According to Wikipedia LBS or location-based services are “information and entertainment services, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device.”
There are many great LBS apps out there, with more arriving on the scene almost daily. One of my favorites right now is Whrrl from Seattle-based Pelago – they just debuted the release of Whrrl 3 at SXSW currently going on in Austin (I really wish I was there – guess that could be diagnosed as SXSW-envy …). A couple of other location-based services apparently making big noise in Austin are homegrown Gowalla and the heavily publicized 4 Square from New York City (New York City? Get a Rope!). I’m currently using all three of these mobile apps on my iPhone, as well as a couple of others – including My Town by Booyah from Palo Alto, which I just picked up the other day and has over 1.36 million users.All of these LBS are entertaining and can be great fun, some have certain advantages over the others and ‘hooks’ to get players/members involved, all make it possible to ‘check in’ on the coolest social media tools – Facebook and Twitter. They also have applications to help businesses better reach and connect with their customers – which are only just beginning to start to scratch the surface of possibilities. It’s going to be fun.
Something else these location-based services have in common is that they are also all fighting for market share and space on the growing number of smart phones. I would really like work for one of the previously mentioned to help build the use of their app and/or help show businesses how they can make the most of the growing popularity of LBS – it’s expected to keep exploding into the future.
Do you currently use any LBS location-based services on your phone or mobile device? Which is your favorite? See any trends in the LBS arena? What do you expect is going to happen?
Speaking of location … I feel like I need to be a bit more creative in my social media campaign to find my next opportunity and have begun to expand my search to beyond Bellevue and Seattle. In fact on my Twitter profile, I have changed the location to read “Seattle, San Francisco, LA, NY”. It’s obvious that nobody can be physically in more than one location (let alone four), so I don’t think it is being dishonest – especially considering that those are the largest cities that I’m focusing in on for my job search and that once I start working as a community evangelist, the chances are really good that I’ll be spending a lot more time in each of those great cities.
On the other hand, after the letter I wrote today to Idaho Governor Butch Otter in response to his open Love Letter to Idaho’s neighbors that was released last week, I may be soon moving to Boise … (more on this later in the week).
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