No:-)

Google is the starting point on the internet for many users, Xobni is not. And, in any case, it's not a fair comparison.

That said, Xobni is a kick-ass product as a plugin for outlook and can be extended to the web ala plaxo and integrated as an overlay with any other social network.

In a more generic sense, the next google will probably not be the one everyone talks about, it would be the one people start using -- anyone remembers how people started switching from altavista to google?

Xobni's at a natural disadvantage for now, because all of the so-called "early adopters" -- well many, not all -- don't use Outlook.

For those who do use it, they can imagine how easily it could become one of those apps everyone talks about when it releases its other products.

> ... integrated as an overlay with any other social network.

I think that the killer idea here is the "natural" social network. Email, IM, etc., are all used to communicate already. Adding analytics on top of that is genius, and really cool. The search is meh (see OSX's Spotlight), but the stats are sweet.

Google is not the starting point for many. Search is, and Google happens to be the leader in Search.. And i bet you Email is more a starting point than Search is. If Xobni established itself as a leader in this segment they have created through Email, then they can definitely be the starting point and maybe as big as Google one day......

Loopt isn't in stealth mode. They just started out on a niche carrier.

I really think that platform limitation is hindering them more than they might think. Everyone I describe the product to says "Cool! Where can I get it on my phone?" and then is immediately disappointed when told what carriers it works on. Maybe I am just in an area (Boston) where no one uses these carriers, but it seems odd to ignore such a large segment of the population.

Also, they should really make their SDK freely available. I had a few interesting ideas for location-based services I wanted to toy with, but their submission page for their SDK was broken last time I tried to submit one of my ideas. I even went so far as to email the dev team with a plea for even a basic SDK to play with, but my request was soundly ignored. Why make it so difficult to develop apps if you want your platform to be used?

Just my .02.

They really need to integrate with AT&T/Verizon as soon as they can! Their service looks awesome, but... Exactly 0 of my 273 (thank you Facebook) college friends have Boost, Sprint or Nextel, and we're the kind of people who always want to know where everyone is "at" on the weekends.

Wicked sweet idea, why didn't I think of that?

wow, i have arrived.

Apparently. I was just stating my enthusiasm to see Loopt on AT&T/Verizon, not that it was some grand new idea.

All they need to do is develop an iPhone app (after the SDK is released) and bypass the carriers all together. Integrating with carriers is quickly becoming a pointless effort... And its about time if you ask me.

At least for me, Google is the Google of personal information.

Xobni makes Outlook search less painful, but my Outlook only has my boring work emails. Gmail and Google Docs (and Facebook) is where I keep my personal information.

Also, don't forget that Google has desktop search, which goes even farther than Xobni in searching Outlook as well as all the documents on your hard drive.

Hmm big words right now, being that most of my peers haven't even heard of Xobni. I doubt there will be the next "google" for some time...

For the love of teh internets, will people stop constructing sentences that end in "the next Google?"

Is previous the next next?

Only if its a circular linked list of two elements.

Touché

Xobni is a product we need more than we think we do. i can't wait for the gmail plugin.

Yeah, cant wait for the gmail plug in here too, cos I stopped using outlook express when I quit my previous job, and now that have the xobni installable, i cant use it :(.

no because i don't know how to pronounce 'xobni'

Zob-nee

No