
Loopt to work in the background on iPhone via deal with AT&T - fromedome
http://www.businessinsider.com/loopt-to-run-in-the-background-on-iphone-2009-6
======
ekanes
Most relevant sentence: "After the 14-day trial, the always-on feature will
cost $3.99 per month, added to your AT&T bill."

~~~
mrshoe
AT&T disgusts me. How much money has the iPhone dropped in their lap? And all
they do with that money is drag down the entire user experience with horrible,
overpriced service which cripples the device severely.

They have had time, however, to try to squeeze as much money from this venture
as possible while they still have exclusivity. I've now received two emails
from AT&T about their navigation app. They charge $9.99 _per month_ for it.
How many other iPhone app developers can send out an email to every single
iPhone owner at will? Zero. The rest of us have to charge 99 cents (one time)
if we want to get noticed on the App Store.

And now that they've cashed in on Apple's brilliance and innovation, they're
going to do the same with Loopt. They are the perfect example of a company
willing to do whatever it takes to increase profits, but not willing to do
much of anything to help their customers.

~~~
mikeryan
It seems to me that this would be Loopt's business model?

I can understand bashing AT&T I hate their service, but I think Loopt charges
for their service on most providers.

Oh and the $9.99 per month thing made me choke too. Especially when TomTom has
a $99 app.

~~~
Zev
AT&T isn't the only company with a $/month GPS app on the App Store.

Not that its clear if map updates will be free or in-app purchases with
TomTom.

------
andreyf
PG on Loopt CEO, Sam Altman:

 _I was told I shouldn't mention founders of YC-funded companies in this list.
But Sam Altman can't be stopped by such flimsy rules. If he wants to be on
this list, he's going to be.

Honestly, Sam is, along with Steve Jobs, the founder I refer to most when I'm
advising startups. On questions of design, I ask "What would Steve do?" but on
questions of strategy or ambition I ask "What would Sama do?"

What I learned from meeting Sama is that the doctrine of the elect applies to
startups. It applies way less than most people think: startup investing does
not consist of trying to pick winners the way you might in a horse race. But
there are a few people with such force of will that they're going to get
whatever they want._

(source: <http://www.paulgraham.com/5founders.html>)

~~~
sayrer
I still can't believe he manages to cut the deals that he does. I was really
shocked when it showed up on Boost Mobile.

Is Loopt really that great? Does he prove that it makes money for the phone
company? I guess that must be the pitch, since it would be easier to track
what's driving spending from a pre-pay customer.

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midnightmonster
Loopt is not running in the background, AT&T is just updating Loopt from their
own data.

<http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/09/04/loopt-location>

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mitchellh
Cool for people who use Loopt I guess BUT this is really not fair to other
developers (especially the competitors of Loopt).

It feels like one of those "Well, if I let YOU do it I have to let EVERYONE do
it" type of things, and AT&T should have said no.

I also find it interesting that Apple isn't mentioned anywhere in the deal,
which is strange because the article makes it seem that AT&T has the power to
just tell Apple to break one of its developer rules for a special case. Shady,
if I do say so myself.

~~~
chrismear
From the article:

"The app isn't running in the background; it's working server-to-server."

So presumably all they've done is a deal with AT&T to access the cell-location
data for a subscriber, and using the app to tie that into their Loopt
identity. Nothing special going on inside the iPhone OS.

~~~
cyunker
Interesting. So it shouldn't affect battery life.

------
roc
Why do I get this feeling that Loopt simply struck a deal for access to
location/tracking/logging data that AT&T is already collecting for its own
purposes...

~~~
wmf
Because that's basically what the article says?

The real question is why AT&T is proactively tracking phone location (if they
are).

~~~
chrismear
Probably something really sinister, like the ability to route your phone calls
to you, or something.

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darien
In reference to pricing, I think you guys are forgetting the study which found
that the majority of iphone users make over $80,000 in salary. There is quite
a lot of disposable income in that population. Therefore it only makes sense
that they would attempt to milk every dime. Especially when competitors are
sure to emerge in the next 2-3 years.

~~~
axod
"...study which found that the majority of iphone users make over $80,000 in
salary."

Are these professionals really the target market for Loopt though? Loopt seems
more useful to teens/college kids etc.

~~~
darien
When you consider that location based services like Loopt can be used to feed
Apps like Foursquare.com you realize this technology has broad applications
for iphones majority audience. Foursquare is a mobile social media platform
that allows users to see what bars their friends are situated at.

------
pkulak
I would pay 4 bucks a month... if everyone else paid 4 bucks a month and did
the same. They won't do that, however.

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sh1mmer
I do something like this with <http://github.com/tylerhall/sosumi>

I was planning to write something which alternates between Sosumi and Clarke
(Skyhook FireEagle updater for Mac) so when you are at your computer and
updating you don't eat into your iPhone battery.

~~~
hiroprot
If you're using Brightkite, you can get background location on your iPhone
using this: <http://github.com/HiroProt/playnice/tree/master>

Of course, that's a total hack ;)

------
sdh
I'm surprised people aren't more up in arms about AT&T continuously tracking
their location.

~~~
njharman
It's more or less required for cell phone service. They need to know what cell
you are in order to connect incoming calls.

Besides if you're using AT&T you're either ignorant or unconcerned about
privacy. They have looong history going back to the Clipper chip, PATRIOT act
era wiretaps, of "selling out" their customers.

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whereareyou
The Nike + iPod app runs in the background. Does that not count as a third
part application?

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jmtame
This is really exciting news; traditionally the carriers have been a bit
closed in nature, and this represents a healthy step forward for people like
myself who use and enjoy Loopt. Look forward to seeing this technology
progress!

------
allenbrunson
as an entrepreneur: wow, that's a pretty good hack. not many people could have
pulled that off.

as an iphone owner: oh no WAY am i going to pay extra for that. at&t already
charges through the nose and gives me lousy service in return.

------
charlesju
As a complete side note; how many people do you know that use Loopt? I'm
curious as to how well they're doing in comparison to say something like
Facebook.

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antirez
This is highly unfair: to provide a technological boost only to a single
application is not what I'm comfortable to name as a 'free market'.

------
jzdziarski
Apps have been running in the background since Backgrounder was published on
Cydia. And it doesn't cost anything to do so. Backgrounder lets me set up my
TomTom, Flow Chat (IRC), and AMBER Alert to background themselves
automatically... and my 3G[s] still runs plenty fast.

------
jonursenbach
Antitrust, much?

~~~
barrkel
Funny, what with the Apple / Jobs etc. in context, I read that as
Antichrist...

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sama
wow!

~~~
Radix
You know, you could give some context to this comment, and perhaps comment on
the article since you know more.

~~~
Radix
Guh, I was trying to point out you're probably the Sama and maybe get some
info on the actual deal. Not get you down-voted. Your comment was perfectly
acceptable considering your connection to Loopt.

