Loki Goes Mac and Mobile

We’ve been complaining to Skyhook Wireless CEO Ted Morgan about the company’s lack of Mac and mobile compatibility for its Loki location-based browser download for awhile. Well, we’ll stop bitching now.

The Boston-based Wi-Fi location startup plans to offer a Mac version, as well as a version for Windows Mobile mobile phones, by next week. The startup, which raised over $8 million from Bain Capital Ventures and Intel Capital among others, is planning to launch the new versions for the location-themed Where 2.0 conference next Tuesday.

Skyhook’s web-based Loki effort isn’t the bulk of its business — they also focus on working with device makers — but Loki has gotten around 300,000 downloads, says Morgan.

The location-enabled web is an area that has gotten a lot of attention recently. Google launched its MyMaps service, while startups like Plazes have raised fresh funding.

While Skyhook is rolling out the mobile and Mac options next week, its ‘version 2.0′ has been available on its site for several weeks. The 2.0 version has a new open java script API, which developers can use to add Loki location to their web sites. Cool stuff.

The mobile component will also be interesting to see, when we get a chance to check it out. It’s for Windows Mobile phones for now, but the company is also working on getting out PocketPC and PalmOS. While Loki can now help web users find local info on their laptops, mobile local search could prove to be a much more valuable market.

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