November 16, 2006 Given that it’s just one third of a century since the world’s first cell phone call was made, one wonders just what we’ll be carrying in another 33 years and just what it might be capable of. We had cause to ponder how useful the device formerly known as the mobile phone could become when we saw the new loopt service today. It’s a location-based social mapping service that enables mobile phone users to share their location, status messages, photos and other on-the-go experiences with friends but unlike other social location services, automatically updates the location of everyone in a private network and displays that information directly on a map on the phone. It even sends an alert when a friend in the network is near, putting an end to missed connections in the mall, at the movies or around town.

Initially available via the Boost network, Boost loopt also brings geo-tagging capabilities to a major U.S. wireless carrier for the first time. The service’s journaling feature allows mobile users to “geo tag” locations and captures their experience with friends in their private network.

Boost loopt also protects the privacy of its users by incorporating a variety of safety features and privacy controls. For example, users of the Boost loopt service must give permission allowing others to have access to their location.

The Boost Mobile agreement is the first major partnership for Silicon Valley-based loopt, which was founded last year by Sam Altman while he was a student at Stanford University.