To let your special someone know that you’re thinking about them during the day, start an Interactive session and give them a Prod or share how you feel with the Mood button. (While you may think it shows how enthusiastic you are, try to avoid sending Prods all day long. You may find your interactive overtures quickly quashed.)

If you open the door in the morning to find a bouquet of flowers on your porch, Snap and Send a picture to say “thanks” to your Valentine. This can also work well for budget-conscious celebrators – just find and send a picture of the dream bouquet you’ll buy one day.

Don’t spend the evening alone – call someone and plan a spontaneous rendezvous! Use the Meet Me button to find the perfect place that’s half way between your homes or offices.

Take your special someone on a surprise date. Tell him the neighborhood, but make it a scavenger hunt and let him find where you are with the Location button. Fun and romantic!

If you’re feeling romantic, use the Doodle button to send a personalized drawing of a heart or a handwritten love note. (Guys, your girlfriends will swoon over this one.) Recently unlucky in love? Combine Doodle with an old Gallery Photo and X out your ex. Send it to a friend who can sympathize with your catharsis, and then call each other up to talk it out!

These are just a few suggestions for how Thrutu can come in handy on Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year when you want to show a special someone in your life (and that includes your mom!) that you love them and care about them.

We’d love to hear how you use Thrutu to share the love! Leave us a note below or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Remember when the solution was to carry around a bulky radio or set of walkie-talkies? Thankfully, those days are gone, and most ski resorts have excellent wireless connectivity so your smartphone (and favorite apps) work unfettered. Thrutu takes mobile-equipped skiing one step further and makes communicating with friends and family on a ski trip easier than ever before, thanks to real-time interaction and geo-location services. Whether you call to hash out the details or simply open an SMS-inspired Thrutu Interactive session, here are a few ways you can start using the Thrutu app on your next trip to the mountains:

• Share your Location to show your ski buddy what side of the mountain you’re on.
• Snap a Photo of the whole gang atop the mountain and share it with folks back home.
• Meet a snow bunny at the lodge? Get her digits from a friend via the Contacts button.
• Share the (hopefully) snowy weather report with your jealous friends back home with the Wish you were here? button – and then hop on a phone call to apologize.

Most people first fell in love with Thrutu for its phone call enhancement, but Thrutu Interactive allows you to use any of the Thrutu buttons and even send free text messages when outside of a phone call too! Best of all, it’s especially well suited for active mountain environments. If you’re not free to pick up a phone call while speeding down the slopes, Thrutu Interactive makes it easy to exchange info on a more relaxed schedule.

To make using your phone while skiing even easier, check out these slick touchscreen gloves technology blog Mashable collected that allow you to interact with a smartphone screen without subjecting your fingers to frigid temps.

Before your friends and family head off to the mountains this winter, make sure everyone has downloaded the Thrutu app! Let us know how you and your friends use Thrutu on the slopes this season by finding us on Twitter or Facebook.

One of the biggest moments in mobile takes place in Barcelona each year – the GSMA Mobile World Congress. It’s one of the largest mobile industry trade shows, and it’s now just under a month away. On the heels of CES and with rumors already swirling about what innovations might be next to come in 2012, it’s doubtful we’re the only ones waiting with bated breath to see what cutting edge technologies and products are unveiled this time around! Last year, Mobile World Congress hosted more than 1,400 exhibitors and attracted over 60,000 visitors. The event is projected to be even bigger this year, and we’re excited to announce Thrutu will be right in the middle of the action!

Not only will Thrutu be at the show (co-exhibiting with our parent company Metaswitch), but we’re also a finalist for “Most Innovative Mobile App” at the 2012 Global Mobile Awards! It’s a huge honor to be considered for this prestigious award alongside so many other pioneers and legendary names in the world of mobile. With over six hundred entries, an event record, the GSMA Global Mobile Awards (which have been around since the beginning of “mobile” in the 90’s) have never been so competitive. The nominees in the Most Innovative Mobile App category represent a wide range of impressive mobile services including Google Wallet, one of the leading mobile credit card services, and Shazam, the most popular mobile app for music identification. To be chosen as a finalist alongside these other high profile mobile companies confirms yet again that our Thrutu app presents a truly unique technology that foreshadows the future of mobile communication.

The 2012 Mobile World Conference is taking place in Barcelona, Spain February 27th through March 1st. Get your passports in order and come join us! If you can’t attend in-person, check out the MWC conversation on Twitter using hashtag #mwc12.

Hope to see you there!

Better 4G – CES was a hotbed for 4G LTE phones and tablets. Three of the four major carriers launched mobile devices that operate on this network. We were happy to see that Verizon announced three 4G LTE enabled phones which allow simultaneous use of data and voice – an issue that has been a major disadvantage for Verizon phones in the past. The ability to make a phone call and use data at the same time is important for the next stages of innovation in the mobile industry, and we staunchly hope this trend continues.

Near-field communications – NFC is a wireless capability that enables mobile phones to collect or share data with other NFC enabled devices within a short range. This technology is most anticipated for its potential for making contactless mobile payments – think Google Wallet. You can already make payments with the PayPal for Thrutu button, but NFC technology would fast-forward us into an interactive, mobile-centric world. Besides mobile payments, NFC could enable many other cool capabilities like tapping a product in the grocery store to find price comparisons or exchanging business cards between phones.

Location services – This area of mobile began to make a mark last year, but we expect to see much more location-based technology pop up in 2012. Location-based advertising and search recommendations are going to get more accurate, more creative and more sophisticated. This is a trend that we’re excited to be at the forefront of as one of the first apps to have real-time location sharing with the Thrutu Location button.

Gamification – The addictive habit of badge-earning and levelling-up that Foursquare brought to the mainstream several years ago is about to finally hit its stride. Gamification saw significant upturn in 2011 as more companies, including non-mobile tech firms, sought to place a “game layer” atop their services, making everyday activities far more fun. Strong user reception has indicated it should be one of the hottest trends in mobile this year. Are you planning to play more of these games in 2012?

New iPhone – The iPhone 4S introduced last fall is best known for one new feature – Siri. We at Thrutu can’t help speculating about what the next iteration will bring (and when it might arrive). Rumors are already swirling about the “iPhone 5,” and some hotly anticipated features are a redesigned antennae system and maybe even the removal of the home button to allow for a larger, more interactive screen – all the better for interactively sharing with Thrutu.

1 Million+ downloads of Thrutu? – Bring it on! This is the year for many new mobile technologies to explode into the mainstream, and Thrutu has a head start. As smartphones get smarter, Thrutu’s instant data sharing capabilities are becoming ever more relevant to users’ needs for their mobile devices. Yes, we’re partial, but Thrutu is poised to help define the future of mobile innovation.

What are your mobile predictions for 2012? We want to hear them! Leave a comment below, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

More than ever, people are getting work done on the go and on their mobile devices. Even as email becomes a dominant means of communication on the job, nothing replaces the convenience and personal touch of a phone call. It’s more important than ever to make sure each and every phone call is productive – and Thrutu is a great tool that businesses can use to improve communication among partners, co-workers, clients, and customers.

If you are a business owner or an employee, start thinking about all of the ways you could use the Thrutu app for work. Here are just a few suggestions to start you off…

• Schedule a meeting without hiccups or hassles by using TimeShare.
• Find a convenient meeting spot – like an equidistant restaurant or coffee shop – with the MeetMe button.
• Make a business payment with the PayPal button using the company account.
• Need to display a webpage to the other caller? Either Shared Search or MyWebPage will do the trick!
• Securely share a document with a colleague using the DropThru button.
• Wow sales prospects by sharing real-time product images with the Camera button.
• Hot lead? Instantly exchange the vitals with the Contacts button.
• Share breaking industry news with colleagues via BBC News.
• Small business owner? Use the Yelp! button to check on your shop’s latest reviews.

We believe that, as an app designed to help make phone calls more productive, Thrutu has a lot of potential for becoming a indispensible tool in the work place.

Have you encouraged your employees to try Thrutu? What new buttons (or existing business applications made mobile) would be most helpful to you and your co-workers? As you know, we’re constantly innovating and might just build exactly what you need! Leave us a note below or find us on Twitter or Facebook – looking forward to reading your comments!

When a phone call to the family is way overdue,
remember to use this cool app called Thrutu!

For friends who are far on a crisp winter day filled with snow,
use the Wish You Were Here button to show them what’s outside the window.

When mom calls to ask what you want for Christmas this year,
take a picture with Thrutu and tell her, “this gift right here!”

When planning big parties, be sure no one is missed.
Use the DropThru button to share the guest list.

Bringing the family together is important on Christmas day,
so use Meet Me to find a holiday location halfway!

While sitting cozy before the fire with the ones for whom you care,
use the Flashback button to reflect on the good times that you’ve shared.

New Years Resolutions can be easily forgot,
so keep track with the Thrutu Notes button and make a quick jot.

To get through this busy season, remember that Thrutu’s got it all,
buttons to help you share the holiday spirit during your phone call!

Happy holidays from the Thrutu team!

When to shop?

Just finding the time to go to the mall and the big department stores can be the hardest part. To coordinate with your shopping buddy, pull up the Timeshare button while on the phone so that you can easily view each other’s calendars. Choose a time that works for you both and update your calendars during the call!

Where to shop?

Trying to find your friend in a crowded shopping center is never easy. Use the Location button to see exactly what store your friend is browsing in. Or if you and your friend live in different parts of town, the Meet Me button will help you find a convenient shopping area to meet at that’s halfway.

What to buy?

It’s always a good idea to communicate with friends and family to make sure you’re buying gifts that they actually want! When trying to decide whether an item is the perfect gift, Thrutu has several buttons that can help you make the right decision.

If you aren’t sure a gift is perfect, call up someone close to the recipient and ask what they think! Instead of trying to describe it, send them a photo of the item right there in the store. Thrutu’s Camera button lets you take a picture and send it over to the other caller during your phone call.

Thrutu: Tell us more about the concept behind DropThru. What motivated you to pair these services?
Fahim Karim: I wanted to make a button that really took advantage of the Thrutu service. One of the first ideas I came up with was a file sharing app. Typically, file sharing during a phone call means either waiting to get back to a computer or trying to attach a file to an email from inside the phone browser. DropThru was built to as a solution to this problem and the two services, Dropbox and Thrutu, combined together provide the ability to radically improve the process of sharing files. Thrutu handles the connection and eliminates the need to look for an email address or open up a browser while Dropbox works great as a way to manage the files because of its dedicated desktop folders, account management, and speed.

T: How long have you been a developer? How did you first get started?
FK: I’m a university student majoring in Computer Science. I started developing mobile applications about a year ago, soon after my cousin bought me a Nexus One. I knew Java at the time and so I decided to try and learn Android development. My first application was a simple Helicopter Game.

T: Have you ever developed with other open-source APIs? Which ones?
FK: I haven’t done any development with Android based open-source APIs, but I have made applications that use different web APIs from Aviary, Readability, Box.net, 4Shared and SpreadShirt.

T: What’s distinctive about developing on Thrutu’s APIs? What do you most like (or even not like)?
FK: Thrutu’s API is different in that there is a lot of flexibility for the app you can create. The core feature is the ability to pass data between phones during a call, but what’s done with the data before and after it’s sent is entirely up to the developer. My favorite part about the Thrutu’s API is the simulated call function with the ability to generate a temporary number for the emulator which was a great way to test my button.

T: What other concepts do you think would make good buttons?
FK: I think collaboration services with different forms of communication (charts, sketches, document editing) can greatly enhance the productivity of a phone call. The Thrutu Interactive feature seems perfect for connecting players in games, and also for background apps such as fitness trackers which could provide real-time social competitions.

T: Do you have any words of advice for other developers interested in creating new Thrutu buttons?
FK: Thrutu is a great and reliable service which is quick to build on. Building a Thrutu button or adding a feature to an app is a great way to create connections between users. The example applications are probably the best way to get started, and once you get familiar with them, its simple to start using the Thrutu service.

Download Fahim’s DropThru button today from Thrutu Central (for Android only). To learn more about how you could be our next great button developer, join the Thrutu Developer Community and start building with Thrutu’s APIs today!

Now, you can share locations and photos instantly with your Thrutu-enabled friends, play games in real-time, add doodles/directions atop an image or map – whether you’re talking on a phone call or not.

Thrutu Interactive also includes integrated free text messaging – so you can add messages and comments alongside whatever you share. And if you realize typing just isn’t enough, we’ve (of course) included a button to instantly initiate a phone call from your session.

To use Thrutu Interactive on iPhone, simply update your Thrutu app (or download it now!) to version 1.0.9. Then, select another Thrutu’er from your Contacts list, opt to “Send Message” and – voila! Once the other person accepts your request, the session begins and you can start sharing and interacting with all Thrutu buttons. Thanks to great developers building on our APIs, there are more great buttons and interactive features than ever before! (Be sure to check out some of our new favorites, like the Cosmic Wimpout game!)

Cheers,

The Thrutu Team