Archive for the ‘geolocation’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!

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Pacific Drive Skate Shop (Ceiling)

Pacific Drive Skate Shop (Exterior)

27

05 2011

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)

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Can you say “Privacy Lawsuit?”

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

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