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Topic: Hardware

Loopt: iPhone app keeps track of friends

Summary: I've been playing with a free iPhone application called Loopt (Web site, App Store). It allows you to stay connected to your friends, colleagues and relatives who are also members of the service.

Jason D. O'Grady

By for The Apple Core |

Loopt: iPhone app keeps track of friendsI've been playing with a free iPhone application called Loopt (Web site, App Store). It allows you to stay connected to your friends, colleagues and relatives who are also members of the service. Loopt uses the GPS chip in the iPhone 3G and Wi-Fi triangulation in the iPhone 2G to pinpoint your exact location.

When you invite friends to join Loopt they get access to your location and can ping you when they're in the area. If this scares you remember that a) it's by invitation only, and b) you can turn off the location feature at any time.

If you travel to a different city or even one of your old haunts you can fire up Loopt to see if any of your friends are in the area. You can also use Loopt to find local places and events recommended by friends and services such as Yelp.

It also works across multiple carriers and devices so you can also share location with friends even if they don't have an iPhone. I'm currently using Loopt to track my trip on the Amtrak AutoTrain and it's pretty cool. Think of it as a location-based version of Twitter.

Topics: Hardware, Browser, iPhone, Mobility, Networking, Software Development, Wi-Fi

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Talkback

4 comments
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  • Only in USA?

    Hello,

    For some reason, Loopt is not available in France.
    When visiting Loopt website, I saw that they seem to be
    linked to the carriers in each country. Do you know a reason
    why Loopt cannot be distributed worldwide?

    Thanks
    gxf
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Loopt: iPhone app keeps track of friends

    Since you cannot post a talkback with any helpful tips or opinions on ZDNet anymore without being attacked by all of the Apple Haters, my posts will now deal with the content of the article.

    This article is worthless dreck which has the word 'iPhone' in it to get hits. This info could have been taken word for word from about 35 other articles that I have read a looooong time ago. As much info could could have been learned by looking at the App Store.

    Thank you.

    My opinion, and I am entitled to it!
    GoneFromZDnet
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Loopt: iPhone app keeps track of friends

    Friendio has real time tracking, it's similar to Loopt but different in it's own way. First, it's not an APP so any phone can use it, not just iPhone. Have you seen that one? It's at http://friend.io -- By the way, what is .io anyway? I never saw that extension until I searched google for iPhone Phone Friends, and this Friendio shows up as number one.
    johngalatte
    Reply Vote

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