Home SXSW: PathCrosser, an App for Comparing Facebook & Foursquare Checkins with Friends

SXSW: PathCrosser, an App for Comparing Facebook & Foursquare Checkins with Friends

Only a few weeks ago, when local discovery app WHERE launched a recommendation engine for sharing places with friends, I said I wished someone would build an app that used Facebook or Foursquare checkins instead. As it turns out, someone did just that. A new application called PathCrosser, launching right now in the iTunes App Store and Android Market is a mobile app that, like WHERE, uses Bump technology to compare your own personal local recommendations with your friends. With the Bump integration, you simply launch the app and tap phones with another person to make a connection. But unlike WHERE, it doesn’t expect to use data housed only within its own service – it pulls data from the services you already use: Facebook and Foursquare.

If you’re looking for a new app to try while waiting in line for some of those SXSW parties tonight, give PathCrosser a go and see what you think.

Conversation Starter, Matchmaker and Guide

The PathCrosser application keeps it simple – it’s not a Yelp competitor where users write long reviews of the businesses they’ve visited, it just pulls in the checkins you already have on hand – those from Facebook Places and Foursquare. Going forward, the app will integrate additional checkin sources, too, PathCrosser’s creators Clark Harris and Matthew Simpson told me when I sat down with them this afternoon to see the new app in action.

What’s more, PathCrosser plans to work with third-party APIs (application programming interfaces) to pull in other information that would be relevant, like your tips on Foursquare, for example, which could serve to augment the raw checkin data with your personal notes.

The fun part about using this app is that it can be a great conversation starter – bump phones with a friend and, all of sudden, not only do you see each other’s travels by way of your checkin history, the app’s matchmaking engine tells you whether or not you and your friend have similar tastes and interests.

Plus, for those who don’t use location-based checkin services, PathCrosser provides (or rather, it will provide) a Web-based interface where you can pick out the places you’ve visited or mark them as places you would like to visit. However, that portion of the PathCrosser service has not launched just yet because this startup built “mobile first,” as so many today choose to do.

For a first look at PathCrosser in action, check out the video below (sorry for the quality, I need a better camera):

PathCrosser is available here in the iTunes App Store or here in the Android Market.

Note: Video recorded with a Flip Cam, which was provided to me for use during SXSW.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.