English City Launches Mobile Info Blasts

MocoNews reports that Leeds City Council in the UK is trying its hand at a variation on the location-based mobile services (LBS) theme:

“LeedsCast sees nine mobile-detecting pods dotted around the city, each of which sends mobile users invitations to download an application that includes content from LeedsLiveItLoveIt.com, the council’s own tourism infosite. Though the detection is done using Bluetooth, the council says content delivery is handled over T-Mobile’s broadband network. Content includes listings for restaurants, hotels, attractions, shops and bars.”

This is a nifty idea except that it goes against mobile security advice to disable your phone’s Bluetooth Discovery mode; it would be great to hear reports from anyone who actually runs into something like this in the wild. It’s also a great idea for more narrowly focused events such as conferences and other meet-ups.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.