Loopt: Communication of the Future?

If you are a subscriber to Boost Mobile or Sprint cell phone service, you have the ability to register with Loopt. This application can be added to your phone to allow you maximum access to all your friends and family that you regularly communicate with. Loopt is classified as a "Social Mapping Service" that gives you easy access to everyone in your networks location.

As a registered user you create a profile just like any other social networking website. After adding your friends they can view your profile, journal, pictures and are viewable on a map that shows their distance from you. You have the ability to set your settings to tell you when a friend is close to you. Why miss the opportunity for a quick face to face or maybe a little lunch if your friend is right around the corner.

Loopt allows you certain security features. You are able to hide yourself in the event that you want to be unsearchable and can hide certain parts of your profile from certain users. One nice feature is that you are not susceptible to random browsing by other Loopt users or strangers on the Internet. You can only be hunted down by people that you have connected with via a few clicks on your phone. Another nice feature is being able to set your status. This way no interruptions in the board meeting or when you are on a date.

This service being added to your phone can have some really nice benefits. It can make for easier communications with friends and family. Increasing your awareness of your friends location is a social butterflies dream. Imagine knowing where all the cool kids are on Friday night and being able to join in on a whim.

As a parent it may be nice to add this program to your teenagers phone, as long as there is an understanding that it is for easier communication and safety issues. Loopt really has the potential to change the way we view our relationships in life and hold us accountable for where and what we are doing.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is the next thing that will be coming standard as we all upgrade our phone next contract renewal time. This is probably going to be a service that will soon become the norm just as text messaging has. One nice thing about that is you do not have to use it if you don't want to. As of now you have to subscribe to participate and it should be available to most cell phone users soon.

Heather Prinz " Loopt: Communication of the Future?" Associated Content