Buzzd launches iPhone app, tells you what’s up near you tonight

Previously a Blackberry only app (but with a few hundred thousand users), Buzzd hit the iPhone today with their real-time city guide.

Using a ranking algorithm called the “buzzmeter,” Buzzd pulls data from places like Twitter (and Buzzd, of course) to return hyperlocal, hyperupdated results on what venues are hot now. Like, right now. So, if you’re lucky enough to live in a place with more than one hot spot, Buzzd can tell you where everyone (who Tweeted about it) is headed tonight. Drunksourcing, if you will.

You don’t need to register to access data from the app, but in order to “buzz” venues, you do have to be a member. When you open the app on your iPhone, a list of local venues pop up, organized by “buzz.” You can sort venues by distance from you and see them on a map, and when you select a venue, you can read a list of its “buzzes.” One thing to bear in mind if a volume of “buzz” is important to you is that the app and website don’t seem to recognize duplicates. When I click on the top venue around my admittedly boring suburban NYC town, I get the same “buzz” several times (“Pizza is amazing!!!!! Try it!!!”)

Duplicates aside, these little one line micro-reviews really suit the medium. If you, like me, use your phone to find places to eat or go while you’re in on the way to dinner, it’s nice not to have to sift through a lengthy Yelp review that’s got way too many things going on to relay at a stoplight. (Or in a cab, city-dwellers.) Looking up a popular local Irish bar tells me via two reviews that it’s awesome but only on weekends, and one review recommends wings. That’s like, all you need to know when you’re five minutes away from dinner or drinks.

Like Foursquare (with which it works in concert- Buzzd finds places for you to check in), it will become smarter and more relevant as it draws momentum from users. And also like Foursquare, it’s poised to shake hands with local venues to target deals and such locally, which is great for users and the venues themselves. (The little star next to some venues seems to indicate that the venue has provided a description to Buzzd.)

The app is free, and available now. Video demo, below: