With SXSW starting Friday in Austin, Texas, every location-based service out there is right now finalizing updates that they hope will be the one that gets them used more than all the others. Loopt, is betting on events integration.
The latest version of the app, due to hit the App Store tomorrow will feature a new Pulse tab. Here you’ll find events populated from a ton of sources including the live music tracker SonicLiving (SXSW is first and foremost a music event, after all) and most notably, Facebook. This pre-population is important, because it means the events will already be in the system so users won’t have to do anything other than share it with friends, or check-in if they’re going. The feature also uses you current location to show which events are happening around you at any given moment that a lot of people are at.
As you might expect, you also also tell who is already at the event, and which of your friend is supposed to be going. The later feature works with Facebook Connect. You can RSVP to an event right from within Loopt and see who else is scheduled to go.
Calling it the “best event ever from an app,” Loopt founder Sam Altman believes they’ll have every single event taking place at SXSW in their system. A newer startup, the recently funded Plancast (started by TechCrunch alum Mark Hendrickson), may have something to say about that statement as they’ll be debuting their own events-based iPhone app at the festival as well. And like this new Loopt feature, a key Plancast component is Facebook event integration.
Gowalla, meanwhile, has a full list of events straight from SXSW itself — which is highlighting the app on it’s main site. Gowalla is Austin-based.
Loopt was one of the original hot players in the location space, launching an iPhone app alongside the App Store launch in 2008. However, their initial bet was on always-on location updates, which the iPhone cannot do because it will not allow third-party apps to run in the background. Loopt found a loophole (see what I did there?) to that through AT&T, but by then the momentum has already swung to the check-in based location services like Foursquare and Gowalla. Last year, Loopt pivoted its app to be more predicated around check-ins.
Look for the latest Loopt app tomorrow in the App Store.
Disclosure: Loopt offers a TechCrunch branded version of the service here
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Just give up guys… 4SQ et Al is eating your lunch, with 1/20 of your funding. Erhm….
If this has everywhere I can get free drinks at sxsw, it will be awesome
Adding events is a smart move, since most of the location based services are focused on the present, while Plancast (and Facebook Events to a certain degree) are focused on the future. Combining the two first gives Loopt an early lead in what I think will be a common feature among the top location networks, and should help to generate a little buzz for them, at least in the short term, until other services catch up.
the correct weapon is channels.
If only I could locate channels, perhaps through a channel locator…
While everyone is battling over the best check-in system, local blogs have seemed to fall under the radar. Check out a new hyperlocal map-based blog network – http://www.yourlocalblog.com. It allows businesses and individuals to blog about their business, hometown or simply what’s happening within their community.
Speaking of SXSW events, this non-tourist guide to SXSW has 30,000 fans:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/Unofficial-SXSW-2010-Events-Parties/277800256988?ref=ts
I think you guys missed the story. foursquare is adding event check ins at SXSW as well through partnership with SPIN. There is a 3rd party feed being provided. Users are accredited for seeing specific bands and are rewarded with the appropriate badges.
Here’s a video which outlines the new Loopt Pulse feature, check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/looptdotcom#p/a/u/0/FDUrE6tqP4s
We are still talking about Loopt?
Event-based checkins might be a killer app at a big function like SXSW, but they won’t mean much for everyday users, since most people’s regular social life isn’t centered on attending “named” events. For most people, on most nights, the event is synonomous with the location — “let’s go to Joe’s Bar tonight!”
This is a feature that will probably impress the tech guys more than it does typical users, because average people won’t use it as much.
I am 23 and live in san francisco and I’m a tech geek. I am supposed to be in the demographic that uses these services right? Well guess what, I’ve checked them out (no pun intended), and have no desire whatsoever to use loopt, foursquare, or gowhatever. And I don’t know one person who does. This all reeks of hype to me.
the target market for these devices is not tech geeks.
the target market is for those that dont understand the underlying technology they’re using.
or check twillage for parties in Austin, hot from twitter: http://twillage.com/search?q=party&near=Austin
pretty sure loopt is just in denial that they have become the standard for gay hookup sex. why deny that? there’s good money in porn.