Facebook Connect - Simplifying Mobile Use Cases

Julie Ask | July 25, 2008, 05:36 PM

Saw this Facebook Connect write up today in the NYTimes.

The single username and password option is one that I like a lot and should facilitate ease of use.

I've been using Loopt and Loopt with Facebook and Facebook with Loopt, I think. I can post from within Loopt on my iPhone to Facebook. There is an application or widget within Facebook that lets me see where my Facebook friends are on a map IF they are signed up for Loopt. I've used Facebook to invite some friends to sign up for Loopt, but I haven't had any conversions yet. I'm still hopeful for a chance encounter with a friend who happens to be nearby.

What I'd like is for a single map on Facebook to show me where my friends are regardless of what application or service or cellular provider or handset, etc. they are using. I can accept that there are competing location applications on my phone for now, but I still do wish there were one map with all of this stuff on it.

Simpler will help - working through getting these applications running has been challenging and required some calls to customer service.

Facebook Connect looks to be a step in the right direction.

I just finished a large piece of research on the roll of cell phones in social graphs and networks. I think the kinds of applications and services described above have the potential to really drive data usage and adoption of high end handsets.