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Instagram is testing Facebook Places integration for location tagging
It looks like Zuckerberg and Co. may be looking to make a big push for Facebook Places, and an on-going trial indicates that it could start with Instagram. The folks in Menlo Park are testing the social networks' own service for adding location info, but for now, Foursquare remains an option for sharing inside its popular filter-driven photo editor. In fact, some users have already encountered the tweak. Instagram has long used Foursquare's API and venue data for attaching snapshots to a particular place, and there's no guarantee that the trials will even make it to a new version of the app. Of course, in addition to Foursquare, users can beam photos to Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr in addition to the parent social network. We reached out for a comment on the matter and we recieved the following statement from an Instagram spokesperson: Foursquare is a great partner, and people will continue to be able to share their check-ins to Foursquare from Instagram. We are constantly testing experiences throughout the app to provide the best possible user experience as part of future planning.
Facebook for Android refresh, dedicated Places app on the way?
Now that the folks in Palo Alto have finally churned out that long-awaited iPad app, they'll be focusing on other things, we'd surmise. Apparently, high on the to-do list is a refresh of Android's Facebook app. Code-named "Katana," the version 1.8 release candidate (see up top, or the gallery below) shows off updated navigation, menu and search functionality. There's a seemingly standalone "Nearby" application icon present as well -- perhaps a Gowalla-esque Places app mirroring its recent Messenger offering? Keep in mind, nothing is final until ol' Zucks gives his seal of approval, so what you see here is only what the app may look like when it hits the Marketplace. Until it drops, go ahead and pull back that curtain. %Gallery-141105%
inPulse Bluetooth smartwatch gets Facebook Places check-in app for Android (video)
Ever since Allerta released an SDK for its well-hyped inPulse smartwatch, it was only a matter of time before we start seeing more practical applications that take this Bluetooth peripheral beyond the BlackBerry ecosystem. For instance, the latest example comes from the inPulse's very own Lead Designer Eric Migicovsky, who happens to be a fan of Facebook Places and possibly an Android convert. Rather than having to pull out his Nexus One for every check-in, Migicovsky can now use his simple app on his inPulse to grab a list of nearby locations off the phone, and then check in with just a click of a button. Pretty neat, eh? For those interested, you can grab the project code off inPulse's website and get programming.
Find My Friends MobileMe feature found in iOS 4.3 beta release
Yesterday, Apple rolled out iOS 4.3 beta to developers, and the first look at the latest iOS version yielded up some gems, including multi-touch gestures, hotspot functionality, a return of the orientation lock and new camera effects. Earlier today, MacRumors uncovered settings for a feature called "Find My Friends" in this recent beta. This string was associated with MobileMe and may be a social feature similar to Google Latitude or Facebook Places, two services that let you locate and communicate with nearby contacts. This is not the first time Apple has toyed with the idea of using location to help find others around you. A patent filing for a concept application called iGroups surfaced last year. The patent describes a location-based service that would let members of a group locate one another using GPS coordinates. Group members could also use encrypted tokens to share information. The patent specifically mentioned trade shows and rock concerts, so this idea, if it ever materializes, may have limited usage. It will be interesting to see what Apple may have in store for iOS in this growing area of location-based services. While many third-party applications use location information in novel ways, the core operating system and built-in iOS applications only scratch the surface of what is possible with direct access to always-on location information. [Via Engadget]
Facebook Places goes live in UK, rest of Europe today
In case you've been waiting, we can confirm that Facebook Places is now active in the UK. The Daily Telegraph is saying that it'll also be available "in the rest of Europe" today, though it only seems semi-functional (we can see friends but can't check in) in The Netherlands. Then again, our friends are only semi-functional too, so maybe that's the issue.
CE-Oh no he didn't!: Foursquare's Crowley calls Places 'boring,' becomes mayor of Bittersville
You don't have to make a physical product to be a snippy CEO, and Foursquare co-founder and chief officer Dennis Crowley is proving that. He's been playing with the recently launched Facebook Places, saying "it's not that great or interesting," and that it offers "barely any incentives for users to keep coming back and telling their friends where they are." We're going to go ahead and figure that's because Facebook isn't in the business of making games, rather in creating APIs that let others create games that capture the minds and the clicks of its teeming masses of users. In other words, don't be surprised if mafiosos start competing to become Dons of this or that Italian joint, virtual farmers rush to plant their crops in the most verdant fields in your neighborhood, and your Feed gets way more annoying than you ever thought possible.
Facebook Places location check-in with Foursquare, Yelp, and Gowalla support arrives on iPhone
If you're the type who's addicted to Foursquare and Gowalla location check-ins then we expect that you're also using Facebook as the quintessential user of social media. Now iPhone users can get a similar fix in a single app with the new Facebook 3.2 update just released on the iTunes App Store. In addition to offering bug fixes and background photo and video uploads, the biggest change is the addition of Facebook Places, a Foursquare- and Gowalla-like method of sharing your location with friends. Fortunately, unlike many of Facebook's features, Places defaults to sharing your location, complete with maps and comments, with friends only, not the world. You can always open it up to the world if you want and even opt-in to a "People Here Now" feature that shows other nearby Facebook users, "friend" or not. You can also tag friends who are with you at the time of check-in. Direct integration with Gowalla, Yelp, and Foursquare is possible with a new Places API for developers. Gowalla's already pitching syndicated check-ins to Facebook (but not the other way around, at least initially) while Foursquare promises to integrate its game mechanics and merchant rewards. Yelp, meanwhile, plans to pull friends' check-ins into Yelp reviews. So how does it work? Well, Walt Mossberg took the app for a spin already and says that in general, it works pretty well. While he feels that the privacy controls (not exactly Facebook's strong suit) are surprisingly "decent," there's no way to opt out of Facebook pages operated by businesses who can incorporate your check-ins into their pages. At the moment, Places is limited to the US only and only when using the iPhone Facebook app -- Android and Blackberry users in The States can navigate over to touch.facebook.com in their browser for an HTML 5 version if they want to play along. Facebook plans to bring Places to other countries and mobile platforms "soon." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
