Location-based social networking is getting ready to take off. As smartphones proliferate throughout the population, getting offline becomes more difficult. So why not take advantage of being online all the time to see where your friends are?

Location-based social networking allows members of the communities to share their location through GPS, mobile email or text. You can add comments about a restaurant, let friends know you're going to a show downtown or just find out if anyone you know happens to be nearby and wants to meet up for a cup of coffee. RIM's BlackBerry already supports some of these networks and the pending release of the 3G iPhone will only raise its profile.



BrightKite

BrightKite is a location-based social network that acts a lot like Twitter. In fact, you can add your friends to the network by entering your handle when you register for the service. Featuring a Facebook-like friend feed, users can upload pictures and comments about where they are and what's going on. Log-in, check in and let your friends know what you're doing.