HoodFind^TM

The hype around the iPhone is deafening. Over 100,000 developers and counting have paid either $99 (standard) or $299 (enterprise) to participate in Apple’s pre-launch development program. If only 10% of the development community delivers a working product around the launch of the 3G iPhone, we will be looking at 10,000+ applications ready for users to download at the end of June.

We at HoodFind have spent a considerable amount of time mapping out where we think the mobile Internet will go. On the hardware side, the iPhone will continue to be the leading mobile platform for the near future, but the Blackberry and other cheaper mobile products combined will be just as important in driving mobile adoption. As for the application side, authorities such as TechCrunch predict that demand will exist for pure play mobile apps - and native iPhone apps in particular - in areas such as social networking.

While transferring something like a pure play social network to the iPhone will generate some marketing buzz (the very cool iRovr comes to mind), I have my doubts as to whether replicating the web experience will be of immediate or lasting value unless a unique functionality set is added. Otherwise, the casual user will simply continue to use their mobile device to access their current web-based social network like Facebook or LinkedIn.

So, if re-creating a current web platform in the form of a native iPhone application is not a sure-fire way to imminent success, what will work? Our answer - an application that takes advantage of the unique benefits of being accessed while on the move (i.e. being mobile). The proper use and integration of location-based technology will allow a native iPhone app to take on the web 2.0 big guys while holding home field advantage of competing in the mobile space.

Leveraging GPS and location-based technology with your iPhone app will be the key differentiator. Twinkle, for example, is a hacked iPhone application whose Locate Me functionality allows you to view who else is within X mile radius of your current location. Other verticals such as real estate (finding homes for sale while walking/driving around a neighborhood) or local search (discovering an instant promotion by a salon or restaurant) would be able to truly benefit from the inherent portable functionality of a mobile product.

Just like the web, finding passive directory data such as a specific location or contact information will be useful. But if you can capture the dynamic aspect of a truly mobile search - say finding your friends who are attending the same Cubs game as you or discovering people with similar interests to network with at a business conference - now that is really useful stuff.

ANSWER: 100. One to change the bulb and 99 to figure out how to generate revenue to keep the electricity on.