Next time you are in the neighborhood you may not be able to avoid getting drinks or a coffee with someone you have been promising for a while.

Google has launched a new feature in Google Maps called Latitude that allows users to share their location with friends and family. The service won't pinpoint the exact location but it offers a good idea of where your friends are, says Google.

Location aware services are becoming increasingly popular among smartphone users. For instance iPhone users can download Loopt, a map sharing application for cellphones that pretty much works along the same lines as Google Latitude.

Google users have to opt in to use the Latitude feature and invite friends to join. If accepted, users can spot friends in the same neighborhood through the maps and text, IM or email them.

Naturally, all this raises questions about privacy. Google says it has plenty of settings in its latest feature to take care of privacy concerns. Once you've shared your location, you can hide it from individual friends or all of your friends at once, says Google. Users can also turn off Google Latitude completely at any time.

Google Latitude is available for Android phones, the iPhone and iPod Touch, most color BlackBerry phones, Windows Mobile and Symbian users.