RAAK

Location is everywhere

One of the areas that fascinates us at RAAK is the intersection of location, mobile and social. This week there are two new services on the block that both build on the big boys. Facebook, you may know, recently launched Facebook Places and Groups. But there's a snag reports RRW:

The only problem, however, is Places really only appears on the iPhone app and mobile website, while Groups can only be accessed from the full, non-mobile site.

But Groups and Places belong together. While you might not mind friending your parents on Facebook, sharing your location can be a more private thing. Something you might want to restrict to a Group.

Mappr solves that problem. It's an iPhone app that allows you to set up a private Facebook group with which you can share your location privately. Smart.

Another location based app that caught our eye is Group Tabs. It allows local retailers to offer specials based on check-ins, but only when a certain number of people have checked into a venue. It is Groupon meets location. Oh, and it's built on top of Foursquare.
 

Procter & Gamble values your click

Here's an example of a big brand using Social Media to support its Corporate Social Responsability program.

As part of Procter & Gamble's Changent campaign, they are creating a widget that people can integrate into their blogs. For each click, P&G will donate a day's worth of clean drinking water to people in need. Neat.

 

Data journalism and logs of war

Data journalism: it's a new buzz word doing the rounds. Journalism that gathers, interprets and uses data. And one of the best examples to date was last week's release by Wikileaks of Iraq War logs. Newspapers from around the globe competed to build the best data representation to make sense of it all. See The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and Swedish TV.
 

Mobilista!

In other fascinating news, Sony is planning on launching a Playstation phone, and it's rumored to run Google's Android operating system.
 

Have you Yammered yet?

Another interesting service to check out. Yammer is a platform that allows you to build a social network for your business, something between Facebook and your intranet.

Despite strong competition they have signed up 90,000 companies in less than 2 years, including 80% of the Fortune 500.
 

If Warhol had an iPad

At yesterday's 'The Future Of Mobile' lecture, mobile guru Christian Lindholm stated that the iPad will make sure our mobile phones become phones again. You know, the things you make calls with.

Or you can use them as plug-ins to the iPad, if you feel a bit more creative. Inspired by Andy Warhol drawing Debbie Harry on an Amiga back in 1985, Remote Palette is a dual device app that shows off the possibilities of connectivity between 2 machines. You can use the iPhone to mix your colour and then lovingly stroke your iPad to fingerpaint the Debbie Harry of the 21st century.

 

Creative of the week – Brooke Roberts

We're oh so fashionable here at RAAK. So this week's creative tip comes from an East London fashion designer who does great things with knitwear.
 

Tech insight of the week – Products that Tweet

Imagine using Twitter as the communications backbone of a new, easy to use, protocol, similar to SNMP. Something that could link Twitter to the consumer appliances and electronics market. Read More »