The success of Twitter and Foursquare, applications launched at South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, made the iOS and Android developers to schedule more and more releases for the annual event. This year, the accent was put on social applications, which are offering new ways of interaction. Here are the coolest apps launched at SXSW 2012, according to CNET. All applications are free and can be downloaded from App Store or Android Market.

 

1)     Highlight (iOS)

One of the most discussed applications, even before the launch at SXSW, is Highlight. The IOS application offers user a sixth sense to ease social interactions. When you pass by a Highlight user on the street, you will be able to see his name, mutual friends or interests. The application can provide users with suggestions on common interests and contains several security settings that can restrict others’ access to the user’s information.

 

2)     Kinoma Play (Android)

Kinoma Play offers a unique and effective platform for Android smartphones. The application contains 50 other applications that can be accessed through different interfaces in order to centralize online services. Searches can be performed simultaneously on Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, etc. and news can be gathered into a single interface in Google Reader, Twitter, Yahoo Finance and other websites.

 

3)     Glancee (Android and iOS)

Glancee is another discovery-like social application, launched simultaneously in Google Play (Android Market) and App Store. The application seeks mutual friends and interests through a complex algorithm. For example, if a user Like’d Steve Jobs’ Facebook page and another one Like’d Apple’s page, the application will show both of them that they have a common starting point for a conversation.

 

4)     Vibop (iOS)

Application created for iPhone and iPod Touch, Vibop allows users to customize videos before showing them to friends. Application’s themes allow adding special filters and other graphic elements in videos in order to basically create video postcards. For those who are not satisfied with the themes that come preinstalled, Vibop offers advanced optimization options.

 

5)     Kismet (iOS)

Social application, similar to Highlight and Glancee, Kismet offers an additional advantage: the possibility of announcing your location, similar to Foursquare. In congested areas, Kismet can be the best solution to finding people with common interests, the application being designed to automatically import user profiles from Facebook and other social networks.

 

6)     Uberlife (iOS)

With less publicity than other social applications launched at SXSW 2012, Uberlife offers similar opportunities of creating an area where the users can meet new people. The user can announce when trying a new restaurant or when is going to a concert of an underground band, thus being able to meet other users with mutual friends and interests.

 

Overall there were some cool apps released at the event. Let’s hope to see more innovative apps in the future!