Use Your Friends for Local Tips and Planning Trips with LocalHero and Trippy
We all have friends, and for many of us today the way we connect with our friends is heavily influenced by the Internet, specifically by Social Media.
Today, when you want to stay connected with friends and family, you might sign up on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ (If you are not already one of the 1 Billion plus people already signed up!). We use these social networks to keep tabs on the people we know, invite them to our events, and to show off all of the cool stuff we create or find on the Internet.
These are very popular ways to interact with your friends online, but are there other ways to connect with your friends on the Internet? Yes, according to two new web startups called LocalHero and Trippy.
Today, when you need an answer to a localized question, you might ask someone you don't know for local tips and recommendations on
localized Q&A apps such as Askalo and Crowdbeacon. Tomorrow, before asking someone you don't know, you might ask your friends these questions first with LocalHero and Trippy. These apps let you easily target parts of your existing social networks to get local tips and travel recommendations from your friends.
Local Hero
Need local tips? LocalHero allows you to turn your friends into heroes by automatically sharing your requests for local tips with nearby friends who are most likely to provide you with the answer you need. Maybe you recently joined a book club and want to know the most affordable places to buy the books on your reading list? You will probably search for tips first among your friends who you know are avid readers. LocalHero uses your social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ to collect data and match your local request to your closest friend with the right skills for answering that question.
Trippy
Planning a trip? You can get travel tips from your friends first with Trippy, the so-called “friendsourced” travel app that uses your social networks like Facebook to allow your friends who know your destination best to give you the best recommendations for your trip. For example, If you are planning a trip to San Francisco, Trippy will automatically gather recommendations on San Francisco hotels and flights from all of your Facebook friends who have socially checked into a location in San Francisco or posted that they have lived, worked, or went to school in the City by the Bay.
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