Back in the day when the iPhone 4 was just coming out, with its front and rear facing cameras, and similar features were yet-to-be-seen on the likes of the iPad 2, I remember writing and speculating about all the possibilities the dual cameras would present — and how they could open some interesting doors for things like Chat Roulette, the internet video chat sensation. So, when I came upon Chat Roulette Live!, I thought: Finally. What took the developers so long? And why hasn’t this been all the buzz? But then I realized that this Chat Roulette has actually little in common with its internet counterpart beyond the name. Read the rest of this entry »

In a world where virtual and physical worlds are becoming indistinguishable, proximity is the name of the game. And it is also the focus of Rococo, an up-and-coming software developer. While they themselves do not have smartphone applications, you can expect to see their services everywhere in the near future, from games to social networking apps to location-based marketing tools. Using bluetooth, Rococo enables links phones to identities. For apps, this means that simply the presence of a person’s phone will signal his or her presence without any added steps or check-ins. Their primary platform, LocalSocial, will be of particular interest as it will not only facilitate the capabilities of a range of social media and LBS apps, but it will also present infinitely more proximity-based social opportunities for a wide variety of other apps and scenarios as well. For instance, checking-in at places or for events will become instantaneous, business owners will be able to better target potential and loyal customers, social networking agents will be enhanced, and gaming platforms will benefit from knowing more about who and where their players are. Read the rest of this entry »

The biggest buzz on the blogosphere currently revolves around a seemingly inordinate amount of funding received by the iPhone and Android application, Color. For the price tag of $41 million, Sequoia acquired Color, a social mobile app that enables users to see what pictures people are snapping within a 100-150 foot radius and also groups pictures based on who your friends are so you’re more likely to see photos of interest. Since it is certainly not the first photo-sharing app (and based on user’s reviews, not the best either), why the huge investment? Writers such as those at TechCrunch speculate that Color’s development team alone was worth the large sum (if not more). However, opinions are not conclusive about whether Color will follow through or flop. Of course, the success of it hinges on use by an extensive population, as it should not be used alone, so the main issue will be mobilizing people to make Color a part of their mobile agenda. Read the rest of this entry »

Most social networking apps encourage us to engage with people we already know, but what about the ones that break that mold? I recently learned about Situationist, a so-called “social app for strangers” that pushes the boundaries of social networking and encourages people who have never met to interact. However, that is not the sole purpose of the app. While it does inspire strangers to do simple actions like compliment each other, it’s true motivation seems to lie in enabling people to realize their commonalities (read: political or social viewpoints) and unite them in a way so as to stir up political activism and potentially even rebellion. Read the rest of this entry »

Facebook has added more Google talent to their team, as news dropped yesterday that they acquired Beluga, a social messaging service created by three former Google employees. In a recent comparison of multi-platform smartphone messengers, I discussed how Beluga has been praised for its facilitation of group chats and sharing as well as for its incorporation of some much-needed privacy elements. Apparently these facets of Beluga’s technology, as well as its highly talented team, are what caused Facebook to make the Beluga founders an offer they couldn’t refuse in the midst of a particularly heated round of angel funding. Read the rest of this entry »