It's a Google App Engine web app that lets you allow others to track you on a map.
Yes, but without having to install an app.
Excellent question! Here are some reasons someone might want to use this application rather than other available apps:
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Anonymity. You don't have to sign in or identify yourself to use this app.
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Privacy. Related to anonymity, of course.
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No need to install an app. It's just a web site. Will work on anything that supports HTML5 Geolocation API.
You enter a code—it can be any alphanumeric string (periods and underscores are OK too). The subsequent web page will track your location at that code as long as it stays open. It will also tell you the URL that you or someone else can use to view your location on a map.
You must pick a unique code. If you don't, you and someone else may end up reading each other's location data. (Other than the location data, there will be no identifying information available.)
If you are tracking the location of an iPhone, the web page must remain open and active. You can't run it in the background. That's just the way iOS is. You also have to make sure the phone doesn't go to sleep. When using this app, I am able to plug the iPhone into a charger in my car, which keeps it from going to sleep. Recommended!
If you don't want to deploy this app yourself, here, use mine:
This code is licensed under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for the actual details.
Copyright (c) 2012 Richard Trott