geolocation

In just one and a half years, Foursquare has taken social networking to a new level by offering geo-location services that allow users to notify their friends about where they are shopping, eating or drinking. And it hasn't gone unnoticed. CEO Dennis Crowley shares his thoughts on the recent launch of geo-location application Facebook Places.

Shopkick's smartphone app combines location-based features with shopping. The hot startup's plan: When you walk into any partnering retailer, the app will alert you to deals at that store, and reward you with "Kickbucks" just for being there.

Dennis Crowley's mobile networking company is the current belle of the tech start-up ball. It's attracting VCs, and media companies -- Yahoo in particular -- are rumored to be interested in buying it for as much as $100 million.