We’ve received a number of responses from our community that Whrrl is not working for them after they upgrade their phone operating system to the new iOS4. We thought it’d be helpful to post a fix if you get a “updating places” notice that is infinitely spinning when trying to check in.

In iOS4, Apple made the location/GPS options more robust, so you can actually choose to turn on or off each applications location capabilities. When you upgrade to iOS4, the iPhone automatically turns Whrrl’s location capabilities to Off. To turn them back on, so you can check in do the following:

1. Tap the Settings tab on your iPhone
2. Tap on General, then on Location Services
3. Make sure Whrrl’s location services are turned to On.

You should be able to check in again!

Happy Whrrling!

All of us here at Pelago love Chicago; it’s the perfect mix – sophisticated yet friendly, with bustling city streets adjacent to long stretches of green parks and Lake Michigan. Everyone has their regular haunts and habits throughout the city – but we’re offering you the opportunity to see Chicago in a whole new way through Whrrl.

This month, we kicked off The Summer of Chicago Art, Architecture, Science & Music with some exciting Whrrl Societies based around art galleries, skyscrapers, festivals, concerts, sightseeing and more.

What’s better than seeing your city through a new set of eyes? Winning Lollapalooza tickets and more for doing so! Join these Societies today to experience Chicago like you never have before and to win the following prizes:

Uniquely Chicago Architecture Society: These are all the places that make Chicago, Chicago. From John Hancock Center to Wrigley Building. Check in to any of these places and you could win a copy of “Skyscrapers: A History of the World’s Most Extraordinary Buildings,” by Judith Dupre and Adrian Smith ($17 value).

The Local Tourist Society: Experience Chicago with the fascination of a tourist, in the comfort of a local. Find amazing things to do in and around the city that you may have just walked by in the past. Check in to any of these places and you could win 2 tickets ($80 value) to the amazing AlphaBeer event on July 10th, where you can taste 26 beers, one for every letter of the alphabet!

Chicago Summer of Music Society: These are all the places and events that are going to be hosting or showcasing great music this summer. From Lollapalooza to Oak Park Records. Check in to any of these places and you could win 2 tickets ($180 value) to Sunday at Lollapalooza, where Arcade Fire and Soundgarden are headlining!

Chicago Summer of Art Society: This Society features some of the best art and art-related events that Chicago has to offer.

Chicago Science Society: If you have a natural curiosity about the world around you and how it works, this is the Society for you!

Life in Perpetual Beta Society: This Society is from Melissa Pierce, the brain and beauty behind the “Life in Perpetual Beta” film – a documentary about the ways in which technology has/is/will change the ways in which we think about ourselves as individuals and a society.

Look forward to seeing you out and about Chicago!

Chicago Summer of Music July 4 – 11, 2010
Lollapalooza Ticket Contest Runs 7/4 – 7/11/2010
Prize: 2 tickets to Sunday, Aug. 8 2010 Lollapalooza (value $180)
The Local Tourist July 4 – 9, 2010 AlphaBeer Tickets Contest Runs 7/4 – 7/9/2010
Prizes: 2 tickets to July 10, 2010 AlphaBeer event (value $80/pair; 5 winners)
Chicago Architecture July 4 – 18, 2010 Skyscrapers Book Contest Runs 7/4 – 7/18/2010
Prizes: Skyscrapers: A History of the World’s Most Extraordinary Buildings (value $17; 5 winners)NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Void in Rhode Island. Open to residents of the United States age 18+ who are registered members of Whrrl. Enter by checking in to a participating location on Whrrl (must be present at the location to win) or by mailing a handwritten request including contest name to Contest Entries, c/o Pelago, Inc., 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98101. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Sponsored by Pelago, Inc., 1201 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. Promotion is subject to Official Rules.

So, whether we’re ready or not, the holidays are upon us. I saw a quip on a blog the other day – pretty soon Thanksgiving is going to be the new Groundhog’s Day, “the forgotten holiday,” because Christmas seems to be pushed on us earlier and earlier each year. I feel we barely passed Halloween, and holiday decorations are already down the isles of Target, grocery stores, etc. Each year we might be forced into thinking a little too earlier about the holidays – but I’m okay with it when it comes to gift giving. In my opinion, it’s never too early to plan for the perfect gift; it leaves me feeling less stressed once they actually approach and I have all my gifts squared away! After all, I’m prefer gift giving over receiving. It’s just so exciting to watch someone open the exact gift you know they’ll love, isn’t it?

Which brings me to gift guides, gift guides, everywhere! We’ve seen a ton of them cropping up on Whrrl. Lori Turk (@TipJunkie) has been sharing her holiday gift ideas (handmade by women!), like guide for gifts under $25:

If you can’t see this Whrrl story, click here.

And Audrey McClellan created a HUGE gift guide, which covers gifts for sporty moms, little girls and boys, “socially conscious” dads and more. Holy cow, Audrey’s gift guide is awesome! It might be the Bible of all gift guides.

If you can’t see this Whrrl story, click here.

How great is it to check into some of your favorite stores to shop at, and bring up a gift guide right on your iPhone! Or create a gift guide to share on your blog! Tell us the gifts to buy from your favorite place to shop for the holidays! A local craft store… the mall… T.J. Max… you name it! We want to see it! You can tag your holiday guide with #holidaygifts or #giftguide, and search all gift guides on Whrrl too!

Happy (pre Thanksgiving) Holidays! :D

TechFlash posted over the weekend that Seattle firms see gold in iPhone Apps, and we certainly agree.  Jeff was quoted in the article:

The iPhone and Apple App Store have “created a thriving ecosystem with an effective reach that dwarfs any other path available via a single platform,” said Jeff Holden, CEO of Seattle web startup Pelago, which works primarily with the iPhone.

We can’t wait to share more of the thinking behind the concept of “effective reach” in measuring the strength of the iPhone application ecosystem on the whole, as well as the success of particular applications.

John Cook has been compiling a list of local iPhone applications and developers using local service Blist, check it out and contribute anyone who should be included:

Check out the full article here and if this interested you, you may also consider joining the Seattle iPhone Development group on Google to keep up with the latest events and discussion.

‘Tis the season of candy.  Since Hallowe’en last Friday, there has been plenty of chocolate floating around.  This made me think of a recent note that floated across my Whrrl Feed about a neat place called Chocolopolis, and prompted me to spend a few minutes this morning Whrrling for notable chocolate places in the Seattle area.

This search led me to five places that I bookmarked using the “Want To Go” button in Whrrl, along with a slew of notable mentions.  This knowledge is way too important, a delicious, to keep to myself which is why I’ve decided to let you all in on it.

I started off by using the filters on my Whrrl Home to show only places with an average rating of 5 stars that have been visited by my friends.  I also entered the word ‘chocolate‘ into the place search box.  The search box is intelligent enough to search place titles AND the descriptions, as well as reviews of the millions of places currently in Whrrl!

Fran’s Chocolates

I immediately stumbled upon Fran’s Chocolates in the University Village!  Kristin S. raves about their award winning sea salt caramels: “The combination of salty and sweet is so complex and delicious you will be surprised and coming back for more” – and the figs stuffed with ganache.  Danielle also notes that they have lovely gift wrapping, which is worthy of note since the holidays are fast approaching.

The Tasting Room

Next up was another highly rated establishment called The Tasting Room near Pike Place Market.  Rachel M. sold me on this one.  She notes “they have a sampling of sweet wines paired with chocolate… fig and fennel being the most intriguing confection” and that she “was all smiles by the time [she] left“.  Since I had a conversation about pairing wine and chocolate with friends just this last weekend, that’s all I needed to add it to my list of places to go.

Chocolati Cafe

I am a huge fan of coffee shops, particularly those that have a unique ambiance, have wireless Internet access and serve great coffee.  Chocolati Café near Greenlake fits the bill perfectly.

Not only is this coffee house and chocolate factory an excellent place to telecommute, but both Anne A. and Nathaniel S. specifically call out their chocolate covered fortune cookies as a great reason to visit.

Theo Chocolate

That was when I hit the jackpot – Theo Chocolate, a factory which produces premium, organic, fair trade and specialty chocolate.  According to Anca S. the best part is “the tour…think wine tasting but with chocolate“.

Yves A. lays it down this way, “Yummy chocolates with a couple interesting twists: one, combinations of ingredients that are unusual in this country (curry, basil, lemon grass and others) ; two, a strong emphasis on fair trade.  …  Do not miss the chocolate with bread crumbs!“  Just my style of unusual experience mixed with the chance to enjoy oneself while doing some social good!  Theo, we will be meeting up in the near future.

Honorable Mentions

B&O Espresso in Capitol Hill – a perennial favorite:  “Desserts are where they shine. Try their apple crisp, the chocolate pot, or the creme brulee–or, on the coffee menu, the valencia (a mocha flavored with orange).” – Jason C.

Neuhaus USA near Pelago in Downtown Seattle: “Shhh! Don’t tell too many people or the line will get longer, but the chocolates here are amazing. Great for an afternoon snack.” – Danielle

Cremant in Madrona:  “Other things NOT to miss: chocolate mousse – amazing. And there is a special chocolate shot that the waiter told me the chef came up with while in Paris.” – Megan B.

Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle: “I thought it was odd that a baker would have a massive trophy above the counter until I took my first bite of a chocolate croissant.” – Tyler W.

Simply Desserts in Fremont:  “I LOVE their Chocolate Truffle cake. ” – Wendy M.

Dilettante Chocolate Café in Capitol Hill:  “Good chocolate, of course. Fortified milkshakes and chocolate mousse are two of the best. It’s a little loud and usually crowded, but the service is always good.” – Lara B.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Pioneer Square

And finally, Chocolopolis in Queen Anne that inspired this post.

You can find all of these on my Want to Go List.  You can also become a fan of me, or any of the other reviewers mentioned above if you like their tastes!  Just click “become a fan” on their profile page to include their public activities and opinions in your feed.

Now to roust up some friends and see if they want to head out for dessert!

Where you are is crucial to remembering and sharing your experiences and making discoveries about the world around you.  Memes like the recent Twitter #WWY911 demonstrate the power of tying the question “where were you?” with important moments in life.

The Web of the Physical World

People share their life stories through status updates, photos, comments, links, videos, and more through services like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.  Incorporating location in your story with Whrrl adds context to everything you share, and with GPS in mobile devices it’s easier than ever before.

When I walked through the woods as a kid, I wondered if anyone had ever stepped on a particular piece of ground before.  Who were they?  What had they being doing here?

The character of a place is often evident in its visitors.  Imagine knowing the stories of the café where Hemingway wrote, the places where characters from Entourage hang out, or the theater where Lincoln was shot.  Aren’t you curious where Barack Obama goes for waffles?

Speeding Up Time-to-Discovery

Whrrl increases the odds that you’ll find serendipity in your daily life.  See what your friends are up to by keeping track of the locations they share.  Use collaborative filters to receive recommendations for places to go, based on the shared experiences within your network.

Tim O’Reilly discussed what we at Pelago call the “web of the physical world” last week in his Web Meets World talk at Web 2.0 Expo NY, and mentioned that services like Whrrl are early indicators in the emerging “instrumenting the world” trend.  The ability to deliver personalization based on GPS coordinates (and hopefully someday other factors like temperature, motion, or volume) is becoming a reality.

You might discover something new, like a breakfast place where people stand out in the cold for almost an hour any day of the week and occasionally meet their future spouse in line (Dish).  In my humble opinion, meeting the love of your life (human or omelet) is definitely a more meaningful payoff than you’ll get throwing sheep.

Protecting Your Location Sharing

Whether you share your where you are with the entire world, or just broadcast to a select group of people, with Whrrl you have complete control over who you share your location with.  Only Whrrl members on your People Who Can See My Location list are notified when you share where you are.

You can also broadcast your location to Twitter and your location will be displayed based on your privacy settings there.  Oh and by the way, if you’re a Twitter user, come follow us!  Happy storytelling!