The USPTO just granted Apple a patent for iGroups, a mobile social networking application that could have immense value in this arena, especially if the relevant features are released as part of a public API for the company’s mobile devices – namely iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Social Times takes a look at some of this patent’s details, followed by a list of potential mobile social networking uses.
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While the tech press can’t get enough of the new Apple iPad, the new tablet computer from Apple has become the brunt of all jokes on the internet. To make matters worse, the company has developed a promotional video that is ripe for parody. The primary question that the new iPad can’t answer: why on earth do I need one? As a gadget junkie I kind of want one but there is really no purpose for purchasing one.
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There is certainly no lack of Apple Tablet information circulating the news web these days, but as the January 27th announcement date approaches, some of the key information is beginning to firm up.  As the feature-set becomes more concrete, the implications of the device become clearer – specifically, the potential increases for the Apple Tablet to be a new avenue for social games.
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You would think that Google would make their various services work efficiently within Google Chrome, the company’s increasingly popular web browser. While reading an article about Google Earth images of Haiti, I saw the image below which highlights that Google Earth doesn’t work within Chrome. Granted, Chrome is extremely fast on most other things, but wouldn’t Google at a minimum provide support for their own product?
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Mplayit, formerly known as Mpowerplayer, is really making its rounds. The virtual video game arcade that lets you “try before you buy” has moved from its website to Facebook, then MySpace, and now the iPhone. The iPhone Arcade is actually an application on Facebook, but it enables you to preview games as well as iPhone applications before you purchase them.

If you recall, Mplayit’s previous application on Facebook allowed you to essentially preview mobile games before you spend the money to download them onto your phone. With the new iPhone arcade, Mplayit is looking to provide an iPhone-specific resource for users of the device, while also expanding beyond the game sector. The iPhone arcade includes both mobile games and mobile applications, which are all-encompassing when it comes to the iPhone. Have you noticed?
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While checking out of a CVS last night I overheard a girl talking to the guy behind the cash register about her iPhone. She had the first version of the phone but appeared to be extremely satisfied with it. She was telling the cashier about all of the cool things she can do with the phone. “I can rent movies just like Blockbuster right on to my phone”, she said to the cashier.

As she walked away from checking out the cashier turned to his co-worker and said, “I’m buying an iPhone.” No matter how much the phone costs, I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to now go and purchase the new iPhone within the next month or two. He’s not the only one. iPhones are sold out around the country and when I went to the mall two days ago, there were still long lines to purchase the phone!

I have some serious complaints about the phone but I think the notion of being able to easily navigate the web, interact with your friends and family and consume all of your favorite media from one device is game changing. The most significant change is that the mainstream is going to once again get access to a plethora of fresh, niche content but not just while sitting at their computer. Instead it will arrive in the palm of their hands.

Last year when Facebook opened their platform it sparked a movement. That movement continues today as MySpace, Bebo, and on Wednesday Facebook, continue to extend their platforms beyond their walled gardens. That’s only a small part of the story though. If you thought the internet was a catalyst for the development of a massive amount of niche content for consumers, I think the iPhone and future mobile platforms could spark an even greater revolution.

The new iPhone could help rapidly extend the reach of podcasts in addition to other forms of media. There is a race right now for applications to gain a significant share of the market. For instance, Pandora is now the default radio for the iPhone. Not a bad place to be. Where is Clear Channel, CBS Radio and the other large radio companies? Nowhere! The only other radio platform is Virgin Radio which launched two days after the iPhone 2.0 upgrade was released. Currently they are being trounced by Pandora though.

The rise of niche media that many web entrepreneurs are betting heavily on have been absent of one thing: a mainstream distribution channel. While there are niche T.V. shows through portal sites like Yahoo and AOL, there is now a new land grab for dominance on the relatively open iPhone platform. That land grab, in my own opinion, is bigger than any of the previous platform land grabs in the past decade.

Last year it took Mark Zuckerberg to reignite the revolution. As Kara Swisher wrote yesterday, “It’s more than a little ironic, then, that about a year ago it was the social-networking site that reinvigorated the idea of the importance of having a platform that a multitude of developers could thrive on.” She continues, “Microsoft has nourished an ecosystem of developers for its powerful Windows software platform for, like, forever. But Facebook surely made the idea bigger, looser, wilder and more exciting.”

Facebook helped to revive the idea of a platform empowering developers. Apple has taken that idea one step further by making it sexy and making it portable. Oh and by the way, it’s also social! With the close timing of the iPhone launch and f8, I think this month may just be one of the primary drivers behind the continued transformation of the social web for the next 12 months.

Not only has Twitter increased their reliability on memecache but they have also decided to disable all replies as well as decrease the maximum number of requests for updates to 10 per hour for all API calls. It appears that they are taking no risks when it comes to keeping up the site even if it is at the sacrifice of site usability.

To me it seems slightly ridiculous that the company can’t keep their site fully functional. They are now experiencing a decrease in functionality due to their new “precautions.” I think this is pretty ridiculous to be honest. I thought the precautions were being made so that the site could maintain their functionality. It seems pretty ironic to say the least.

Do you think it makes sense that they turn down some of the site functionality due to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference? I’m trying to find the audio of the event but I can no longer view my Twitter replies and many of the blogs covering the event are going down. If you know where you can listen to the audio please post in the comments.