint seems to be a huge fan of rolling out handset-based tracking and location services. It's latest, dubbed "Friend Finder," uses Loopt's technology to allow Sprint subscribers to get that social networking on while wireless. Like other LBS applications, the GPS chip inside that handset is used to update a customer's location every 15 minutes. Of course, all your friends must have Sprint phones as well as being Loopt customers, and friends have to grant access for you to track them. This is similar to Helio's Buddy Beacon service which launched in 2006. Cost? Sprint will make ya pony up $2.99 a month, and the service will initially work on 25 handset models from the carrier.

[via mocoNews]

It seems there will likely come a day when everyone knows the latitude and longitude of everyone else in real time, we were just secretly hoping that we wouldn't see that day in our lifetime. Alas, Loopt's gone ahead and found a customer -- Boost Mobile -- for its friend-tracking system, which maps the location of buddies on a Google Local-like display. Happily, users must opt in before they can be tracked; once they do, the system will show current location, a settable status, and messages sent from other, uh, trackees. Of course, unless all your friends are on Boost, the system is of limited value, but we're pleased to know someone's out there keeping the Big Brother dream alive.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Loopt would like us to let you know that their service is entirely opt-in, and that only approved users can track your whereabouts.