TC50: Collaboration session roundup

Tingz: Cross-platform shareable widgets

Widgets have been around for years. But Tingz offers a set of inter-linking widgets that work on the web, desktop interfaces and phones, that let you do all sorts of things. You could create a grocery list on your desktop widget then access it on your phone, for example. The site also includes a payment system so you can use it to buy things offered by other sites. The problem here is that there are tons of other services that do everything that Tingz does.

MIXTT: “Your friends can get with my friends and we can be friends”

Online dating sites are lame; at best, they often lead to awkward one-on-one dates. MIXTT is solving this problem by offering a social networks where groups of friends can join and share their social plans. Then, these groups can message each other and arrange real-life group dates — going out to a bar, playing sports, or whatever. It lets you flag weirdo users and block them from seeing more about you. Companion applications for iPhone and Facebook are already in development. The conceptual idea of using groups for matchmaking is pretty interesting, in any case — people often meet dates this way, but so far no company has really tapped into the phenomenon. The company is launching now, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it does. [Disclosure: I’m friends with the company founders and at times I’ve given them unofficial advice that they’ve done a smart job of ignoring.]

IMINDI: Mind map recommendations for when you’re trying to think.

Mind-mapping is a useful way of organizing thoughts and planning actions; right now most people use pen and paper. IMINDI is an online mind-mapping service that gives you options for new thought bubbles as you map out your thoughts. The company is collecting individual behavior and trying to turn it into a sort of collective view of people’s thought processes. The user interface is rough, and it’s not clear how this is something people would really want to use.

Popego: a more meaningful web

Sites like Friendfeed and Facebook’s news feed are trying to help you filter all of the other consumer-facing web sites on the web. Popego is trying to be a layer on top of these sites, too. It has an internal method of figuring out your friend relationships and interests and showing you the most interesting things happening across any site that you’re connected to through the service. So, cool idea, but there are lots of somewhat overlapping competitors.