This post is part of a new series from HuffPostTech, Socialized, that will profile a different social startup--from apps to services to websites--every day. Want to be featured on the site? Email us about your startup, which should have a social media component and be less than two years old, at bianca@huffingtonpost.com.
If trying to meet up with someone feels like an exasperating game--without the fun of pool classic Marco Polo--a new app, Marco, may offer a solution. By letting the two people see each other on a shared map, Marco makes it so that you're never stranded on a street corner trying to find someone standing a few meters away.
What it is: Marco combines text messaging with location-based software so that a simple SMS can enable users to connect on a shared map.
How it works: Marco uses the smartphone's GPS to locate the user, as well as the recipient of the Marco request, on the sane map. Though the app itself is only available for the iPhone, non-iPhone users can get in on the action, as long as their phone allows GPS.
Once the user has opened the app, a map with your own location appears. After clicking "Find Your Friend," you can add anyone from your address book.
Marco users trying to find each another will get a message from the app with the option of viewing a map. Others get a text message saying, "Marco! Show Amy your location on a map" with a link to the shared map.
Why you'd use it: Especially when trying to find a friend in a crowded bar, looking at a map to find other people could help speed up the process and ease the frustration.
Though location-based social networking services can also help place friends on a map, Marco's simplicity--the app is limited to communications between two people--also allows for a more private experience. Location sharing lasts up to 30 minutes, or until someone taps "End.". All Marco requests have to be approved on both ends.
How to get it: Visit usemarco.com or go to Apple's App Store.
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