Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley is back with a new experiment in social location tech, and this one actually talks to you.
His new app, BeeBot, is described as a “social audio guide” that feeds bite-sized updates about your neighborhood directly into your ears. Think of it as a personalized radio DJ that knows what’s happening around you, from nearby events and trending spots to what your friends are up to, all delivered in short, conversational audio bursts.
“The vibe we’re going for is more ‘Waze meets Gossip Girl,’ and less ‘Wikipedia in your ears,’” Crowley explains.
Available now in beta for iOS in the US, BeeBot for AirPods works with any wired or Bluetooth headphones, not just AirPods, and activates automatically when you put them in. It pauses your music or podcast when it has something to say and turns off when you take your headphones out.
Crowley says BeeBot’s goal isn’t to overload users, with just a few updates a day, each tailored to your interests and location.
The app uses a mix of user status updates, local signals, and your personal keywords to decide what to share.
While still early, BeeBot hints at a fascinating evolution of social discovery, blending audio, location, and community into a more ambient experience. Crowley calls it “more gossip’y than news’y” for now, but plans include broader rollouts and even CarPlay support in the near future.