Loopt integrates local mobile advertising

Social-mapping and communication solutions provider Loopt announced an agreement with mobile marketing services provider Mobile Spinach to integrate offers, coupons and discounts from local neighborhood retailers. Initially launching in San Francisco, with the New York City and Los Angeles markets slated to follow in the months ahead, the advertising service promises unique, relevant and hyper-targeted local offers unavailable from any other service provider. Loopt identifies offers available in a subscriber's immediate neighborhood, complete with directions and contact details for the retailer--offers can be redeemed directly from the phone or sent via SMS and email.

Loopt now boasts more than 3 million registered users--the service spans across all major U.S. carriers and more than 100 handsets, including Apple's iPhone. The question is whether the new Loopt/Mobile Spinach service will run afoul of Apple's App Store submission policies: A post last week on the iPhone Dev Center website warns developers that applications built with features based on user location must provide "beneficial information," adding it will reject apps that incorporate location to deliver targeted advertising.

For more on the Loopt advertising service:
- read this release

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