Update: LBS Tidbits
ShopKick’s app is installed in at least a demo Best Buy store. That’s right installed; this is not GPS/Wi-fi enabled, but a local hardware acknowledgement of your presence. In return for walking in and doing treasure hunts in the store, you get points. TechCrunch has a demo which some say will kill Foursquare et al and others think won’t last.
—- original post 7/16/10——
ShopKick is yet another of location-based shopping apps. It’s yet to debut, but the company added $15M in second round funding to its $5 million in first round funding. It’s got several partners lined up for a launch of its "offers to those in the area" app expected this summer. Among the companies on board: Macy’s and Best Buy. Shopkick has a current app, CauseWorld, which I noted some months ago.
Word is $4.6M of the $20M that Foursquare recently raised went to founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai.
HootSuite, an app aimed at Twitter and Facebook power users, now features Foursquare integration as well as support for iOS 4’s app switching features. Version 1.1.5 of the iPhone app also promises performance boosts, and customizable re-sizing of fonts.
- PC World
ChatRoullette is going spatial: "Localroulette automatically routes users to specific location-based channels according to IP address."
- Mashable
"Webroot found that more than half of those who use location-based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt are worried about their privacy."
- GigaOm
The iPad is becoming a mapping tool for hikers. Why develop for it? iPad apps sell for several times more than iPhone apps. Skobbler is readying its iPad app for the coming week. EarthNC is working on marine apps.
- Forbes
A research study from Interpret reports:
...geo-social networkers are nearly twice as likely to share their home address as the general population.
The report pointed out to the marketers that the adoption of location-based social networks is far from mainstream, and these consumers tend to seek out more information than they contribute.
- TMC
Matt Galligan, CEO of SimpleGeo, spoke at Real Estate Connect in San Francisco Thursday. He talked about Foursqure and Groupon. Apparently he did not speak to what distinguishes his company from others that offer backends for geospatial app development. I continue to be frustrated that I don’t see what’s so special about SimpleGeo - and yes I heard him on This Week in Maps, which continued my frustration. Am I missing something?
- Inman
