What is Loopt? Like Foursquare and Gowalla, Loopt is a location-based service that uses a phone's GPS to allow users to check in to various real-world locations and find nearby friends.
Loopt's Beginnings:
Loopt was started in 2005 when Stanford students Sam Altman and Nick Sivo launched a prototype with the help of seed funding from Y Combinator. Loopt was an early player in the location-based service game, finding distribution through partnerships with carriers like Boost and Sprint.
How Loopt Works:
Today, Loopt follows an app model rather than coming pre-loaded on handsets. After downloading and installing on a handset, a user can check into various locations using their phone's GPS. Upon check in, users can see who else is at a venue or look at photos, read tips or get discounts. The Loopt Star product was rolled into the their flagship app along with their association with and discounts from major brands.
Loopt as Group Messenger:
Like others on the list, Loopt can help you find nearby friends and will publish checkins to Facebook and Twitter. Loopt also pulls in some of the best features of group messaging products, like geo-based text messaging and photo sharing.
Looopt Platforms:
Loopt is available on Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7 and iPhones.