Around here we’re obsessed with creating ways to bring Whrrl users one step closer to adventures with friends in the real world.  Sharing where you are increases the odds that if someone you know is nearby they’ll see your location update and suggest a meet up.

Friends who have Whrrl receive notifications when you’re nearby based on their settings.  To reach a larger audience, you can post your location to Twitter so that friends outside of Whrrl will know where you are, too:

Location updates should be more interesting than a link that drops you in the middle of a map without much context.  Instead of linking to the Whrrl website, this lightweight landing page makes it easy to quickly build a list of places you’ve been to or want to visit.  Places surfaced in the list are based on the preferences of the person featured on the map.

The Web Laureate is, by the site’s own definition, “the writer of poetry embodying the web experience by one who is especially gifted in the perception and expression of the online” and has written a poem about Whrrl:

Off Alaskan Way, on Elliot Bay,
Where ellsie o. likes to go sit
At Pier 66 many people hang,
On benches, others lunch with chips.
Enjoying the westerly view,
A sailboat, some ships, go past,
Remembering, some like to sketch,
I’ve been here before,
And I will here whrrl more,
Again, by and by.

Of course after seeing this I had to peruse the entire site to find some other gems, such as Advancing Methods (about the Obama iPhone app) and All By Myself (about Brightkite).  This refreshingly creative blog is definitely one for the RSS reader.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Is your feed overflowing with activity?  Worried you might miss the chance to connect with someone nearby because there’s just so much going on?  Now you can choose to receive alerts from Whrrl based on where your friends are in relation to you.

Configure your notification settings with any of these proximity levels:

• Nearby (1/4 mi)
• Walking distance (1 mile)
• In your neighborhood (3 miles)
• Everywhere

Get Content You Care About

Beyond being notified when a friend checks in nearby, you can customize what activity generates a notification with our granular notification settings:

Cut Through the Noise

If your friends are attending a conference or event and their activity is cluttering up your feed, use the mute feature to block notifications from them specifically.  Search as you type to quickly create a list of people you want to mute.  You can un-mute them again at any time.

Are there other notification settings you’d like to see in Whrrl?  We want to hear your ideas, please contact us at feedback@whrrl.com or drop us a note on Twitter @Whrrl.

Don’t have a fancy phone? Did you know you can use Whrrl with text messages to share your location, post notes, search for places, invite friends, and discover things to do while you’re on the go? In this post I’ve included a list of the 5 most used commands, but first for those of you like me (read: with a short attention span), David and his brother Jason will show how Whrrl SMS helps to connect you with your friends in the real world, in real time.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/1749663[/vimeo]

Getting Started

To create a Whrrl account send a text (it can say anything) to 94775. This five digit number is called a shortcode, and ours spells WHRRL.  If you want to stop receiving messages from Whrrl just send STOP (to 94775).

Top 5 SMS Commands

Instead of explaining all 24 commands, I’m going to quickly describe the 5 most useful and crucial things you can do with Whrrl SMS on your phone.  Whrrl SMS is conversational, so each message you receive will include some suggested responses at the bottom.  You can send MENU to get a list of commands at any time.

Share Your Location

Send a message like @ purple cafe in Seattle or AT purple cafe in Seattle.

If there is more than one possible match, you’ll get a list of search results.  Respond with the number of the result that is correct (a message like 2).  People you have whitelisted as being able to see your location will be notified of where you are, based on their notification settings.

Search For Places

Send a command like SEARCH open now near 1st ave and pine st or SEARCH thai in Seattle to get a list of places that match your criteria.  I’ve also had a lot of success with SEARCH free wifi in San Francisco (I gave it a more specific location in Nob Hill).

The more specific the location you give, the more relevant (and walkable) the results will be.

Shout (send a message to all your friends)

Send a message like SHOUT hey who’s up for going out tonight? or SHOUT is anyone in the office who can let me in? (I do the second one often) and your message will be broadcast to all your friends on Whrrl.

Invite a Friend

Send a message like INVITE 4256987497 (that’s my real phone number - friend me!) to invite someone to become friends with you on Whrrl.  If they are not already a Whrrl user they will be invited to join.

Read Your Feed

Send FEED to see all the most recent activity in your feed.

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So that’s really it, there are more commands and some shortcuts but I’ll save those for another post. There’s also info in our FAQ, if you just can’t wait for that post.  If you’ve got questions, we’re always ready to answer them at feedback@whrrl.com or on Get Satisfaction.

Hey Whrrlers! I’m an intern from the University of Washington spending this summer working with Pelago’s web team. Like many of you, I’ve wanted to connect my Whrrl and Twitter accounts for a while. Today I’m happy to announce this wish has come true.

Now you can share where you’re going and what you’re doing with your followers on Twitter. If you choose, your status and/or location updates on Whrrl can be published to your Twitter account in real time, whether you update Whrrl via the web, SMS, or on your mobile phone.

How to Link Your Twitter and Whrrl Accounts

To get started, log in at www.whrrl.com, go to the twitter tab of your Whrrl settings, and link your account. It’s that simple.

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