News and blog

I’ve compiled a list of links to new and emerging technologies that are worth following. Some of them take the core of other products and add functionality, while some have spotted a new niche in the market. Most importantly, it seems that a few of them have been developed with Web 3.0 in mind…

Mobile

Most apps have been offering subscribers information based on their specific location but Loopt blends the love of social networking with location-based services. It detects mobile friends in your vicinity and lets you know where they are with the option of making contact.

Mapping

OpenStreetMap allows anyone to map anything of interest in the world, from the best routes for runners (Salford Quays must be on there!) to ski runs and bike routes. In their words: “OpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world. It is made by people like you. OpenStreetMap allows you to view, edit and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on Earth.”

Organisers

Aimed at travellers who still print out their info – whether that means itineraries, weather forecasts, tourism guides or directions – TripIt helps save paper and make things more convenient by becoming your ‘personal, full-service travel assistant’. It’s good for local information too.

Business/sharing

Just think how many PowerPoint presentations are prepared every day by people who really know their stuff and who want to communicate it in clear, concise form. Now imagine that all those experts could share their presentations online for anyone to search and read. Well that’s exactly what SlideShare is for. Just choose a category or enter a search word.

For instance, entering ‘twitter’ conjures up this huge selection of presentations – though languages do vary!

An aesthetically more pleasing site with much the same content is 280slides, which is ‘cloud’ computing at its best. It allows users to share, edit and use presentations from anywhere in the world.

Audio

Two fantastic music related sites worth mentioning are:

Songkick – This site lets you know where your favourite bands are playing their next gigs, claiming that you’ll never miss them again – finances permitting I suppose.

Blip.fm – Described as a kind of Twitter for music, Blip.fm allows users to build up a network based on their music and recommendations.

Social media

Tweetag – is a search engine for tweets that allows you to keep on top of conversations happening across the, erm, Tweetosphere!