Chime.in for iPhone by UberMedia

Chime.in is a social network website by UberMedia who functions as an amalgamation of different online interest communities. Signing up for the website is easy and free (the app is free too). The user interface on the Chime.in for iPhone app is a little confusing, but new users will see a translucent ‘screen map’ overlaying the screen when they logon to the app for the first time. This will point out the different features on the screen.

Members can subscribe to “interests” and join “communities.” “Interests” range from general categories like books, philosophy, and humor, to more specific categories such as Los Angeles, Occupy Wall Street, and Apple products. “Communities” are specific threads established by users that address a certain interest. You can post, or “chime” to any community or interest (up to 2000 characters, and 3 MB of photos).

Members who aspire to enter a competitive professional field like publishing or digital media may find the site especially useful for promoting their work and exchanging ideas with likeminded people. But you don’t have to be a social networking addict or an amateur looking for professional opportunities in order to appreciate this site; whatever your interest, you can find a group of like-minded people here. And if you don’t, you can create your own community simply by clicking on the “Build a Community” link and giving your Community a name and a URL. That said, you could always just create a group on Facebook.

Chime in does not offer anything particularly new or groundbreaking in terms of features or capabilities; but it does offer a huge variety of communities to explore your interests and find people who share those interests. The app may be a little tricky to use at first, but if you have a passion for cloud computing and Art History, this may be one of the few places you can get your fix of both at once. Overall, a good pick.

AppPicker Rating 4 / 5 Stars
Pick It Up in the App Store: Chime.in for iPhone
Other apps by Ubermedia