Social-media apps are making a splash of their own for this Olympics.  Kai Qin of China dives during a training session ahead of the London Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park.  Kai Qin of China dives during a training session ahead of the London Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park.  A number of mobile apps will help spectators at the Games keep tabs on the action. TorchTracker uses GPS tracking to pinpoint where the Olympic Torch is — and how to reach it. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games released two apps: the 2012 Results App, which posts the latest scores, schedules and results, and the 2012 Join In App, which tells spectators about events, celebrations and activities during the Games.  Another group of apps is designed to keep stay-at-home fans close to the action as the Games officially open Friday. The apps allow users to digest the Games as a social experience in a way not seen in previous Games, with users seamlessly sharing their thoughts as events happen, said Scott Ellison, vice president of mobile and consumer platforms for technology research firm IDC.  NBCUniversal is slated to stream 3,500 hours of Olympics coverage on its site, and has partnered with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google+, Tumblr, GetGlue and Shazam to continue its coverage across a slew of social-media platforms. Shazam, which uses tagging to compile information from across the Web on its app, will corral all Olympics-related information in one place.  "More content than ever before is available for mobile devices, but it's not always easy to find that content with your mobile device," says David Jones, executive vice president of marketing for Shazam. "We've solved that problem by combining NBC must-have content with Shazam's technology and massive user base."  •Panasonic's Facebook Flag Tags. Facebook users can get into the Olympic spirit by digitally transposing national flags over their faces, a 21st century answer to face-painting. The picture then posts to their profiles to encourage friends to follow suit. The app keeps track of the number of supporters per country on a "league table." So far, Great Britain, Peru and Turkey are leading.  •Samsung Hope Relay. For every mile run while the app is activated, Samsung donates ?1 to charities, including Kids Company and International Inspiration.  •SoFit Mobile. Uses GPS technology to track users' steps as they compete with friends. Users can donate money to charity or unlock medals and real-life discounts and coupons based on how far they travel.  •Tweethletes. In a raw test of social-media fortitude, Tweethletes.com will allow users to race athletes with their tweets during the 100M relay Aug. 5. The site measures every tweet at 2.5 cm, meaning 4,000 tweets will be needed to cover 100 meters. A bird will simulate users' tweets on the site next to the distance covered by actual athletes.  , visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to  USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the
Apps from Samsung and SoFit Mobile encourage exercise for charity. Panasonic's Facebook Flag Tag lets users splatter digital face-paint.