Where Are We? - GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones - page 163

est is more relevant to a user based on location, so news aggregators, sports
and weather apps, Internet radio, and many others use gps location. However,
if users open their phone settings to examine the apps listed under location
services, they will find some that appear to employ location primarily or only
for streaming ads.
Startups and established companies have rushed into the lbs space, offer-
ing social networking, customer reviews, shopping guidance, price compari-
sons, coupons, loyalty programs, and the latest wrinkle—augmented reality.
Many apps combine several or all of these elements. lbs apps help people find
everyday needs—the lowest-priced gasoline (Gas Buddy, Cheap Gas!, Gas
Guru), a clean public restroom (Sit or Squat, Bestroom, Have2P), restaurants
(Yelp, Urban Spoon, Open Table), medical care (HealthTap, DoctorsElite, Zoc-
Doc), and of course, real estate ( Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia), the industry that
coined the phrase “location, location, location.” Some newer apps (Highlight,
Intro, Sonar) link users through one of the larger social networks, such as Face-
book, Twitter, Foursquare, or LinkedIn, which dominate the U.S. market. 122
Social networking is growing faster than other apps. Distimo, a Dutch market
research firm that specializes in the mobile marketplace, reported that down-
loads of the one hundred most popular social networking apps in Apple's App
Store for U.S. customers increased 193 percent from mid-2010 to mid-2012,
while the store average for all apps was only 43 percent. 123 During that time
Facebook remained the world leader, but competitors line, WeChat, and Viber
surpassed Facebook downloads in many Asian countries from mid-2011 to
mid- 2012. 124 As of late 2012 both Facebook and Groupon, which have publicly
traded shares, were finding it difficult to translate their large mobile presence
into earnings that meet investors' expectations. 125
The lbs market is evolving so rapidly that some well-known names (Gow-
alla, Brightkite, Babbleville) have already gone under—“deadpooled” is the
industry term—or been acquired (such as Loopt, which prepaid card specialist
Green Dot will use to enter the mobile wallet business). 126 It seems certain that
the mobile app market will undergo extensive experimentation and consoli-
dation over the next several years. Whatever emerges will undoubtedly inte-
grate personal navigation. Navigation apps have evolved far beyond public
roadways to include subway systems, bus routes, and large destinations such
as Disney World and Arlington National Cemetery. gps guidance has so altered
consumer behavior that Google, Microsoft, Nokia (which owns Navteq), Broad-
com, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, and other companies are investing mil-