loopt, which was noted several times at devCON (they use deCarta technology) announced an additional service today which allows users to share location information with "non-loopt" phones. From C|NET:

Starting Thursday, the Loopt service is integrated with subscribers' mobile address books and AIM buddy lists so they can share their real-time location via a text message or instant message.

Still loopt is limited in its userbase. But that's perhaps going to change.

Even with the new IM and text feature, the Loopt service is still limited in scope. For the application to truly hit the mainstream, it will have to be offered by more carriers.

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Loopt, says more deals are on the way. The company is already in talks with another major mobile operator in the U.S., and it should announce another deal soon. But Loopt isn't just talking to carriers. The company is also working with Google and Facebook to add new features and functionality to its service. So stay tuned.

Oddly, I didn't see anything from Autodesk but Wired runs a nice feature on the "then and now" of AutoCAD and CAD in general. Some of the passages can also be applied to our world of geospatial technology. I'll offer:

What AutoCAD did, if you look at a snapshot of the past 25 years, was really to democratize computer-aided drafting," says Mark Fritts, a senior manager at Autodesk and, prior to that, a licensed architect in California.

...

Before its commercial availability, computer-aided drafting (or design) was limited to massive corporations or large universities. Such software required not only huge amounts of computing power, but also large swaths of dedicated floor space to house the hulking machines needed to run it.

...

Interestingly, the software's main selling point today is the same today as it was the year of its birth: productivity. Whether used to design the tooling and instrumentation on Boeing airplanes or the aquatic O stage for Cirque du Soleil, AutoCAD continues to help designers and engineers complete complicated projects faster and with far fewer people.

Ok, I admit it, I read the press release from Pizza.net "the original pizza search engine." It said the site was "leading the way in search technology by combining open source from Yahoo's AJAX Library for a faster web experience, Google's mapping for an enhanced visual address locater, and Geocoding for the zip code proximity searches for increased accuracy."

So I tried it keying in my ZIP Code (outside Boston) and a radius. For 1 mile I got nothing (odd as there are several within a few blocks including one across the street). For a five mile radius I got one hit. Ready?

You searched within 5 Miles of 021xx

Pizza Inn
Distance: 4.25 miles S
718 Ctr St, Vinton, LA, US, 70668View in Google Earth™

A search in Chicago was more successful but included:

Nicky's Chinese Food
Distance: 0.24 miles S
5231 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL, US, 60615

There are odd things in that area of Chicago; the resaurant may well serve pizza!

I'll provide a brief summary: lots of talking and sharing, but few tangible products. But there's nothing wrong with that.

-
San Francisco Chronicle