check-in

Moby's private location sharing hits Android

Moby, the free, multiplatform location-sharing app, has just extended its reach to Android.

Previously the app was only available on the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms, but it appears Contigo Systems, Moby's developer, is making good on its promise to connect families no matter what devices they may be carrying.

Considering the release of Apple's Find My Friends app and the continued adoption of Google Latitude, some might feel like Moby is pushing its way into increasingly dangerous territory. But to Moby's credit, it seems to be taking a different route from the others. While most of the … Read more

Five Foursquare hacks you need to use

Foursquare held its first-ever global hackathon a few weeks back, with developers and hackers gathering in cities all over the world, including Paris, London, Ottawa, San Francisco, and New York. All of the hackers had one goal in common: create some out-of-the-box idea on top of the Foursquare API. Not only did they accomplish their goal, but some of them even won prizes for doing so. … Read more

The 404 912: Where we're trashing your rights (podcast)

Wilson's out sick today, but CNET's Bridget Carey steps up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and knocks it out of the park with a full story rundown that includes Facebook iPad announcements, the next iPhone's killer app, Google's 13th birthday, camera lens thieves, and more! Did I use that baseball metaphor correctly?

The 404 Digest for Episode 912

Sprint to launch own 4G LTE network in early 2012 (scoop). New Amazon tablet called the Kindle Fire? Facebook's iPad app launching with new iPhone, report says. Apple holding iPhone 5 event on October 4. iPhone 5 to offer 1GB RAM and voice control? Facebook: We do track logged-out users, but trust us. Spotify users steamed over Facebook requirement. Google doodles into its teenage years. Canadian throws 4,800 messages in a bottle, gets 3,100 responses back. Doritos creator Arch West takes his cheesy legacy to the grave. Crafty thieves go for the lens rather than the camera body. Follow Bridget Carey on Twitter. Bathroom-break video of the day: A fat cat struggles to lose her weight.

Episode 912 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 905: Where we go twice as high with Bridget Carey (podcast)

Bridget Carey makes her first appearance on CNET TV today. She's the host of an upcoming daily tech news show on CNET called Checked In, so be sure to follow her on Twitter so you don't miss the first episode.

She'll help us out with our story rundown today and gives her take on LeVar Burton bringing back "Reading Rainbow" as an iPad app, an LA film studio constructing an underground "post-apocalyptic" fortress, and the resurgence of AOL e-mail addresses as a pre-Internet status symbol.

The 404 Digest for Episode 905

"Reading Rainbow" to be rebooted for iPad. LA porn studio begins construction on "post-apocalyptic" underground bunker. AOL e-mail as status symbol? Follow Bridget Carey on Twitter. The 404's daily bathroom break: Justin and Jeff's "Reading Rainbow"/Husky Dance Mash-up.

Episode 905 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Gowalla relaunching with travel guide focus

SAN FRANCISCO--At the TechCrunch Disrupt conference today, the first product announcement came from Gowalla CEO Josh Williams. The new version of Gowalla will be bringing city guides to the service, leveraging the company's large database of places and updates from users.

The new version will launch shortly with more than 60 city guides using, of course, user content. But the service has new editorial partners, including Disney, National Geographic, and several universities.

With Gowalla, you can now create "stories" around events. Anyone you tag in a location and time becomes a full authoring partner of the post, and the presentation of these stories is quite good.

The question is: by focusing on the traveler instead of the resident, does Gowalla give up the nice deal-based transactional business that Foursquare and Facebook can run with? Perhaps, but the travel business is in many ways a much sweeter place to be. The advertising money is national more than regional, bigger, and more stable. You can still use Gowalla to check in at locations, so this is a bigger--and smarter--change than it may appear at first.

TechCrunch has the preview post … Read more

GetGlue, a Foursquare for entertainment

On this week's episode of Tap That App, we take a look at GetGlue, a unique kind of social network that lets you "check in" to the movies and shows you're watching, books you're reading, games you're playing, and so on. Sort of like a Foursquare for entertainment, GetGlue takes your check-in data, your Likes, Favorites, and other Ratings, and uses them all to recommend other entertainment it thinks you'll enjoy. It even grants you collectible stickers--both virtual and physical--for all of your activity.

More than just a source of recommendations, though, GetGlue … Read more

Earn Foursquare-type badges by watching TV

Like a Foursquare for TV programs, Miso lets you check in to the movies and shows you're watching so you can earn points, unlock badges, and share your viewing experiences with friends. It's also a great platform for discovering new programs by following users with similar viewing interests.

Miso's interface is minimal and intuitive. Its Home screen has a search button and six icons for all of your basic functions: Activity, TV & Movies, Badges, Profiles, Friends, and Notifications. To check in, hit TV & Movies, search for the title and episode of the program you're … Read more

GetGlue is unique and addictive

GetGlue is a Foursquare-style social networking game that lets you "check in" to the movies and shows you're watching, books you're reading, games you're playing, and more. It then takes your check-in data, along with your Likes, Favorites, and other Ratings, and recommends other forms of entertainment it thinks you'll enjoy. The more you interact with the app, the better its recommendations get. Plus, if you perform certain actions, you can unlock stickers for your profile. Unlock at least 20, and you can actually request that physical stickers be sent to you, free of … Read more

HootSuite, TweetDeck, or Seesmic?

For Android users, there are basically three apps to choose from when it comes to one-stop social networking: HootSuite, TweetDeck, and Seesmic. They're all great hubs for your social network updates, and they're all really good at shortening links, geotagging, and adding pictures to your posts. For the most part, the three of them do the basics very well, which makes it hard to decide which to use. So, we're taking a look at some of the nuances that set the three of them apart.

First up is HootSuite, which requires you to set up a HootSuite … Read more

How to set up Google Latitude on Android

Google Latitude (used with Google Maps) offers another way to keep in touch with friends and family. By sharing locations people can see when it would be easy to grab a quick cup of a coffee together, or when there just isn't time to meet up. Follow these steps to learn how to activate and set up Google Latitude according to your preferences.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your phone or tablet.

2. Press the Menu button and select Join Latitude. If this option doesn't appear, choose More, and then Labs. You will find the Latitude … Read more