Location Based Social Apps Take over SXSW

Highlight. Glancee. Banjo. Sonar.

These are just a few of the location-based social apps that have taken over Austin, Texas' South by Southwest interactive conference this year.

So how do they work and what do they do?

Highlight

Highlight uses your Facebook profile to match you up with users nearby who share the same interests.

According to TechCrunch, Highlight is interested in becoming a personal CRM system; helping users remember new friends names along with time & place they met.

Glancee

Like Highlight, Glancee uses a connection with your Facebook profile to match up with other users.

Unlike Highlight, Glancee doesn't show users exact physical location on a map. Instead, you are listed as 'about 4 miles away' from users, who are ranked by number of common interests and physical proximity.

Banjo

Banjo utilizes data from Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram & more to provide users with a more actionable 'out-of-the-box' experience than simply relying on Facebook connections alone.

The app also lets you know when your connections are nearby, even if they are not actively using the Banjo application.

Sonar

This app seperates your connections with 'relevant friends' represented by potential friends based upon the interests listed on your social profiles.

Sonar uses data from all the same networks as Banjo, including LinkedIn.

But wait, there's more!

Others who made a splash on the locaiton-based app scene at SxSW this year include:

• Intro
• EchoEcho
• KisMet
• Glassmap
• ntro
• Mingle

Next up: How are brands going to market their products / services using location based applications?