GeekSugar

Does Foursquare Equal Overshare?

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:30:10 -0700

I recently realized that my days spent planning an evening out with friends seem to be fewer and far between. Our ability to stay in constant communication with each other via text, Twitter, Facebook, and more means there's no need to plan ahead. Instead I find myself saying, "Just text me when you get there," and creating our plan on the fly.

The latest addition to the ever-growing lists of constant-contact facilitators is Foursquare, recently profiled by The New York Times. Users of the social networking site can share their current location with friends in real time. The free service is designed for use on the go, and in addition to its web-based presence has BlackBerry and iPhone applications available for download. To read how Foursquare works and to share your thoughts, read more.

The service is based on check-ins: when you arrive at a location (a restaurant, store, bus stop, wherever), you "check in," disclosing your location to friends. Check-ins earn you points; a series of check-ins at certain places (three places with a photo booth or 50 unique venues, for example) earn you coveted merit badges. Add tips and to-do lists with any location, and read other Foursquare users' tips and lists when checking into a new place. This isn't a new concept - Foursquare founders built the idea from Dodgeball, a now-defunct service that used SMS messaging to alert friends of your whereabouts. And services like Latitude and Loopt provide similar location-based services.

Foursquare launched in March and is now available in 35 cities from New York to Vancouver to London.

Do you use Foursquare? Do you think it encourages oversharing, or is it a helpful way to keep tabs on friends?

Connect With More People With Loopt Mix

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:05:00 -0700

I like using Loopt because it connects me to my other Loopt buddies in a snap. Plus, it shows me their reviews and favorites so I know what bar to hit up on my next girls' night out, or where to go for the best cup of coffee in the city. I loved the Loopt update from a few months ago, which made the easy to use app even slicker, but now with their next venture, it will be even easier to meet new people and expand your social circle.

Called Loopt Mix, this app focuses on connecting with the people around you. It gives you more ways to mix and mingle with features like in-app chatting, profile browsing, free messaging, and status updates so you get to know new faces and meet up with cool peeps that share your interests. The app is free, so next time you're worried about why your boyfriend won't do Loopt, dump the dud and find a new partner in crime with the help of Loopt Mix.

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Tech Dating 101: Is It Shady That He Won't Do Loopt?

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:03:13 -0700

Today's Tech Dating 101 centers around location-based services like Loopt and Google Latitude. As cool as these services are, some people are a little creeped out by having people know where they are at all times - even though, of course, you choose to share your location and can choose who you're friends with.

It seems like it would be a great idea for couples - you'd always know where the other one is. It sounds convenient and safe.

However, not everyone is comfortable sending his or her location out and feeling "tracked" - not even when the only person who'd be updated is your significant other.

But if one person in the relationship wants to use Loopt, but the other person doesn't - is there reason to be suspicious?

To see what I think, just read more.

If your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't want to do Loopt, it's probably not a red flag. Even if you're comfortable with technology - as I am - you may just not want to participate. I feel this way, personally; my boyfriend loves Loopt and Latitude, but I can't bring myself to do it.

Of course, I reject everyone's Loopt invitations because I do like people finding out where I am the old-fashioned way. When I tell them directly. I'm not untrustworthy, and I wouldn't think that anyone who didn't want to do Loopt was, either.

What do you think?

Do You Like Locater Services Like Latitude and Loopt?

GeekSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:05:07 -0700

Google Latitude is cool - you can see where someone is at any given moment (as long as the phone running it is on, that is) but it also completely weirds me out.

I don't mind that my boyfriend knows where I am at all times with Latitude (which can be shared as the exact location or just the city), but it's weird. So weird that I'm cool with having it installed, but I refuse to check out where he is (unless there's an emergency). It makes me feel like a stalker. A connected stalker, but still.

The app Loopt sort of does the same thing - keeps location tabs on your friends and lets you know when they're nearby - awesome if you want to run into someone, awful if you're trying to avoid them.

The Google blog announced today that Latitude can also be shared with your non Latitude friends in a variety of ways, so yaaaay. . . or nay?

Daily Tech: Best Buy Mobile Puts the iPhone 3G On Sale

GeekSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:02:28 -0800

Starting today and running until Saturday Jan. 3, Best Buy Mobile will be offering the 8GB iPhone 3G for $189.99 and the 16GB version for $289.99. - The Boy Genius Report
Despite hearing rumblings that BlackBerry Storm is not fairing well with customers, Verizon states that the Storm has been its top-selling handset of the past month. - Gizmodo
The mobile social network Loopt has gone live on three more carriers today, making it now available on Sprint, Verizon, Metro PCS, T-Mobile, and Boost networks. - TechCrunch
Consumer Reports has picked the Samsung BlackJack II as its top smartphone pick. - Switched
Boing Boing makes some excellent product suggestions for a helpful tech-buying cheat sheet this holiday season. - Boing Boing
We're not only giving away one Palm Centro this holiday season - but seven - thanks to our friends over at Palm! Be sure to log in for your chances to win! - geeksugar

Geek Tip: Stalk Your Friends With Loopt

GeekSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:00:20 -0700

Well, maybe not stalk, but at least you will know where your pals are (and what they are doing) when you're needing a buddy fix. Loopt is a new mobile program that not only alerts you when your friends are nearby, but shows you their pics, reviews, and favorite hangouts right on your mobile device. Send your location and deets about what you are doing, and automatically be connected via AIM, buddy lists, and Loopt contacts, so you can meet up wherever, whenever.

And tell me if you've heard this one before: You can download Loopt for your iPhone right from the App Store for free! I've tested it out already on my new favorite gadget, and I gotta say it's pretty sweet!

Tech Dating 101: How Not to Virtually Stalk Him

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:33:27 -0700

One of my favorite scenes in He's Just Not That Into You is when Gigi and Janine are at a bar, and Gigi tears up a guy's business card for not being clear about if he actually wanted to call her. It's a lightbulb moment, since previously she had been staring at her phone non-stop and checking her voicemail every five minutes. We've probably all been there at some point in our lives, but now it's even easier to find out about people on the Internet. With MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and a number of other social networking sites, you can see where people are, what kind of food they like to eat, and what kind of music they are into with just a few clicks. Now that I say that, it's actually kind of scary, right?

And if you're just starting to date someone, it can be very tempting to Google his name and start checking his Twitter feeds every hour to see what he has been doing. But please, resist the urge my friends. If you already know everything about a person after only a few dates, what kind of revelations and cool facts will you uncover when you're actually in the same room? I've put together a list of things you shouldn't do in the early stages of a dating relationship, so you can make the most of your time together, and generally not come off like a creepy online stalker. Find out what they are when you read more.

Stay far, far away from 123 People.
Don't friend him on Facebook until there's an intro. Like one of you asks, "Hey, so are you on Facebook?"
Definitely don't follow him on Twitter (or secretly follow him on Tweetstalk) unless you've exchanged Twitter names.
Don't assign him a speed dial until the relationship is on solid ground.
Don't call and hang up. You should know this by now.
Don't Google Street View his address and try to guess which apartment is his.
Don't bookmark or loiter around his Flicker photo stream.
Don't friend him on Loopt until you're in an established relationship, or have decided to just be friends. This would be creepy.

Social Networks Are Lost on Most Adults

GeekSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:45:18 -0700

I thought everyone knew what a social network was, especially since you really can't get away from them these days. But apparently you guys are on the cutting edge of trends, so give yourselves a pat on the back! Why? Well, a recent report says that 58 percent of worldwide adults surveyed are totally clueless about what a social network is. I know, I know, I'm shocked too.

Even more surprising, a whole 30 percent of Americans couldn't tell you what Myspace or Facebook is, let alone describe what Yelp, Loopt, or Sonic Living are about, since they are totally oblivious to the popular networking trends! My heart breaks a little to know that a big chunk of our nation's adults still don't understand the joys of Twitter, let alone all the great wines that are just waiting to be discovered through one of my social networking faves. I guess I'll have to start a grassroots campaign to educate the social network deprived out there - you know, take it to the streets!

Best Ways To Stay Socially Connected

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:00:09 -0700

Social networks are all the rage these days, with people Twittering, Loopting, and sending their locations to friends via their cell phone, all in hopes to stay in touch and rack up points on those social calendars. Whether you are tethered to your cell, or connecting through your WiFi, here are some of the best websites, networks, and apps to keep you connected to your friends. Source

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The Cheaper and Faster iPhone 3G Has Arrived!

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:30:20 -0700

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off this morning at the Moscone Center with Steve Jobs' keynote speech, and thanks to Gizmodo's live coverage, I was able to be a part of the minute-by-minute action. The latest and greatest iPhone was finally announced and it's jam-packed with goodies galore. Available in 8GB (black) model for only $199 and a 16GB (black or white) model for (yay!) only $299. The 3G iPhone has thinner edges than the first iPhone, comes with a full-plastic back, a flush headphone jack (phew!), and improved audio quality and battery life. It also includes fun stuff like built-in GPS, support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, and access to the new App Store. The iPhone 2.0 software will be released in early July and is free for all iPhone owners and $10 for iPod Touch owners!
For more info about the iPhone 2.0 software, just read more.

Additional neat iPhone 2.0 tools include an eBay app called Auctions that helps you search for new items, place bets, and browse through pictures belonging to various auctions. There's also an app called Loopt - a social networking tool with location-based services, a TypePad app that allows you to create blog posts with photos, medical apps for doctors so that they can show CT or PET scans on the iPhone, full iWork document support (view iWork docs on your iPhone) as well as parental controls. With so many apps at your disposal, the iPhone is truly going to be a revolutionary all-in-one cell phone. Stay tuned as we further explore all these amazing technology tools!