iPod touch, meet Loopt

No need to be jealous of your friends with iPhones anymore because Loopt is now available on the iPod touch. Although the iPod touch is not a mobile phone, with Loopt you can connect to WiFi spots to see who’s around, what to do, and where to go.

Feature highlights:

 

-see where your friends are via interactive maps
-share status, photos, and comments on Loopt Journals
-explore places recommended by services like Yelp
-meet new people nearby on Loopt Mix
-easily update all your web sites, blogs, and other social networks (such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) using Loopt Link

Just go to the App Store on your iPod touch and search “Loopt.” It’s free - you’ll just have to verify your mobile phone number first to log-in. You can click here to download it now too.

The iPod touch provides a great opportunity for interacting and contributing to the Loopt community. As Apple’s acting CEO, Tim Cook, said, “the iPod touch more than doubled year-over-year…the sum of iPhone plus iPod touch is now about 37 million units and so, it provides an enormous platform for developers to develop on…”¹

We’re hoping this means that you’ll find more friends to connect with on the Loopt network.

Beyond the iPod touch, Loopt is available on over 100 mobile devices including iPhone, Blackberry, and Android, across all the major U.S. carriers (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, MetroPCS, Boost, and T-Mobile).

Learn more about Loopt on the iPod touch »

Reference: 
1. Seeking Alpha

Share What’s Up: Nini Invites IDEO’s Tom Kelley to Loopt

We aim to help people discover the world around them – a mission that applies to the whole Loopt community, including our employees. To that end, Loopt has sponsored a lunch series to bring in speakers that will educate and inspire us. Last week we were privileged to have Tom Kelley, the general manager of IDEO, speak to us on innovation. IDEO was recognized as number five in Fast Company’s 2008 list of The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.

 

Tom’s talk highlighted key roles essential to innovation within an organization, drawing from his book, The Ten Faces of Innovation. The role of the “Anthropologist” was of particular interest to our employees. According to Tom, an “Anthropologist” goes out to the field to observe their customers actually using the product or service - whether it be at home, at school, or on the subway. Don’t be surprised if you get a request from one of us to shadow you while you use Loopt. ;-)

By keeping an open mind toward new ideas, innovation is fostered. We'll continue to invite speakers to educate and inspire us. More importantly, we hope you’ll continue to educate and inspire us with your feedback on the Loopt service. It’s all about innovation.

-Nini

Nini is on the human resources team at Loopt.

Thanks for Coming to the Loopt Mix-er!

Loopt community, thanks for joining us at the Loopt Mix-er in San Francisco last week! If you took any photos at the party, feel free to add them to this photo album. Here are a few that have been added already:

 Nini and Alok viewing the art at 111 Minna Gallery.

Paul, Jessica, and Trevor from Y Combinator – where Loopt got its start.

Sam giving an update on Loopt.

 

The Loopt community enjoying the open bar and DJ WiiJ’s music.

Chris chilling with his friend Ashley.

Check out the photo album on Facebook for more (and add your own).

Laura has more up on her Flickr page too!

Time to Party! Loopt Mix-er on June 8

It's time to party! Loopt community - we want to personally thank you for continuing to support the Loopt service on Monday, June 8th from 7-9 PM at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco over drinks, snacks, and music. Let's celebrate what we've accomplished so far and chat about what's next.

RSVP to blog@loopt.com or on our Facebook page soon and we'll send you a message to confirm your spot.

We'll see you there.

Loopt iPhone Update!: Facebook Connect

Loopt is now integrated with Facebook Connect – this means you can add your Facebook friends to your Loopt network and share your Loopt updates on Facebook. Download it now here!

FB Connect is an exciting advance in our efforts to continue to build a robust and vibrant Loopt community by leveraging the Facebook network. This is our 2nd major release on the iPhone this year and it builds on our last update.

Here’s how you link your Loopt account with FB Connect. Go to the Settings tab and click on "Link to Facebook". You can adjust your FB Connect settings to Find Friends, Update Status, or Update Feeds. When you’re done, make sure to hit the "Save" button at the top right. You’ll be prompted to connect to your Facebook account in order to complete the link.

Now that you’re linked and you’ve turned on the Find Friends option (why wouldn’t you?), you can view and add your Facebook friends who also use Loopt! Go to the Add Friends screen and click on "Facebook Friends" to find more friends (access the Add Friends screen by tapping the "+" on top right of your Map or Friends tab). Turn on the Update Status or Update Feeds options to use Loopt to quickly and easily post updates to Facebook that include photos and locations (here’s an example). Don’t miss out on making your Facebook updates more interesting and pretty.

There are other goodies to take note of on the Settings tab. Click on "Set Alerts" to choose if and how to receive alerts for Pings & Pongs, Friends Invitations, and New Comments. We added this functionality because many members of the Loopt community have requested the ability to receive e-mail notifications on their Loopt activity.

We at Loopt continue to work hard to improve the Loopt service and make sure you’re able to use Loopt with all your friends. Loopt Link already allows you to simultaneously update and share your Loopt experiences with locations and photos on web sites, blogs, and other social networks such as Twitter, MySpace, etc. and Loopt-FB Connect integration is a nice addition to this offering. Now you can share your Loopt experiences even more broadly within and outside of the Loopt network.

We hope you like it! Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

p.s. – We’re aware that some of you are experiencing crashing issues when clicking on the "Facebook Friends" button and we’re working on it. For now, try out this quick fix that a member of the Loopt community has posted (thanks dukes!):

"Gossip Girl" Uses Loopt

Loopt was mentioned on the season finale of the TV series "Gossip Girl" earlier this week. Serena asks Dan “What are you doing here?” and he tells her “I Loopt you.”

OMG, we’re so excited.

xoxo,
Loopt

Mat Kearney’s on Tour with Loopt

Artist Mat Kearney’s tour has launched and he’s using Loopt to stay connected to his fans while he’s on the road. He’ll be playing shows around the country to celebrate the May 19 release of his City of Black & White album. The album is a chronicle of the people he met and missed during his travels, and it’s “laced with hooks and rhythms that are meant to sneak up on you quietly and quickly, en route to winning your love.” Mat’s eyes and ears, Jonny K, will be following him every step of the way and providing us with updates. With Loopt, we’ll find out where Mat is, what he’s up to, and what life on the road is like. Go to http://tourblog.matkearney.com for the latest.

Glenn’s Cool Journal Widget

Glenn is a real estate agent, so he’s always running around town (Owensboro, Kentucky) to show properties to his clients. The Loopt Journal Widget featured on his MySpace page helps him out, “I have been a big fan of Loopt as it not only allows me to photograph my home showings, add detailed information, but gives a quick map to where the listing is located.” Check it out: http://www.myspace.com/glennashby.

You can share your Loopt Journal with any of your friends on your web sites, blogs, or social networks with the Loopt Journal Widget too. To create a Journal Widget, just log-in to your Loopt account online at loopt.com, and click on the “Get your Journal Widget” link to get started. You can also go here to create and place your Loopt Journal Widget (it’s as easy as copying and pasting). If you think you have a cool Loopt Journal Widget, e-mail us at blog@loopt.com and we’ll share it here!

Share What’s Up: Alok’s Sneak Peek on Instinct

-Alok

Alok is on the mobile development team at Loopt.

Friend Map: Iao Valley, Hawaii

Aaron recently visited Iao Valley, Hawaii. He says the Iao Valley State Monument which is located on the island of Maui is “the most beautiful place on earth”. The Iao Needle shown in Aaron’s picture is 1,200 feet tall lava remnant surrounded by the cliffs of the West Maui Mountains – a dormant volcano. The state park is covered in dense rainforest and contains numerous trails that run alongside the Iao Stream. Iao Valley receives an average of 386 inches of rainfall per year making it the second wettest location in Hawaii. Learn more about Iao Valley here.

Loopt is all about sharing interesting experiences and places with your friends. Do you have a cool place to share with the rest of the Loopt community? E-mail it to us at blog@loopt.com!

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iao_Valley