Filed under: Software, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Social networking for iPhone: Fliq your friends
Longtime Mac developer Mark/Space, Inc. has just announced their first app for iPhone, and it's free.Fliq (click opens iTunes) runs on the iPhone and iPod touch and is billed as a "real-time social networking app between friends in close proximity." If you and your friends are on the same Wi-Fi network, and if the free Fliq app is running on all of your iPhone or iPod touch devices, you can send contacts and photos to each other.
Upon launching Fliq, a list of nearby devices also running Fliq is displayed (see screenshot). After selecting who to Fliq information to, a screen prompts you to send your pre-selected "business card", another contact, or a photo to the other iPhone.
In practice, Fliq works very well. My wife and I were able to send photos and contact information back and forth with no issues. I'd like to see Bluetooth transfer capabilities built in for those situations where there's no nearby Wi-Fi network.
The Fliq Web page notes that Fliq will soon have the ability to transfer contacts and photos to a Mac or Windows PC.
In the interest of full disclosure, blogger Steve Sande has done consulting work for Mark/Space in the past, although not for this product.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mr kitty said 4:22PM on 10-21-2008
I'm not sure I'd call that "social networking". Sounds more like contact & photo transfer application.
Social Networking to people on the same wifi network would be kind of retarded. I mean, if they're on the same wifi, they're close enough to walk over and talk to, right?
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Johnny said 4:44PM on 10-21-2008
While it isn't what you typically consider 'social' networking - typically a vast online community - it is definitely networking from both a technical and personal sharing standpoint. Kinda nitpicking though, I guess.
Anyway, it looks like a good app, but I don't think I would use it personally. Especially since the only other person I could convince to put it on their iPhone (and that I care about transferring information to who has an iPhone) is my wife and we keep our contacts and calendars synced with MobileMe. We can email a photo if we need to share it.
weatherman said 5:05PM on 10-21-2008
I've always found it interesting that what are called social networks, like Facebook or Frienster, are mostly about putting stuff up on a server and your friends go to a web site or an app to see what you're sharing. Lol, at least Fliq kinda encourages you to be together. :-)
I've used Fliq a few times already, and its when my friends and I are together -- mostly sharing silly photos with each other. Good times!
Caitlin said 9:34PM on 10-21-2008
I've been waiting for something like this.
Many times I've been out somewhere, and have seen several people using iPhones (for example: bars, in line waiting for the 3G iphone). Some of us are still shy nerds who prefer text interaction over real life interaction, at least for initial introductions. It would be kind of cool to turn on Fliq while out somewhere (restaraunt), and find other iPhone users, and learn who they are. I don't know.
Or maybe, for example, while at the Apple Store (in line for a product release or whatever), being able to broadcast "Hey, any web developers out there?". I could have definitely used the time waiting in line for the 3G networking with other developers.
ondra said 4:48PM on 10-21-2008
ad bluetooth - can't be done, Apple doesn't allow any developing for that part of the iPhone, just their headset profile and that's it. Noone can even connect bluetooth GPS to their "old" iPhone.
ad social networking - this is retarded, why ? on the same wifi ? C'mon, even if it's a school campus, you can walk across it in 5 minutes and even have a smoke :D
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Jorn said 4:54PM on 10-21-2008
This sounds a lot like what Twinkle can do, only far less useful.
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weatherman said 5:24PM on 10-21-2008
Uh, Twinkle is a twitter app. Not the same thing. :-)
jorn said 6:07PM on 10-21-2008
weatherman: Twinkle does similar proximity stuff. Sure, without the file-transfer goo. (Although, I can post photos.)
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Terje said 6:30PM on 10-21-2008
Ther is another app that does the same. Moot (http://moot.com). But thay are still working on the iPhone/osx version :(
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Raphael said 7:37PM on 10-21-2008
Bluetooth can't be done. Stellar journalism from TUAW once again :)
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Jackson said 10:25PM on 10-21-2008
Sounds interesting. Only problem is nobody else is on my wifi network to try it with. Maybe on campus at my university it could be interesting.
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Zharko said 1:00PM on 12-25-2008
This is simular to the Storyz app. the difference is that Storyz is a multy-platform application, you can use it on your pc, on your normal mobile phone, or with your iphone, and your friends don't need to be on the same wifi network with you
And also you can send and recieve videos with it.
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