The State of Location-Based Social Networking On The iPhone

One major quality that sets Moximity apart is the way it handles user accounts. When you join and start configuring, you don't make "Moximity friends". Rather, the service pulls in your contacts from Facebook (and later, other sites as well) and lets you track those of your existing friends who also use Moximity. When you post a status message, it also gets pushed out to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Moximity would benefit from an interactive map that uses pins to show where your friends are located. However, unlike Loopt, which gives you the precise street address of your friends, Moximity always matches you with particular places (restaurants, stores, etc) so individual pins for users might not be appropriate. Co-founder Bryan Jones says some breed of mapping functionality will be included in the next release.

If you live in Austin, you can get into the service immediately by emailing your name and zip code here.

The Bezos, T-Mobile and iFund-Backed Contender - Whrrl

The best-funded of the bunch is a Seattle startup named Pelago with an app called Whrrl that centers around identifying and reviewing nearby establishments of all types. Locating friends takes a bit of a back seat to the idea that you should share Yelp-like reviews with the people you know.

The information about places is comprehensive. You can find cuisine types, prices, hours, phone numbers, websites, street addresses, ratings and reviews. While you can view the (5-star) ratings and reviews from every member, you're encouraged to focus on those of your friends. When you view a friend's profile, for example, their reviews are displayed prominently. That said, you can "fan" strangers if you like their tastes (although apparently only through Whrrl's thoroughly developed web app).

Whrrl also identifies events that are going on in your area. The combination of event and place information is great but I get the feeling that this app will have to depart a bit from its "reviews" roots to become a widely embraced service. More generic social features (such as walls and notifications) are needed to get me to use Whrll when not looking to share or gather opinions.

Pelago has raised its funds from the iFund, Jeff Bezos, and T-Mobile (among others).

The Schmorgesborg - uLocate's "Where"

Where is an iPhone app developed by a Boston-based startup called uLocate that has received a considerable amount of funding (at least $15.5 million) over the last several years. It has everything but the kitchen sink. Along the bottom of the app is a dock-like menu that shows a variety of sub-applications, each meant to help you find something in your area:

Buddy Beacon: find nearby friendsGasBuddy: find nearby gas stations with low pricesStarbucks: find nearby Starbucks franchisesQuibblo: see location-based poll results in your areaHeyWhatsThat: identify mountain peaks in your vicinityThe Skymap: learn about the stars and constellations in the sky above youZipcar: find pickup points for Zipcar rentalsYelp: find nearby places listed and reviewed on YelpEventful: learn about nearby events and their venues

The UI needs a bit of work (too many popups) but regardless, this app is handy for quickly finding the nearest of some particular thing on an interactive map (coffee, friendship, wheels, etc).