Dopplr Designed for frequent business travelers, Dopplr lets users swapitineraries with friends and associates. After plugging in your tripdetails or synchronizing the site with an online calendar, match upyour schedule with fellow globe-trotters within your network. (Dopplrcan import from Gmail, Facebook, and Flickr.) After finding colleagueswho have also landed in Budapest, use the Tips page to discover a barfor a good pálinka. www.dopplr.com
Twitter By limitingparticipants to 140- character micro-blogs, Twitter is built for firingout one-way announcements, not conversations. The web-based applicationworks on computers as well as on mobile devices, making it ideal forsending out quick company-wide directives or informing clients of yourlatest products and services. Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton andBarack Obama used it to broadcast campaign announcements.www.twitter.com |
Jaiku This Helsinki-based utility adds “lifestreaming” — continualupdates of users’ Flickr photos, Last.fm music playlists, blogs, andother digital minutiae — to instant messaging. The Jaiku mobileapplication can be used as a phone book, showing activity streams andlocations of fellow members. Recently acquired by Google, Jaiku iscurrently closed to new users (although current members can invitetheir friends to join), but have no fear — Jaiku will return, and, aswith everything that Google touches, it will surely come back evenbetter. www.jaiku.com
Kyte While Kyte allows users to sendphotos and to chat, it’s more of a broadcasting tool than a mediamanager, specializing in streaming digital video content. After signingup for your channel, upload your footage and instantly broadcast it onblogs, mobile devices, and social networks (such as Facebook). It’s anexcellent way for families to share special moments. www.kyte.tv |
Dodgeball Designed to put the social in social networking, Dodgeballencourages real-world interaction. Using a mobile text-messagingsystem, participants announce their location at parties, bars, musicvenues, etc., via a text to the Dodgeball site that is then sent to allof the user’s Dodgeball.com friends. The matchmakers at Dodgeball evenmake it possible to learn when a crush is nearby, if you and the objectof your affection are in one of the 22 U.S. cities currently in thecompany’s network. www.dodgeball.com
Pownce Made public in early2008, Pownce merges social networking with file sharing. Once youupload your MP3s, friends can stream or download your selections. Plus,you can send them messages, links, and information about events. Isthere an easier way to impress everyone with your knowledge of obscureFrench house music? www.pownce.com |