Social Neworking via Cell Phones

THE JOURNAL NEWS -- Jan 24 -- Gina's friends don't expect much eye contact from her when they get together. She stares at her cell phone, tapping feverishly, communicating with people she's never once met in person. She uses Hookt on Boost Mobile. Hookt has its origins in AirG of Canada and has grown into an international community of 10 million users. MySpace launched mobile portal Helio. Cingular offers MySpace Mobile for $2.99 per month plus data charges. Facebook partnered with Virgin Mobile USA and Amp'd Mobile. Both Sprint and Virgin Mobile have signed deals to launch a new application from Intercasting Corp. Helio says 75% of their customers have used the MySpace service, which is included in Helio's pricey monthly plans.

Mark Brooks: Helio is pricey but the phone and the service options are fully loaded. GPS, picture messaging, and Buddy Beacon, which allows users to track the locations of their friends in real time. I use a T-Mobile blackberry 7130, and a slider phone from MetroPCS ($45/mo for unlimited minutes and long distance).