Location technology... it's all over the place and so are the apps. Indeed GoWalla, foursquare, and facebook are making strides but are they going mainstream?
It sure seems that way, but I do find it interesting to note that it's still very common for users to "check-in" at very popular venues (say a massive shopping mall for example) and still be the only person at the place who has checked in, so really, are these apps really taking the World by storm?
If you happen to be addicted to Twitter, sure, it may seem that everyone around you is checkin in to places using some kind of social app... keep in mind though not everyone is on Twitter (gasp). Perhaps watching facebook would be a better resource to gauge just how much have location technology, and in particular, social location check in taken off. I suspect you'll also find that in relative terms, not very many of your contacts are checkin in to facebook using Places, foursquare connect, or some other service. So, maybe there's much more to all this hype than simply checking in! I guarantee you that indeed there is much more that you can do with location-aware technology, apps, and services. Read on for tips about several fine apps that take advantage of your location:
Music & Social Location...
Broadcastr (iPhone and Android OS) a new social media platform that enables the recording, organizing, listening, and sharing of audio. Imagine this, users are able to take a GPS-enabled walk as stories connected to their surroundings stream into their headphones, like a museum tour of the entire world. Users of Broadcastr can record their own content, create playlists, follow their friends, and share stories on Facebook and Twitter. See Broadcastr.com where you can get in on the Private Beta. See their official PR release at
Social Camping...
MyCampMate - a new Trip Based Social Network and iPhone App named MyCampMate. iPhone App and web community is targeted and focused on the outdoor enthusiast and travel community. This iPhone App community is a crowd sourced, GPS assisted informational network that allows each member to create unlimited trips, invite friends on those trips and stay better connected on those trips. While on trips members are encouraged to share anything they find, either an experience or vendor by means of dropping a designated pin on the devices map. See more info in this feature http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/22438/2/ or jump to http://www.mycampmate.com
Pin search using search bar and pin location
Social Location Photos...
Instagram - Launched several months ago, instagram has been hugely popular thanks to the explosion in the number of fine camera enabled smartphones in the hands of users. Developed for the iPhone user, instagram enables users to quickly capture a photo, then they can quickly and easily apply a number of fun effects to spice up any image.. it really is amazing how cool a simple pic of a coffee cup can turn out by applying a fun effect! Where instagram gets really powerful though is that once a photo effect is applied it then takes only one click to send the photo to Twitter, facebook, Flickr, posterous, Tumblr, and foursquare. Instagram uses your camera's GPS to location tag your photos. See http://instagram.com/ - see here for a few of my instagrams! Picplz Social is another photo sharing app usable via PC, Android and iPhone. Add dramatic effects to photos then share. Sharing photos is huge in social media... sure checking in from a place is cool (I guess) but really, sharing a photo from your local bar or coffee shop is much more fun and social than a plain checkin shouting out "I'm here". Thus, it's no wonder why apps like instagram and the like have been hugely popular right out of the gate. Picplz is another way to share photos from your favorite places and you can also connect via Twitter and facebook. See http://picplz.com
Social Government...
CitySourced - Another favorite of mine, this fine app builds on the concept of the crowd and is ideally suitable for government or enterprise users. Using CitySourced, citizens can identify civic issues (public safety, quality of life, & environmental issues, etc.) and report them to city hall for quick resolution. Imagine you stumble onto a pothole, a crime scene, or maybe some graffiti.. now what? Using CitySourced you can easily store the location, grab a photo, enter a short description and upload the information. The team on the receiving end will ensure that your report finds it's way to the appropriate agency! According to the company, a picture tells a thousand words and CitySourced makes it snap. CitySourced is available for users of iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Win Mobile devices. See http://www.citysourced.com/download
Social Deals...
Shooger - Here's a simple app that will save you some $$ guaranteed! Mobile couponing is hugely popular thanks to Groupon, however, you don't have to receive email updates to score a great deal. Using Shooger you simply fire up the app, set the search distance - for example, search only venues within 1 mile of your location - and browse the local deals that are nearby. Depending on your area, you may be surprised at how many discounts are being offered in shops that you frequently visit. Imagine 2 for one ice cream, a free lunch, or 20% off at the till? Shooger serves up some fabulous discounts and best of all the app is free. See http://shooger.com/ available for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry
These apps just touch on the possibilities of what you can accomplish when your mobile device is location-aware. Keep in mind, there's much more than simple check-in when you get that cool, new, GPS-enabled smartphone!
