Deal adds mobile social networking plan

Deal adds mobile social networking plan

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Mercury News

Web sites like MySpace and Friendster have gained popularity by giving the online generation a way to connect. Now the mobile phone industry wants to tap into that success.

In a partnership that could herald a new era in social networking, Palo Alto start-up loopt plans to launch a new service today with Boost Mobile, one of the nation's biggest youth-oriented wireless phone companies. Boost's 3.8 million customers -- who are mostly under 25 -- will be able to create groups of friends and keep track of them using a combination of text messaging, pictures and the GPS technology embedded in most new mobile phones today.