Move over Twitter and Pownce, Brightkite is now on the scene.

Brightkite is the latest in social networking websites which have sprouted all over the Internet. This one offers a bit of a twist. Not only can you post messages and pictures via SMS, e-mail, or even its own web interface, but it also allows broadcasting your exact location to those around you. This could include friends, or the entire Brightkite universe.

With location-based networking, this allows for easier access to others who live, work, or play around the area. With the help of its “check-in” feature, you can be notified when someone is around however you would like via e-mail, or SMS. With this comes a few safety features. The privacy option allows you to limit to how much of your location is posted to certain people. You can decide to broadcast your exact address to the universe (although we’d never recommend it), versus broadcasting to your friends only. For those of us who have locations we visit often, there’s the “placemark” setting which you can use in place of retyping the same location over and over again. This is especially useful when checking in via SMS.

In terms of sending pictures, currently e-mail is the only option available. You are given a unique e-mail address, bound to your account, which allows for pictures to be posted on the timeline. Just like when sending SMS it correlates with the last place you checked in, and you can even attach a short note or caption via the subject line.

Brightkite also includes integration with Twitter. Currently, it’s the only option to search for those on your follow list to see if they too are on Brightkite. Also, each time you check in to a new location, Brightkite sends a message using your Twitter account announcing that location. Of course, this is all optional, but worth it if you’d like to keep those following you in the know.

Currently Brightkite is in beta, but invites have been passed around all over the community. Upcoming features in Brightkite include extended access in Twitter, as well as a Brightkite iPhone application.  In addition there’s the ability to enter your e-mail address on the site itself and pray for an invite. Most people have been successful with receiving one, but there’s always an odd man out.

You can check out Brightkite over at www.brightkite.com.  They also have a blog located at http://blog.brightkite.com

See you there.