Archive for the ‘Virtual world’ Category

The highly anticipated Google+ project, which is Google’s latest attempt at creating a social network, is continuing to add to its features. After the previous release for Android, the service has now released a native app for iOS, which has already become a great hit: the app, which was released just a few days ago, has already become the top free app in the App Store. But can the search engine giant’s attempt at creating a social network really be a such a threat to Facebook, which continues to hold the post of most downloaded app of all time? Read the rest of this entry »

The location-based check-in service Foursquare is expanding its coupon offering: starting immediately, the new app will be offering dailys deals fromLivingSocial, Gilt City, zozi, BuyWithMe, and AT&T Interactive, according to the company’s blog. The Wall Street Journal reports that Foursquare is currently in discussion with Croupon. This information was classified as confidential. Read the rest of this entry »

The rating community Yelp has expanded the local coupons for its iPhone and Android apps. Up until now, the special offers and check-in deals were available, but users can now click the “Deals” icon on-the-go to search for deals on-the-spot and use them right in the location from their mobile devices.
About a year ago, Yelp brought out the “Deal of the Day”, which was its answer to the online coupon hype. Now there are about twenty metropolises deal offerings available. The mobile coupons are definitely stirring up a commotion in the couponing competition and joining the bandwagon in location-based services. The user number are definitely making a point: Yelp counted 50 million users just in the month of May, and 4.5 million mobile users.

Europe’s largest rating portal, Qype, has finally released a version of its app for the Windows Phone 7 in cooperation with Microsoft, following the release of the apps for Blackberry, iPhone, and Nokia.
The fact that about 25 percent of all user ratings are composed on a mobile device lead the internet giant to cooperate with the rating portal, according to a press release. Microsoft’s goal: a perfect Qype app for its Windows Phone 7. The app is available for download directly under http://www.qype.com/go-mobile, and offers an exclusive feature for the smartphone: searches can be specialized using a filter and lets users see where their friend are on a map.
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Check Templeton, founder of OpenTable, a portal for free restaurant reservations, now has a new baby: he and Arun Sivashankaran have created a local network with literally a social personality called OhSoWe. On the platform, users can not only meet their neighbors, but also discuss local issues with them. Users can potentially borrow things from one another that they would otherwise have to buy. Community users should therefore save money and protect resources. Read the rest of this entry »

So much for the idea that the internet and its social web-communities have led to an anonymous, cyber exchange and the destruction of real social life. Critics, be prepared, because that definitely isn’t the case: social online networks maintain old relationships, according to a Germany-wide survey by the polling firm Aris on behalf of the high-tech union BITKOM.

Two-thirds of all German internet users maintain their friendships online, according to the survey. Last year, BITKOM reported this number at 57 percent. Six out of ten respondents have found old friends using the internet. Especially older people have been using the perks of the social online network. The quarters of users older than 65 said that they maintain old friendships using the internet, and two-thirds have found old friends through the net. This means that the elderly are even ahead of all other age groups, according to BITKOM.

Last year, Microsoft announced its new partnership with its search engine Bing and the social network Facebook. Now, about five months later, we are finally seeing a result: users who have logged into Facebook and then who conduct a search on Bing will see results that friends have recommended using the “like” button. Read the rest of this entry »

Certainly an interesting question: are there people out there that have visited the same place, at the same time, several times, without knowing each other? And what would have been if they had known each other? Because of questions like this, Ryan Kennedy developed Conga, which is actually a hand drum. With the help of location-based tweets, check-ins on Foursquare, or manual entries, the new community informs users whether or not they have subconsciously run into each other before. After all, when these people regularly visit the same places, there might even be a chance that they have similar interests. And who knows what the “congo” might lead to…

Users on the VZ-Netzwerke StudiVZ and MeinVZ can finally begin checking in at locations or events and thereby inform their friends what they’re up to. The feature is made possible my a cooperation with Friendticker. Rewards for repeated check-ins are also being planned, similar to the service offered by Facebook and Foursquare. What else can we say? Congratulations on catching up (well kinda…)!

Google is still a bit angry that it wasn’t about to buy out Groupon last year. Even Facebook has taken the opportunity to attack the ever-growing deal portal: Facebook Deals has officially launched in five US cities.
San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas, Austin, Atlanta – Facebook users in these cities can now get the latest deals on the “alpha”-version of the new service. Payment is accepted in the form of credit card or Facebook Credits. And of course, users can see which deals friends have taken advantage of, and there is a direct deal search for deals in your vicinity. Read the rest of this entry »