Only 17% of the mobile population uses location-based applications, according to a study by the Beyond agency published a few days ago. Facebook Places and Foursquare are dominating the spotlight, with a numbers war as a backdrop that remains unresolved: at the end of March, Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare , announced that the network had telegram data reached nearly 8 million members. Facebook Places has not yet published its official figures... although in November 2010 it claimed to have 30 million users .
Beyond this data war, geolocation also has many other players vying for a place in the spotlight. Their reach is, admittedly, still limited. But their ingenuity and ability to provide users with added value beyond simple checking in are a testament to their ability to do so.
Here are five examples of interesting mobile geolocation applications :
1. Waze .
It tells you how to get to your destination based on traffic conditions . The unique feature: the maps are automatically generated and updated by members of this social network while they're driving , thanks to information collected via GPS. Drivers can not only find out about traffic jams, but also share information and photos with others about an accident, a road construction project, or the status of a speed camera . In Spain, they warn, the creation of the maps has only recently begun.
2. Unsocial .
Find and connect professionals with common business interests who are located nearby. Perfect for use at networking events, trade shows, conferences, etc. However, it's only active in select US cities.
3. Localmind .
A service that allows you to ask questions about a specific location of interest (for example, whether there's a line to your favorite place) and receive a real-time response from the person who's there . How does it work? When a Localmind user checks into a location, whether through Foursquare, Gowalla, or Facebook Places, they automatically become a potential recipient of a question via Localmind.