Analysis: A recent Apple patent application shows the company's interest in mobile social networking.

A patent request shows Apple may be developing a mobile social networking application for the iPhone.

A patent request shows Apple may be developing a mobile social networking application for the iPhone.

Yesterday saw the second Social Media World Forum run in London - an entire day of presentations and speeches by the social media community. I was chairing the mobile branch of the event , so I didn't get a chance to do any interviews, but there were a lot of interesting tidbits about mobile social networking that I pulled from the event.

Both Google and Facebook were recently sued by a New York-based company called Wireless Ink Corp. The company (owner of Winksite) claims that Google and Facebook are infringing one of its patents related to software that allows users to access social networking sites on their cell phones. The patent in question is US Patent No. 7,599,983 issued

Another day, another lawsuit. This time, Facebook and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) are being sued for allegedly violating patents on its mobile social networking services. Wireless Ink Corp. is suing the two online giants because it claims Facebook Mobile and Google Buzz violate patents regarding delivering content to phones. In the complaint, Wireless Ink said Facebook and

Here are some fascinating facts and figures on mobile social networks. Mobile users spend more time (lots more) on social networking sites than PC users. In the US, Facebook and MySpace are top 10 mobile destinations (in terms of audience). AOL is also in the top 10, which includes Bebo. Facebook is the number one mobile destination in the UK (in terms of audience). When you consider time spent ac...

Sorry Google Buzz and Facebook. It seems the idea for mobile social-networking was already patented by another company. In fact, it was Wireless Ink Corp. who was issued the patent in October of last year. Wireless Ink operates a service called Winksite which, as you would suspect, facilitates social networking over a mobile device and currently

Location-based mobile social networking service Loopt announced a new version of its free iPhone application that expands the app's Pulse feature to spotlight thousands of additional local events, also enabling event check-in, public Tips and RSVPs to affairs posted on Facebook. Loopt v2.2 features content from new partners SonicLiving (which connects music fans to local concert listings, son...

I like to fashion myself a valued contributor to the world at large. I write witty reviews on Yelp allowing other to avoid my epicurean misadventures. I caution moviegoers on Netflix and Flixster to avoid spending a king's ransom on "Avatar." I share photos that make grown men weep on Facebook, Kodak Gallery and Picasa. My hilarious videos go to YouTube. My prose on books lives on Amazon. Nat...