location-based services

Here's a new foundation for a social network app: Storytelling. The just-debuted application called Broadcastr lets people record audio stories tagged to geographical locations. The plan: Contributors will create compelling tales and imbue places with new meanings through voices.

Motorola is snapping up location-based software maker Aloqa as part of its strategy to differentiate its smartphones with the help of software. Aloqa's technology pushes information to smartphone users about events or special offers from merchants near their locations.

The idea may seem somewhat silly, but location-based services, such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and others, are likely to become an enormous market. And investors are racing to get a piece of the action, which will escalate valuations.