Hummba – The social network for people on the move
In short, Hummba is a social network for people on the move. We’re all armed with fancy mobile devices these days, from iPhone’s to BlackBerry’s to Nokia’s and Android-enabled phones, most of which have easy access to the Internet. Another thing that most of us are, is on the move – running between meetings, hurrying off to do shopping and so forth, so when you combine these two common factors, a social network that’s made specfically for people on the move, hits the nail on the head.
Before I go further, I’d like to just mention which mobile devices are supported and which are in development:
- iPhone – Available in app store
- Android – Available in app store
- BlackBerry – To be completed by the end of May
- Nokia – To be completed by the end of May
Let’s have a quick look at some of the features available to you:
- Upload geo-tagged photo’s with breadcrumbs
- Create geo-tagged routes with footprints
- Update your status and location live
- Keep in touch with friends
- Share all your Hummba experiences through Facebook
- Hummba is your virtual tour guide. Download over 100 FREE audio guides from the most visited and popular travel destinations in the world.
- View a live stream of what your friends are doing, their locations and their photo’s.
All of this is done in real time, while you travel, directly from your mobile phone!
For the iPhone users out there, let’s do this:
- Grab your iPhone
- Load up the AppStore
- Click to Search
- Search for ‘hummba’
- Click on the application
- Click to download (for free)
- Wait for it to install
You’ll spot the little Hummba icon on your desktop:
When you open the application, you will be given a short guided tours by means of a few slides. Once your slide show is complete, you’ll be able to create an account. This takes about 15 seconds and doesn’t require you to wait for activation emails and such. Things get right off to a start and you’re asked to create a footprint and once you’ve created a footprint, now you can add a video or a photograph to this footprint!
So essentially whilst you’re on the move, you can place footprints where ever you are and attach photographs or movies to these footprints and whilst doing this, you can make friends with other users based on their movements.
The whole concept is fantastic and it’s a great deal of fun once you get started. So, if you’re into social networking and are on the move constantly with your mobile device, this is definitely a service worth signing up for.
For more information, visit Hummba.com
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May 19th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Thanks for the review. Pretty cool app. I see they have quite a focus on SA. Is it a South African app, as it’s pretty bloody good.
May 19th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
@Jonnyp – It must be a South African app, Hummba = Hamba(Which is move in Zulu? ) = on the move?
May 19th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Officially asking, Chris, is this your startup mate?
May 20th, 2010 at 1:21 am
It’s not my application, unfortunately :) It is a South African startup, they’ve just sign a huge deal with an International company, I’ll do my research and then report back..
May 20th, 2010 at 7:04 am
I’m on the Nokia N97, will have to wait, sorry Chris.
May 20th, 2010 at 7:05 am
The company was actually started by mark allewell, the guy who started tourism radio. (disclosure : I’ve done work for them in the passed) They have done really well for themselves internationally. Well done to their team!!!!
May 20th, 2010 at 7:27 am
I just saw a press release about Mathew booth and Benni mcarthy being the hummba official ambassadors for the wc. So they must be getting some serious funding from somewhere. Nice to see a South African start up doing well.
May 20th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Hey Chris
Thanks for the review. Just to answer your questions, we have some dev team’s in CPT, Kiev and Barcelona. We started in SA and sold to a European VC, who @heliotouch, has given us some funding for hummba.com. Tourism Radio has now been going for five years and is a nice little stable company. Thanks again :)
May 20th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Reminds me of the uHambi project I worked on.
Wonder which came first ;p
May 20th, 2010 at 10:46 am
It’s quite awesome, I was playing with it this morning, moving around Cape Town and laying footprints at my various destinations – for someone who does some serious moving and shaking, this could be a huge amount of fun!
May 20th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Ive just downloaded the app, and had a look at the free guides for the world cup host cities. Wow im impressed, great for tourists coming to SA.
May 20th, 2010 at 11:56 am
@nik – Ye, being able to move around South Africa during the World Cup, taking videos and photographs at different locations and being able to attach them to footprints is awesome – What a way to track a holiday.
Question: Is there a way to export things from Hummba? So, once you’re done with a holiday, could you export your journey?
Another Question: This is somewhat similiar to Vodacom’s The Grid, except that has blips?
May 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Is there a way to export things from Hummba? You can sinc your entire journey through to Facebook as it happens. If you are talking about exporting your pictures to some sort of photo printing service, not at present, but it is on our radar. As for the grid, we are focussing more on an International audience who arn’t tied to any network. Our aim to provide users with free location based audio content, whist giving them access to a social layer.
@myphotographer – drop me a line and ill get you a test build for the Nokia (mark@hummba.com)
May 20th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
We’ve seen all this stuff before. Its only good if everyone’s using it. Like the current surge in Blackberry’s and the bbm network – which is a gimmick IMO. Nokia’s OVI chat, Google’s gtalk, whatever it is, they all have GPS positioning so you can follow your friends. All this is doing is having a consolidated friends thingy mabob and will only work as well as the people who are operating it.
I still believe facebook have 99% of the social networking market in SA, so if you going to introduce something like hamba, it should be done through facebook so all noobs with their nokias can also get involved.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
oh, and GOOGLE ftw. Im having so much fun with all the goolge apps at the moment.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I guess if you have enough users in the same space, then it will work. Ive downloaded it and the interphase is pretty cool. I actually only downloaded it to see what Mathew Booth is uploading, but hey, thats me.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
@tony – I hear what you’re saying, have you had a chance to try Hummba out yet though?
May 20th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
For those who you who dont have Iphones or Android Phones and want it on their BB or Nokia’s. Drop me a line and ill get some test versions emailed to you – mark@hummba.com – Thanks
May 20th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
@James – But think about the scenario where your friends are all over the world, and you can see exactly where they are and what they’re doing? That’s the part that caught my attention, well that and the ability to travel and keep a “diary” of where I’ve been :)
May 20th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Thanks Mark, I’m sure there are plenty of BB users who are keen :)
May 20th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
@Chris – Sure I agree. I like the idea. Tony is right though, the aim is to get those people on to make it interesting. For me, well I think its pretty cool to be able to follow Mathew Booth around the world cup as he takes pictures. I would also use the app if I travelled, as I guess my friends would like to keep track of me and the audio guides sound cool. FB is great, but at present they dont have geo stuff. I logged in with FB connect and BANG, my location is in my stream. Thats sexy :)
May 20th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Cool, I spoke to these guys at the Silicon Cape event. Cool ideas they have, I will give it a whirl.