Forget alarm clocks, Wakie wakes you with phone calls from strangers

There’s alarm clock apps that force you to spin around, and ones that require you to move closer to your router. Then there’s Wakie, an app that encourages random strangers around the world to wake you up with a phone call.

Wakie has actually existed before, as it’s the international version of the Russian-language wake up app called Budist. The Wakie brand has also been alive in the US since 2011, but aimed squarely at Russian speakers there. However, fresh from a $1 million funding round, it’s all systems go for Wakie in other markets.

For now, Wakie is open to those in the US, Canada, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong – if you’re the one wishing to be woken. But if you’re happy playing the exclusive role of ‘waker’, you can sign up anywhere.

Wakie is available for Android and Windows Phone, though the iPhone version is currently awaiting approval from Apple, so it should be live very soon.

How it works

To use Wakie, you have to be prepared to sign in using your phone number. Wakie promises that your number will remain ‘safe and anonymous’.

Wakie’s community consists of Wakies (callers) and Sleepyheads (yup). If you want an alarm call, you just set an alarm time through the app, and when the wake-up time arrives, you’ll be connected to a Wakie of a similar age and theopposite gender. With that condition enforced, Wakie suddenly meanders on a slightly different trajectory, but we digress.

Calls last for one minute, with phone numbers never shared.

If you’re a Wakie, you can see how many Sleepyheads are scheduled to waken and offer to help by hitting the ‘Wake Someone Up’ button. When the call ends, Sleepyheads are invited to rate the Wakie.

But wait – if a Wakie isn’t available, doesn’t this mean you’ll sleep in and be late for work? Not quite, this scenario is catered for, as an automated call kicks in.

Similar initiatives have been available in the past, for example Talkoclock was available a while back, but has since ceased to exist. It’s a quirky idea for sure, but with 30 million wake up calls placed from 1.5 million users in Russia, there’s no reason why it can’t take off around the world too.

Wakie is available to download now for free.

Apple Has an iPhone Headache, but It Won’t Last Long

Apple Has an iPhone Headache, but It Won’t Last Long

Apple's stock is down even though it just sold 10 million iPhones in a weekend

It’s been a weird week for Apple. The company sold a record 10 million of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models over the weekend, setting them up to be its most successful phones ever. But no company can escape the headaches that come with almost every new launch, and Apple has three problems marring an otherwise spectacular introduction
.First, iOS 8, Apple’s new mobile operating system, inexplicably launched late last week without promised apps that used a health and fitness feature calledHealthKit. Then, early this week, reports flew around social media and tech blogs showing the iPhone 6 Plus, the big 5.5-in. granddaddy of the two iPhone 6 models, was easy to bend — some people claimed the phone bent when sitting in their pockets for extended periods, others bent the phones on purpose to prove it was possible, and everybody loved calling the whole thing “bendgazi.” Finally, Apple rolled out an iOS 8 update Wednesday intended to fix that HealthKit problem and other minor issues, only to quickly pull it after users complained the update had caused their iPhones to lose the ability to make phone calls.

How to Downgrade from iOS 8 Beta to iOS 7 via iTunes

Apple has just rolled out the first beta iteration of iOS 8 for developer testing via iOS Dev Center and a step-by-step guide to downgrade from iOS 8 Beta is already available.

It must me noted that iOS 8 Beta can only be downgraded to the latest version of iOS 7, which is iOS 7.1.1.

Those who have already installed the iOS 8 Beta and want to downgrade or restore their device back to stable versions of iOS 7 can do so using our step-by-step guide.

Note: Users are advised to back up their important data on the device to avoid data loss during the downgrade process.

IBTimes UK reminds readers that it will not be held liable for any device damage during or after the firmware downgrade process. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Steps to Downgrade From iOS 8 Beta to iOS 7.1.1 via iTunes

• Download the latest version of iOS 7 firmware from here. Please remember that this procedure will only allow you to restore your device to the latest firmware that Apple is currently signing, which is the iOS 7.1.1.
• Launch iTunes on your device.
• Put your device into DFU mode as follows:
• Press and hold Home and Sleep/Wake button together.
• Wait for ten seconds and then release the Sleep/Wake button. But, continue holding the Home button until an iTunes message confirms that it has detected iPhone in recovery mode.
• At this point the iPhone screen should go black. Now, press and hold Alt/Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows) and click Restore iPhone button.
• Choose the firmware file you downloaded earlier in the next screen and then click Open.
• A confirmation prompt window should now appear on screen. After ensuring that you have backed up important data on the device, just click Restore.
• Allow iTunes to complete the downgrade/restore process, which should last approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once the iOS 7 restoration is complete, you will get a confirmation prompt in iTunes with the following message: "Your iPhone has been restored to factory settings, and is restarting. Please leave your iPhone connected. It will appear in the iTunes window after it restarts."
• Just click OK and let the device restart.

Your iOS device is now successfully downgraded from iOS 8 Beta and restored back to iOS 7.1.1.

Hackers take iPhones HOSTAGE and demand ransom money: iCloud accounts are being used to remotely lock devices

Attacks are thought to have originated in Australia and spread worldwide

Hackers, under the name ‘Oleg Pliss’ are accessing users’ iCloud accounts to enable the Find my iPhone feature

Once enabled, they lock the phone remotely and demand ransom money  

This pop-up can be programmed to say a personalised message

The hackers are demanding hundreds of dollars to unlock the device 

Apple assured users its iCloud service has not been breached

Increasing numbers of iPhone and iPad users are being targeted by hackers who are remotely locking their devices and demanding ransom money in return.

Ransomware attacks, in which criminals remotely gain access to a device and hold it hostage, aren’t new, but they have traditionally targeted laptops and PCs.

In this latest mobile attack, the hackers are controlling gadgets by breaking into customers' iCloud accounts and remotely locking the devices using the Find My iPhone feature.

The attacks began last week in Australia, but customers from across the globe have reported the hack on official Apple support forums and tech sites.

Based on these reports, criminals are hacking into iCloud accounts from a browser, before locating connected devices using the Find My iPhone feature.

In some instances, customers have multiple Apple products including iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs attached to the same account.

The hackers, operating under the name 'Oleg Pliss', are then enabling Lock Mode to shut the devices down remotely.

This feature lets people send messages to thieves, for example, letting them know that the phone has been locked.

In this instance, hackers are personalising these messages to demand $100 in ransom money to release the devices. 

The hack only works on handsets that have the Find My iPhone feature switched on, and this is accessible in Settings. 

Apple told the MailOnline: ‘Apple takes security very seriously and iCloud was not compromised during this incident.

‘Impacted users should change their Apple ID password as soon as possible and avoid using the same user name and password for multiple services. 

'Any users who need additional help can contact AppleCare or visit their local Apple Retail Store.’

To change an Apple ID, go to appleid.apple.com and follow the steps to reset the password. 

Users that have a passcode on their iOS devices can remove Lost Mode in Settings, using this PIN. 

Although the attacks began last week, they show no signs of stopping.

They appear to be scam in which hackers are stealing details from other websites and using the same login details to access as many accounts as possible - including iCloud.

It highlights, again, the need to have different login details for different accounts.

WWDC Preview: iOS 8, OS X 10.10, iWatch, iHome and Retina MacBook Air

Apple's sixth annual worldwide developers conference will take place in San Francisco for five days from 2 June with iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 set to be unveiled.Apple

While the launch of iPhones and iPads are seen by most as the glitziest events in Apple's calendar, for many the annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is much more interesting, as this is where Apple's road map for the coming years is laid out.

Typically software-focused, the unveiling of the latest versions of iOS and OS X give developers, journalists and Apple enthusiasts an insight into where the company sees its future lying.

At this year's event, which kicks off on Monday, 2 June we expect to hear about iOS 8 and Mac OS X 10.10, but we are also likely to see an indication of Apple's expansion into other areas, from TV to home automation and of course wearables.

Here we look at all the big announcements we expect from the WWDC keynote which kicks off at 10am local time (5pm BST) next Monday:

---

iOS 8 (codenamed Okemo)

---

Following the radical redesign with iOS 7 last year, iOS 8 is likely to focus on updating its feature set.

The big update to iOS this year will be the addition of Healthbook, a new centralised location for collecting everything to do with fitness (calories burned, steps taken) as well as medial information (blood pressure, blood sugar levels). The app would integrate information from other apps which work with third-party peripherals such as the Jawbone Up or Withings Smart Body Analyser.

Of course the launch of a dedicated app like this just increases the expectation that it will work with the hotly anticipated iWatch device which Apple is set to release this year (see below for more).

Elsewhere Apple is set to give its maps solution a big overhaul including indoor mapping to work with iBeacon, the addition of bus and train information which has been absent since Apple ditched Google for its own Maps service; and 

even augmented reality to add a layer of information over the real world using the iPhone/iPad's camera.

Among the other big additions expected in iOS 8 are TextEdit and Preview apps which have been brought over from OS X, a standalone iTunes Radio app, integration of Shazam and potentially an Siri API for developers to allow the feature be used in non-Apple apps.

---

OS X 10.10 (codenamed Syrah)

---

OS X 10.10 is set to get the Jony Ive treatment in the same way iOS did last year.

OS X 10.10 will replace OS X 10.9 or Mavericks which was launched at WWDC last year, and while that update focused mainly on tweaking the performance of Apple's operating system, the new software will see a radical overhaul of how OS X looks and feels.

iOS 7 was a stark departure from the skeuomorphic-heavy iOS 6 with the design much flatter and stripped back. While reports suggest that Jony Ive is overseeing a "significant" overhaul of the OS X design, it is unlikely that we will see as radical an overhaul as iOS 7 was compared to iOS 6.

The details of the changes have been kept very much under wraps (as per Apple's usual practices) with one source telling Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac that none of the mockup appearing online are an accurate representation of what Mac OS X 10.10 actually looks like.

---

iHome

---

A report earlier this week suggested that Apple is ready to launch a new platform for connected devices for the home.

It would bring together the disparate group of products (Philips Hue, Nest Protect etc) which you can already control using your iPhone, but Apple would certify the products, as well as launching a new brand and logo for the division.

It is unclear if Apple will show its hand at WWDC next week but the company will want to get a foothold in this market before competitors like Google, Samsung and LG get too far ahead.

---

Apple TV

Apple has been rumoured to be working on an major update for its Apple TV set top box for a while now, and WWDC 2014 could be when we finally get to see what it has been working on.

The new device could tie in with the company's push into the connect home, with the refreshed Apple TV acting like a hub to connect the various devices through your home.

We could also see Apple finally launch an app store for Apple TV, something has has been an obvious gap in the company's offering.

With the release of an SDK to developers, Apple could be ready to embrace mobile gaming on your TV, either using your smartphone as a controller or using a special controller such as Amazon unveiled with its Fire TV set-top box.

With Google set to unveil its new Android TV platform at Google I/O later in the month, Apple will want to remain relevant in this fast-changing space and build on the somewhat surprising success of Apple TV in recent years.

---

iMacs and MacBooks

---

While WWDC is very much a software and developer-focused conference, Apple has used it in the past to unveil some new hardware, including the first look at the new Mac Pro last year.

The first and most interesting new product could be a budget iMac. Customers ordering the current generation of iMacs have seen shipping times slipping from 24-hours to 2-3 business days along with other retailers selling out of certain models - indicating a refresh is on the way.

The move would also confirm speculation from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities who predicted a budget iMac last month.

However another Apple watcher with an impressive record of predicting what Apple will or won't announce - Jim Dalrymple of The Loop - responded to Kuo's suggestions with a single word:

"Nope"

The MacBook Air could be in for a major revamp, which Apple widely reported to be working on a 12in version of its market-leading laptop, which would bring the Retina display from its MacBook Pro line as well as an even thinner and lighter chassis.

---

8GB iPhone 5s

---

Another prediction from Kuo - and another one shot down by Dalrymple - is that Apple is set to introduce an 8GB version of its iPhone 5s following the introduction of an 8GB version of the iPhone 5c earlier this year.

The suggestion is that an 8GB version of the company's flagship phone will shore up flagging smartphone sales, but considering the fact that there is no microSD card slot available and iOS will take up a significant chunk of that 8GB, then we're not sure how appealing an 8GB iPhone 5s will be anyway.

iWatch

Will Apple finally unveil the much talked about iWatch at WWDC?The answer is that no one really knows.

However, considering that Google will reveal the first raft of Android Wear smartwatches from LG and Motorola (and possibly others) at Google I/O later in June and considering the amount of resources Apple seems to be putting into the development of the iWatch, a surprise reveal is not totally out of the question.

Fresh Photos of 4.7in iPhone 6 Leak Online via Apple's Supplier Foxconn

A bunch of freshly leaked photos of the next-generation flagship phone, the iPhone 6, have recently surfaced online via Chinese WeiFeng network that has sourced the renderings from Apple's largest supplier, Foxconn.

The newly leaked photos have a close resemblance to earlier iPhone 6 renderings published on the Japanese magazine MacFan, according to iPhone Hacks.

Quite surprisingly, the renderings depict that the 4.7in iPhone 6 measures 138.14 x 66.97mm which is the exact same measurement as the mockup done by AppleCorner just a week ago.

The 3D schematics of the iPhone 6 renderings hint at ultra-thin design with rounded edges unlike the chamfered edges of the iPhone 5s.

Furthermore, the leaked photos reveal that the Power button has been shifted to the top right hand side of the device for better comfort and grip while holding the handset in one hand, given its larger display.

With rectangular volume controls placed on the left, the iPhone 6 renderings show three-stage aluminium design on the rear panel with two antenna breaks cut out at the rear of the device.

On the contrary, it is widely speculated that Apple may resort to all-aluminium casing on the back of iPhone 6 instead of employing glass breaks as in the case of iPhone 5s.

In related news, Apple is expected to release two variants of iPhone 6 based on screen sizes (4.7in in August and 5.5in in September) with thinner design, smaller bezels, rounded edges and more.

The other key rumoured specifications for the upcoming iPhone 6 include Apple's latest A8 processor, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and enhanced 8-megapixel camera.

In addition, iPhone 6 is likely to debut iOS 8 with a host of new apps including Healthbook, improved Maps, TextEdit and Preview, inter-app communication capabilities and more.

The information available through leaked renderings of iPhone 6 is very sparse at the moment and given Apple's secrecy about its products, this leak should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Apple iPhone 6 to Come With Water Proofing?

Water proofing happens to be the latest and most popular feature among handset manufacturers like Samsung and Sony, who have made their recent flagship smartphones splash-friendly.

According to new images published by Phone Arena, it looks like Apple will also be adding water proofing to its upcoming iPhone 6. Check out the images below. And as with all rumours and leaks, take them with a grain of salt.

The pictures found bear a strong resemblance to the Apple iPhone 6 images leaked by reputed leakster, Sonny Dickson, last week.

If this new information is accurate, then expect the iPhone 6 to join a league of phones which include the Sony Xperia Z2 and the Samsung Galaxy S5, apart from the upcoming LG G3, which is also expected to be waterproof.

In other iPhone news, 9to5Mac on Friday published two new photos that show a collection of three iPhone 6 mockups. The concept images here are quite similar to the leaked iPhone 6 schematics that surfaced some time ago, according to BGR. The images show all three expected iPhone colours. Check them out below.

Reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple's iPhone 6 will be released late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter this year. The handset will use a larger 4.7-inch display with 1,334 x 750-pixel resolution, a faster A8 processor, NFC and a new thinner design.

The larger iPhone phablet with a 5.5-inch full HD display and similar specs will be released ahead of the Holiday season.

Chromecast Gets Spotify Music Service via Spoticast

Spotify is available for Chromecast.Facebook

Spotify music streaming service is now available for Google's new Chromecast streaming dongle.

Spotify enables users to stream music on various devices. The service is officially available for several platforms such as Windows, OSX, Linux and on most of the mobile operating systems.

Now, the Chromecast too has its version of Spotify, courtesy of XDA forum member NOPDevelopments and the service can be used with the Chromecast, although not officially.

The forum member has released an app called Spoticast, which is an unofficial port of Spotify without any official affiliation, notes XDA. The user needs a Spotify premium account and it will enable Device Broadcast Status in Spotify.

As this is an early release of Spoticast, a few bugs are likely. These issues will be fixed as the development progresses. Head over to the development thread to know more about Sopticast.

Known issues

* Facebook two factor auth.

* Pause/Play are fragile at best.

* Option to prevent screen burn in.

* Audio from android device during playback. (No easy fix)

* Random play interruption while navigating Spotify

Below is the developers post for the Spoticast.

I just decided to release this to the public. It uses your credentials to make a separate connection to Spotify while listening to media broadcast events sent from the android Spotify client. When one is received it makes a request via the connection for the required metadata and track data. It is then forwarded to your Chromecast to be played. There is a slight delay and a few bugs here and there but overall should be stable enough for a public release. Keep in mind it has not been tested externally until now. You must have a Spotify premium account and you must enable "Device Broadcast Status" in Spotify! 

Spoticast app from Chromecast is available at Play Store and it will enable users to cast their Spotify music directly to Chromecast from an Android device.

Galaxy S5 vs Xperia Z2: Extreme Waterproof Test Confirms S5 Fares Equally Good if Not Better

Samsung's Galaxy S5 comes with an IP67 certification that is rated to survive for half an hour when submerged under three feet (1 metre) of water.

On the other hand, Sony's Xperia Z2 flaunts IP58 certification that is rated to resist up to five feet of water for the duration of 30 minutes without damage to any internal components, thanks to its unibody design and sealed battery compartment.

Quite surprisingly, the Galaxy S5 holds its own by resisting damage to display, speakers and battery compartment when submerged in a bowl of cold water for the entire duration of 1hour and 20 minutes.

As the test video claims, the Galaxy S5 appears to be fully functional, despite droplets of water found on the edges of the screen and also on the back of the phone where the speaker is located.

On the contrary, the battery and SIM card of the S5 are apparently well-protected from even the minute droplets of water as some protective seal on its back cover keeps water from entering inside, as depicted in the demo video below:

http://dai.ly/x1tenow/185536  click to watch

Charm that makes calls

Phone ringer often saves us from unpleasant situations, and now it can do its thanks to this pendant. 
"Angel Centre" is this silver pendant, which is seemingly simple, but has a very clever technological device that can make phone calls. 

If you do not like the situation you are in, with an easy touch button, pendant made ​​ringtone to your phone, helping you to leave the country. 

This pendant goes even further, helping you to save your life, because if you hold for three seconds, pendant phone sends the message given earlier, to a parent or friend. 

Along with the message, addiction sends the link to the Google Map which shows exactly where you are.

ICLOUD ACTIVATION EMAIL FINALY REMOVED!!

Icloud finaly REMOVED!!

today earlier the video was posted about icloud pretending that someone hase servise for that  we checked the video and contacted the source and it seems its really trueth so it is a biig hope for a lot of people around the worlld that they are waiting for the solution
check the video and judge your self

Galaxy S3 I9300 Updated to Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Revolutionary S5 ROM

Step-by-step guide to install Android 4.4.2 KitKat revolutionary S5 ROM on Galaxy S3 I9300.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat Revolutionary S5 ROM available for Galaxy S3 I9300.

There is no official word so far on the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update for Samsung's third generation Galaxy S smartphone, but still the device can experience latest Android software, with the Revolutionary S5 ROM released by recognised XDA developer, ricky310711.

The Revolutionary S5 custom firmware featuring Android 4.4.2 brings tons of customised features and tweaks. It is heavily themed to look like the firmware of Galaxy S5. Besides, the TouchWiz has been modified, like the Galaxy S5 running Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Below is the changelog for Revolutionary S5 V3.

Revolutionary S5 Android 4.4.2 ROM Changelog (V3)

Updated superSU(1.94)

Updated busybox

All S5 UI sounds

All S5 ringtones

All S5 Alarms

All S5 notification sounds

S5 bootanimation(true)

S5 bootsounds

New S5 default wallpaper

Complete S5 UI

True S5 UI icons

S5 statusbar

S5 framework(updated)

Slightly faster

Android_Secure wiped while wiping /data

Re-enabled ink effect

More S5 icons(in launcher)

S5 download UI

Fixed browser UI(now complete)

Updated samsungtool(V5.0 UNIVERSAL)

Complete S5 themed clock

Complete S5 themed My Files(N3)

Optimised S5 accuweather

Compressed apps with higher compression

Updated installation method

Automatic backups of apps

Automatic backups of efs

Automatic backups of recovery settings(if found)

Automatic backups of app settings(if found)

Rebuild updater-script

updated xposed(V25)

updated wanam xposed

S5 MyFiles UI

S5 video player UI

Head over to the development thread to know more about Revolutionary S5 ROM for Galaxy S3.

Interested users, who wish to upgrade their Galaxy S3 to Android 4.4.2 using Revolutionary S5 ROM to enjoy the aforementioned customisations, may follow our step-by-step guide.

IBTimes UK reminds its readers that it will not be held responsible for any damage to the device. Before following the installation guide, users are advised to verify their devices meet following requirements.

Pre-requisites

1) Install USB Drivers for Galaxy S3 to transfer files between the Android device and the computer.

2) Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone to connect it with the computer and use Android SDK with it. [Navigate to Settings>> About phone. Tap on Build Number several times until a message appears saying 'You are now a Developer.' Now enable USB Debugging Mode by navigating to Settings>> Developer Options.]

3) As the tutorial might wipe out all data of the phone, create backup. If the device is having any custom recovery such as ClockworkMod or, TWRP then backup data using the same.

4) If the Android phone powers off due to lack of battery during the process, it could damage the device. Therefore, the Galaxy S3 should have charge above 80% battery charge.

5) The phone should be rooted and have latest version of ClockworkMod recovery. [Click here for our guide to root Galaxy S3.]

6) Android 4.4.2 KitKat Revolutionary S5 ROM works only with Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300. As applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device, verify the model number of Galaxy S3 by navigating to Settings>> About phone>> Model number.

7) After flashing the ROM if the device gets stuck on Booting animation or experience boot loop then perform wipe cache partition and wipe dalvik cache for a few times before rebooting the device.

8) Once the ROM is installed, users are advised to give 10 minutes to the ROM after the device boots up for the first time for better user experience.

Download file

Android 4.4.2 Revolutionary S5 ROM [Alternative link]

How to install Android 4.4.2 KitKat on Galaxy S3 I9300 with Revolutionary S5 ROM

Step-1: Connect Galaxy S3 to the computer using USB cable then copy both the downloaded zip file to the SD card of the phone. Ensure that the files in the SD card root, not in any folder

Step-2: Unplug the USB cable from the phone and switch it off

Step-3: Boot the phone into CWM recovery mode by pressing and holding Volume Up, Homeand Power buttons together

Step-4: In recovery mode, perform a full data wipe by selecting wipe data/ factory reset. Use the Power button to select while in Recovery Mode

Step-5: Now perform a cache wipe by selecting wipe cache partition

Step-6: Perform a wipe of dalvik cache. This is optional but users are recommended to perform so that the device will not get into boot loops or any other errors. From CWM recovery, go to advanced then select wipe dalvik cache

Step-7: Return to the main recovery menu and select install zip from sdcard

Step-8: Select choose zip from sdcard then using the Volume keys navigate to Android 4.4.2 ROM zip which was earlier copied to the SD card of the phone. Select it using the Power button and confirm installation on the next screen. The installation should start now

Step-9: After the installation process is completed, return to the custom recovery screen and reboot the phone by selecting reboot system now. The Galaxy S3 will boot now and take about five minutes to boot on the first time

Galaxy S3 should now be updated with Revolutionary S5 Android 4.4.2 KitKat ROM. Head over to Settings>> About phone to verify the new software version of the device.

iPhone and iPad ANY Model Clean IMEI switch "Find My Iphone" from ON to OFF in 5 - 15 working days

iPhone and iPad ANY Model Clean IMEI switch "Find My Iphone" from ON to OFF 

This service will switch " Find My iPhone" option from ON to OFF and you will be able to use your phone. Very important is the activation screen of this iPhones to look like this, which means that there MUST BE NO message from owner:

BUT THE PRICE FOR THE MOMENT IS TO HIGHT ITS AROUND 200 US DOLLARS

Facebook's Nearby Friends: Location-based Advertising is Next Frontier

Facebook has introduced Nearby Friends where users can choose whether they would like to pinpoint their location to mates in a move that could give the social network a lot more data on users that could then be used for targeted ads.

Previously, the social network automatically notified users about friends who were close by. The new opt-in only version is designed to allay privacy concerns.

While some in the industry are calling the new feature "creepy", Nearby Friends potentially gives Facebook a chance to better monetise its mobile app, an area where the company has so far failed to profit.

Location-based advertising, whereby consumers are geo-located to receive messages about offers and discounts directly to their smartphones as they walk down a high street, could be the answer.

According to analyst firm IDC, location-based advertising makes up 40% of all mobile advertising in the US and 33% in the UK. By 2018, it is expected to account for 50% of all advertising in the US, with the UK not far behind.

"The challenge of location-based advertising is that it has to be very targeted. Facebook is a general social platform so different age groups use it in different ways. Twitter is the same," Alys Woodward, IDC's research director for European big data and social business tells IBTimes UK.

"In the past, Facebook have pushed the boundaries of privacy and then turn around and say, 'Oh, you don't like it?', and then roll [it] back. Since Whatsapp will never give them users' data, Facebook is now getting users to opt in.

"Despite their vast revenue, they do have to evolve to survive [as] Facebook sponsored ads haven't been successful."

The idea behind Nearby Friends is that if a user travels to an unfamiliar place, they might want to find out if there are friends around that they could meet up, for example, at a music festival.

"It's not just about tracking people. Facebook can take the data to advertisers and say, 'At a festival, why don't you advertise on our app?'" says Woodward.

Mobile operators who, like Facebook, are sitting on a rich database of user data from their mobile subscribers, are starting to use location-based advertising too.

Ginny Arnold, head of communications for Weve, the m-commerce platform joint-venture formed by Vodafone, EE and Telefonica O2 tells IBTimes UK: "Location and the ability to talk to a consumer directly on their device based on a specific area at scale is still a relatively new concept. About half of all the campaigns that were delivered by our service in 2013 had a location element.

"The most important thing about location is one of the fundamentals of marketing - understanding your audience and ensuring that the content you offer them is relevant and useful."

And it's not just about promoting retailers – location-based messages can be used for public service announcements as consumers always have their phones with them.

Intersec offers Linux-based geo-location technology called Igloo that has the ability to disregard "irrelevant" targets ie, people who just happen to be walking along a road or people who live there, instead targeting returning visitors at a specific time of day.

Igloo is being used by Weve and many other mobile operators in 32 countries, such as SFR in France.

"SFR launched a campaign for blood donations, targeted to reach opt-in [mobile subscribers] who were located less than 200 metres from a blood donation centre," Intersec's COO Gary Buchwald tells IBTimes UK.

"The results were astonishing: by 2pm, the centres couldn't take more blood as the reserves were full and 30% of the donors were first-time donors."

Privacy concerns

The worry is that location-based advertising could be intrusive but this is not the case.

"Location-based advertising is only sent to consumers who explicitly agreed to be targeted with SMS campaigns & geo-located. Operators are very cautious with the commercial pressure and only a limited number of SMS are sent to subscribers over a set period of time," says Buchwald.

"If you have your top five retailers and they send you the right messages in the right time, it's valuable. It's not like a spam email as there's a time limit as to how often customers will be contacted," says Woodward.

"If you share this information, it will learn what you like and you will get useful info about promotions and time-specific promotions just for you. Companies are using your data to get you to come into their shops to buy items more often."