Archive for the ‘Foursquare’Category

Attack of the Local Q&A Sites

Bet you don’t know which pizza place in Des Moines has the best deep-dish. Bet you didn’t know you wanted to know, either. Well you do. And these sites are going to tell you where to get it. So ask yourself. Were you thrilled by location-based service Foursquare? Did you jump for joy when Q&A phenom Quora came online? If so then you’ve been waiting for these 1/2 dozen local Q&A sites.  Each one is begging to show you what’s going on in cities and countries you’ll never visit and have no business asking about:

  • Hipster – Site hasn’t even launched and it’s already hiring. How cool are these guys?
  • Loqly –   Finally, a site that focuses on what’s really important: the local bar scene.
  • Gootip – Actually knows where you are and offer local opinions on stuff. Uh, thanks?
  • Loqize.me – No idea what these guys are trying to do. I signed up for the beta though.
  • Localmind – Seems the most commercially oriented and potentially the most practical.
  • LOCQL – This is the Microsoft entry. Eh. I could go either way. But thanks for playing.

Now pardon me while I track down a dry-cleaner in Nome, Alaska. Awesome!

Posted via email from practice (redux)

Opzi Upgrades Galore!

You remember our piece about Opzi,  the Q&A sensation that’s sweeping the nation? Sure you do. Well, Opzi has upgraded and is delivering more bang for your buck. Changes in this iteration include:

  • Improved stability
  • Attach files to pages
  • Embed images and video
  • Easily link between pages
  • Create”Read-only” users

Sign in here and see for yourself. 

Also, the company welcomes feedback here.

Posted via email from practice (redux)

 

Android, iPhone, Locations, TechCrunch, Sanity

Apple_location_fud
I’m a sucker for pieces that tell it like it is. It’s just a breath of fresh air amidst the endless sea of talking heads online. Take this piece published on TechCrunch in which the author essentially says “enough already” with the consumer location hubbub that started over at Apple and has metastasized over to Android devices. I’ll the article speak for itself but it’s a great read. Punchy, to the point, a little rude. At last, the truth. – Ed.

About a week and a half ago, I wrote a post defending Apple against the location FUD being spread. Due to some real, but minor issues (which have already been resolved) Apple was at the center of this. Then the focus seemed to shift towards Google. If Apple is “watching you” with the iPhone, Google must be as well with Android devices, right? Sure, if you’re a paranoid looney. Naturally, that group includes the US government. In an effort to attach their names to these highly publicized complaints and companies, certain legislators have called upon executives to testify before Congress. On Tuesday, those companies will deliver a Location 101 lesson to Congress. As I noted in the previous post, the press certainly isn’t helping with any of this FUD — and may actually be more than a bit to blame for it. After the Apple FUD started spreading, who else but The Wall Street Journal started digging into Google’s location approach as well. The shocking discovery? An email from a Google project manager to co-founder Larry Page stressing how important it is for Google to have their own location database for Android. … No. Shit.

Read the full article on  practice (redux)

Tags:

Can you say “Privacy Lawsuit?”

This item speaks for itself. Class Action lawyers … enjoy!

Posted via email from practice (redux)

Now it’s a party …

Pets_com_puppet1

Recently posts like this one have speculated that we may be experiencing yet another bubble. If you’re playing our home game you know that’s bubble #3; the dot-com boondoggle, the Web 2.0 inflate-a-thon, and now … Color.

What is Color? A photo-sharing App with wrinkles like automatically merging photos with those of every other user within 150 feet. Bam! Instant photo network with total strangers. That’s not creepy.

Business models aside however, here’s the thing. Color just came out, has never made a dime, and may never work out. But it just got $41,000,000 in venture capital funding. Sound familiar? Does Pets.com ring any bells? Netscape? Webvan? Kozmo? Flooz? Gov.com?

All coming back to you? Maybe it’s time to put your money into something stable like Tulip Bulbs.

Posted via email from practice (redux)

Foursquare co-founder on dealing with data overload

Media_httpcdnventureb_aqnvi

Naveen Selvadurai, co-founder of Foursquare, offered up advice at this year’s SXSW conference about living with the constant data bombardment we face every day. In his words, there’s no stopping the data fire hose, but there are ways to cope. After making some suggestions he pointed out that it helps to have a “killer ‘fro like mine; chicks dig it. Well, that plus my millions of dollars. But you know.” Words to live by.

It helps to have a killer ‘fro and live in the fast-lane. Yeah chicks dig that. Sorry, what was the question again …?