Mashable is announcing the loopt IM and location service for Sprint and Boost mobile phones. This service allows you to see your buddies on a map, be alerted whenever they’re nearby and to IM or text them. Loopt also allows you to geotag images on your phone. This is really the next evolutionary step for mobile IM clients and kudos to loopt for releasing what appears to be the first to market with a robust feature set.
There are a number of tools with a similar functionality such as the AIM Buddyfinder based on uLocate’s Where platform, Mologogo, or Navizon for Windows Mobile phones. However the AIM buddyfinder requires you to set your location and Mologogo is not an official app and so not for the faint of heart. Navizon determines location via Wifi, Cell tower or GPS as Windows Mobile phone are not likely to have an embedded GPS chip.

However, the prize is still up for grabs as far as I’m concerned. This functionality should be available across various handset platforms, wireless carriers and IM services. That will allow the kind of adoption that will boost the network effect and create a truly useful service.

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