Some people may be tempted to lump the new
Glympse into the category of “mobile social networks” such as Loopt. And some might see it in the camp of carrier-based
mobile family tracking tools, which require a subscription. It has elements of both but sits between those two poles; it’s also free (goodbye family locators).
Glympse is an online and mobile application that allows users to share their location with others for limited durations (minutes or hours), thus eliminating the privacy concern associated with many location-aware social apps. It launches today on the G1 but other smartphone versions are coming very soon.
Mobile users send a link (a “glympse”) to another person or multiple people (whether online or on mobile devices). The person on the receiving end doesn’t need to register or download software. Whether online or on an Internet-enabled phone that person will see a map with an icon representing the sender. That icon moves on the map to show the real-time location of that person as he or she, for example, heads toward the meeting:
As the screen above indicates it also estimates arrival time. I met with CEO Bryan Trussel recently. As we discussed Glympse I found the moving arrow on the map somewhat mesmerizing. There’s a game-like element here, which is somewhat self-conscious and will aid adoption. Trussel and I spoke about a wide range of use cases and possibilities for monetization and data on the map.
We discussed for example the “concierge scenario” where people in cars call their friends to ask for directions or nearby business locations (e.g., “Where’s the closest Chase ATM to me right now?”). With data layers on the map, Glympse would be perfect for that use case. (Also look for third parties to approach Glympse about incorporating the functionality into their apps and sites.)
The simplicity of the product and the fact that the glympse recipient doesn’t have to register or download anything should accelerate adoption. And while Loopt has been
criticized in some quarters as a dating site, Glympse has relatively obvious practical value in family, business and social contexts. And the Glympse sender retains control over how long the receiver can see him/her, as mentioned.
As I suggest, the fact that it’s free should pretty much kill the “family locator” carrier subscription business unless it becomes part of an upsell bundle or premium package that includes other things.
To send (as opposed to receive) a glympse one does need to download software to their mobile handset. The image below shows Glympse on Android.
