Swirl Mobile Releases New Location-Based Social Software for Mobile Phones and PC’s

Swirl Mobile announced today the release of Swirl Connect http://www.iswirl.com, a location-based crossover application that helps people stay connected with their friends, experience what their friends experience as it happens, meet new people while they’re on the go, and find places of interest near them. Crossover software bridges the gap between mobile and web users, enabling all users to interact in real time, regardless of their point of network entry.

Swirl Connect includes popular aspects from several leading products, including mobile social software applications, web 2.0 sites, mash-ups, and common communication tools. Swirl-enabled phones allow users to see their friends’ latest pictures as they are taken, see what placemarks they’ve visited, and read what placenotes they’ve posted. Users can also find all placemarks, photos, and placenotes in the vicinity, as well as other users with Swirl-enabled handsets. Phones with GPS receivers update automatically, while other phones require a quick, manual check in. To connect Swirl users with others in the area, proximity connections via Bluetooth are supported, as well as connections made among all users at the same placemark or hotspot.

Swirl users have access to a web-based control panel called My Swirl. My Swirl archives their and their friends’ activity. People, places, and photos can be discovered with My Swirl and located with Google Maps integration. Mobile-to-mobile, web-to-web, mobile-to-web, and web-to-mobile discovery and interactions are supported, so users on their home PC’s can find and interact with their friends, regardless of whether they’re at home or on the go.

Swirl’s placemark database initially contains a limited number of placemarks, as much of the content is user-generated. Nearly thirty metropolitan areas encompassing 30,000 placemarks in the US are currently represented, and there are plans to add another thirty areas within the next 30 days. Translations are available in German, French, and Spanish.

Swirl Connect is free to everyone, and this public alpha release supports nearly 200 handsets, including support for popular Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, and Motorola phones. An additional 100 to 200 mobile devices are targeted for support in the coming months. A complete device support list http://www.iswirl.com/home/devices/ can be found on the Swirl Connect web site.

About Swirl Mobile LLC

Swirl Mobile creates location-based software, mobile social software, and web service integration software for cellular phones. The company’s primary product is Swirl Connect http://www.iswirl.com, a crossover application that enables users to find their friends, see what they’re doing in real time, meet new people, and discover new places. Swirl Mobile is headquartered in Raleigh, NC, USA.