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Hot-again StumbleUpon finds web gems on the go

StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon

For the most part, web services have a limited lifespan. Just when one site reaches widespread popularity, another "even better" online destination replaces it. However, for a Canadian-born start-up, the opposite is true. Although StumbleUpon launched a decade ago, the service is now the hot new thing -- again.

One if its founders, Garrett Camp, shared a stat on his Twitter account this week that is breathing new life into the discovery engine. As @gmc reported, "StumbleUpon now drives over 50% of all social referral traffic to US websites." According to StatCounter, while Facebook visits have been declining over the past few months, StumbleUpon usage is trending up.

It's been a long time since I "Stumbled" within the web service. In fact, if I check out my profile, it's been quite a few years since I even logged on. While the online tool works much the same way it did years ago, my friend Sarah recently raved about the company's iPad app. This morning I downloaded StumbleUpon and, well, let's just say it quickly made me realize that there is a whole lot of Internet left for me to see.

The concept behind the service is that you choose your top interests; when you click the "Stumble" button the app serves up relevant links. For example, I selected mobile computing and technology as topics I like. Although not all of the suggested web pages were interesting, for the most part the content was compelling. I discovered an article about "9 Implants that make the human healthy body even more useful" and a review of a see-through "Smile-making toaster." These are not typically the type of things my social networks post online, making my StumbleUpon experience that much more useful.

The best thing about the app is that it gets smarter the more you use it. If I like a page, I can give it a thumbs up. If a recommendation is way off-base, I can give it a thumbs down. Eventually, StumbleUpon will get better at finding the type of content I like. The links are all easily shareable via social networks and email, so I can push the web gems back to my own Internet community.

If, like me, you find that your friends are always sharing the same old links and you want something fresh, StumbleUpon will definitely surprise and delight. The service now has more than 15 million users and, if history is any indication, it's going to have a bright and shiny future. The app is currently available for free for iPad, iPhone, and Android users.