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IRL Connect Launches Public Beta and Brings Mobile Content to the Web's First Visual Social Network

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 14:43 CDT

LONDON, April 22 /PRNewswire/ --

HIGHLIGHTS

• Web-based social network converges mobile devices and multiple social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, together in one place.
• First visual platform connects users, content and conversations from Web and mobile based on geolocation including YouTube.
• IRL Connect collaborates with fellow Red Herring 100 Europe winners Mobypicture and Bambuser for photo and video uploads, plus live video broadcasts and chat from mobile devices to the map.
• Developer API allows access to Web's social ecosystem for mobile social networking sites, content creators and other external parties.
• IRL Connect focuses on the Web's 506 million social network users, while serving as a bridge to mobile for greater attachment to the real geographical world.

IRL Connect, the world's first visual social network, launched its public beta yesterday at TechCrunch UK's Geek 'n Rolla tech startup event in London. The company unveiled new features that integrate mobile digital content and geolocation via Google Maps(TM) to bring the mobile and Web together in one place and allow users to share content and conversations across multiple social networks and mobile devices.

In private beta since September 2008, IRL Connect is taking social networking to a new level by giving it the feeling of presence in the real geographical world. It is not simply reading friends' status updates and static profile pages, but visualizing their locations on the map, having conversations in real-time and viewing photos, videos and live streaming broadcasts as they are created, where they are created. IRL Connect has already grown to 1700 users and 85,000 geo contacts on the map from 53 countries worldwide.

With the integration of contacts from mobile devices and multiple social media services, such as Twitter and Facebook, IRL Connect is the first visual platform to create a converged social network environment bringing users, content and conversations to one platform based on geolocation.

"For some time, Web social networks and mobile social networks have struggled to unlock the value of location. Although a lot of progress has been made, the big revolution in social networking has not happened," said IRL Connect CEO Frank Schuil. "IRL Connect has identified this problem in the market and has now taken the step to bring about convergence of the Web and mobile in social networking."

"As a visual social network, IRL Connect uses the maps and geolocation of content to help users easily see where their connections are, as well as what they are doing and saying. By showing users this is where you are, right here, right now on the planet, we can create true presence that you can't find on any other social network," Schuil added.

With the public beta launch, IRL Connect has implemented new map layers that let users:

• EXPERIENCE events and locations live and in real-time with streaming video from the mobile via Bambuser.
• SHARE digital content, such as photos and videos, by posting from their mobile phone directly to IRL Connect via Mobypicture.
• EXPAND the feeling of presence through geolocation with Google Street View and geotagging of all content with YouTube, including news alerts from media such as CNN and Reuters.
• SHOW their precise location through Wi-Fi positioning with Loki.
• CONNECT to friends on multiple social networks by integrating their Facebook and Twitter accounts with IRL Connect.
• CONVERSE with friends by mousing over talk bubbles that pop up on the map.

IRL Connect began with a centralized platform for location-based services on the Web, which has a base of 506 million social network users, and now serves as a bridge to mobile to give users a greater attachment to the real geographical world. IRL Connect's new Application Programming Interface (API) allows access to the social ecosystem of the Web so that mobile social networking sites, content creators and other external parties can add content to the map by pushing photos, videos, live broadcasts and status updates from the mobile to IRL Connect. And unlike other video broadcasting services, IRL Connect allows geolocation data to provide context to the video through location. Developers can apply for an API key at http://api.irlconnect.com.

User Quotes

"IRL Connect gives me more of a personal connection to things around me. A map is no longer just a map, but an intimate place where I am and the people I know and will get to know are located," says IRL Connect user @Blath, Washington state, USA.

"A keen social networker I'm always on the lookout for a convergence between the two. I have been using IRL for about a week now and love that I can update and view Facebook and Twitter from one portal, plus the spatial side really gives it that 'real life' community feel," says IRL Connect user @scottbradley, Greater London.

"IRL Connect is simply a way for you to practice real friendship. A real friend will always be there for you and with IRL Connect, you are guaranteed to have a friend no matter where in the world you are. You are no farther away from your friends than the distance to your computer screen," says IRL Connect user @jazzjpeppe, Stockholm.

About In Real Life

In Real Life (IRL), www.irlcorporate.com, is the company behind the first visual social network that adds presence to social networks and social media. IRL Connect allows users to take their friends from any social network and visualize them on the map to find, meet and communicate. IRL Connect takes the communications features of social networking sites and makes the user's location the most important part of the information they broadcast. IRL is a 2009 Red Herring 100 Europe winner as one of the most promising and innovative technology companies in the EMEA region and a Next Web Rising Sun Start-Up Rally finalist. The privately funded company is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with an office in China.

Media contacts: Jennifer Hicks CMO, IRL Connect Jennifer@irlconnect.com +31 611278358 Twitter @jennalee Alex Crabb ink Communications for IRL Connect alex@theinkstudio.com +1 617 477-6885 ext. 1 Twitter @alexcrabb

SOURCE IRL Connect

Source: PR Newswire

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