social-activity services

Finnish handset maker Nokia has taken GPS a step further with the announcement Monday that it is acquiring Plazes, the developer of a social-networking Web site that lets friends locate each other.

Currently in beta, the Berlin-based Plazes site lets users update their locations and activities using either Plazes software or by sending text messages. Users can subscribe to activity streams from their friends or groups of friends, as well as to streams from specific locations.