Brightkite recently announced it’s iPhone App coming to the iTunes App Store soon. Here’s the video demo of the application:
I have been using Brightkite along with Twitter for couple of months now since James has invited me to the service. It’s a darn impressive social networking application that uses Yahoo’s Fire Eagle which allows users to manage their location.
The features that are planned for the Brightkite iPhone app are:
- Auto geo-location including Place Snapping and Pick a Place
- Notifications (nearby friends, posts, friend requests, comments & mentions)
- Posting photos and notes to locations
- Nearby people and activity feed
- Friends lists and activity feed
- People, places and posts search
- Threaded messaging
- Profile streams
- Place steams
- Placemarks
- Commenting on posts
The only drawbacks that I currently forsee are the following (at least w/ Brightkite.com web app):
- You must have the discipline to “check in” to your current location. I’m hoping the “auto geo-location” can address this with no sweat.
- Sometimes, the syncing between Brightkite and Twitter does not work. I think this is more on Twitter’s end (from what I heard following @brightkite).
- There were a couple of times an emailed photo would appear late (2‑hours late one-time) from the time it was taken.
All in all, it’s a great service. I can’t wait to use that iPhone app vs. going to Safari every time to check-in. I just hope the syncing (Brightkite to Twitter) get’s polished.
Yeah, the iPhone application looks really polished, I just wish more people I knew used the service.
As for your first drawback:
You must have the discipline to “check in” to your current location.
Are you thinking an automatic check in? I think the current functionality is fine cause you may not always want to post your current location. Like when I’m just standing in front of Crazy Horse and not really inside…honest.
In terms of “check in”, the iPhone app has “auto geo-location”. I’m guessing you can pick the place before posting a note/photo to it.
Crazy Horse–suuure, that’s what they all say haha