Brightkite

BrightKite is a social network, however unlike many of the other social networking sites this one is location related. This site works in real time to keep track of where your friends are, and also makes it really easy to share various experiences with one another. You can also use the site to find and meet new people from your local area. It’s really easy to use BrightKite and the system can be accessed using email, WAP, iPhone, and text messaging. This ease of use makes it particularly easy for anyone to update their status wherever they are. BrightKite was launched by Brandy Becker and Martin May, it is currently based in Denver, Colorado. On the 14th April 2008 the service was launched in private beta, the current site is in public beta. On the 6th May 2008 the iPhone app was launched which allowed users to quickly and easily update their location from their iPhone. Unlike other applications BrightKite makes keeping your friends up to date very simple, it’s also really easy to meet new people. You don’t even have to log onto the website to update your status, you can actually send your updates using a mobile phone. This is one of the best features of the site and makes it easy to use it wherever you are at the moment. Using BrightKite is very easy, the application automatically updates to show the latest comments and updates from various people with public profiles. It’s really easy to keep track of what your friends are doing at the moment and where they are while also being able to meet people close to you. It’s possible to post photos and add notes to various locations and also use the application to explore new places and find out what they’re like before you visit. If you’re not by a computer at the moment then you can still use BrightKite by using it with your mobile phone, it works on any mobile phone and also works on the iPhone with a download from the app store. Registering for an account at BrightKite is very easy, you just need to visit the main page of the website and then click the signup link. You will then need to enter a number of pieces of information including a username, password, email address, and also a security check. Fortunately the security check isn’t just a Capatcha question; it’s just something that you really need to think about. When you click continue you can then choose whether you want to create a public or private profile. If you create a private profile then only people you choose will be able to view your information. However if you want to meet new people then setting it to public is really useful. Do be careful if you ever decide to mention your home address when you have a public address. BrightKite is completely free for anyone who wants to use it. Accounts are completely free and very easy to sign up. BrightKite is a great application for anyone that is always on the go and needs to keep everyone up to date. Rather than needing to send dozens of emails you can log onto the website and update your status very easily.