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Foursquare check-ins could have small NYC merchants checking you out with promoted listings
As it searches for ways to further monetize, Foursquare is setting its sights on small NYC businesses -- according to an AdAge report. The social networking service, which turns the process of gathering user location data into a game of check-in, is allowing just a "handful" of merchants to promote from within the app itself. Previously, only big name chains like RadioShack were capable of paying for sponsored Foursquare listings, but the company's clearly branching out in search of new revenue streams. Foursquare only stands to gain around $0.50 to $3 "per action," however, which means users will have to first find one of these promos (e.g., a rave review, image of a store item / meal or plain promoted listing) from the Explore Nearby section or in recommendations and then actually tap on it. Don't worry, though, these promos won't come at random. Rather, they'll be hyper-targeted based on prior check-in history, user proximity and personal preferences -- all information you've gladly given over to Foursquare to give over to its clients. So you see, it's the circle of our modern day socially networked life. Your habits made into dollar signs, all so you can be Mayor of (insert place here).
Foursquare agrees to share check-in data with Gnip, promises it's anonymous
Foursquare is putting your check-in data to use through its new partnership with Gnip, a service that aggregates social media APIs. Gnip has similar deals with companies like Tumblr and Disqus, and it plans to provide Foursquare-sourced information to market and academic researchers. Blake Shaw, Foursquare's resident data scientist told Gnip, "I think this data can act almost like a microscope for cities." It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Foursquare's set out to share check-in data. A few months ago, the company took some flack for its data-sharing initiative allowing businesses to track their customers' activity -- despite the inclusion of an opt-out feature. This time, they're eager to clarify that the data accessible through Gnip is fully anonymized. Researchers will be able to see where and when check-ins were made, but the only user data attached will be a gender. So, Gnip will know that a female Foursquare user stopped by a specific Starbucks at 11:30AM, but that's all. Your data will remain as anonymous as it can be on a site devoted to broadcasting your every move.
Foursquare on Android and iOS gets search filters for the extra picky
Foursquare knows that there's a lot more to a night on the town than a good search keyword. Accordingly, it just updated its Android and iOS apps with location search filters that narrow the results based on familiarity and price. At times, the terms can get very specific: if you want to try an expensive Korean barbecue that only your friends have visited so far, you can. While there isn't much more to the update than that, those prone to cravings (or just curiosity) should get their fill at the source links.
Foursquare for Windows Phone gains Lumia-exclusive AR feature
Foursquare for Windows Phone keeps getting better and better. And now Lumia owners will have something else to brag about (besides the stunning design, that is). Nokia devices are being granted access to a small set of exclusive features in the latest Foursquare update. The marquee addition is a new augmented reality view that puts venue information right in your live camera view. All you have to do is tap the camera icon at the top of the map screen. The AR will probably make it somewhat easier to find your mark, and you can always turn to the recently added NFC support for super simple check-ins. Not having an exclusive feature or two is hardly a deal breaker, but it's bound to make non-Lumia Windows Phone fans more than a little jealous.
Foursquare's website now lets you sort businesses by price, hours and check-ins
Yelp users have enjoyed advanced sorting for years, but as Foursquare grows beyond basic tips and incentivized check-ins, such search filters are making their way to that site, too. Today's announcement details a few handy additions, enabling you to locate businesses by price range, available specials and hours of operation. If you're willing to sign into the service, you'll see a few more options pop up, letting you find both new haunts and places you've saved, along with your friends' favorite locales. The Foursquare team promises to release more options in the future, and while these latest tools are only available on the company's website today, they should be hitting your smartphone soon.
Foursquare updates app for Windows Phone 8, brings lock screen notifications and NFC check-ins
Foursquare's been rather attentive to most mobile plaforms this year, releasing updates for Android, BlackBerry and iOS in 2013. The time has finally come for Microsoft users as well, as a fresh WP8-compatible version has just hit the Windows Phone app store. Version 3.0 lets users pin people and places to Start screens, provides lock screen notifications and lets folks check-in and share via NFC. Oh, and should you grow weary of using swipes and taps, the addition of speech controls allows you to search and check-in using only your voice. Should you be among the socially-inclined Microsofties, you know what to do.
Square believes it can trump Foursquare in the local recommendations game
Square collects a lot of store info by virtue of its payment business, so you'd think it would be great at recommending where to shop. And you may soon be right, according to the company's Ajit Varma. While he doesn't have a schedule, he tells The Verge that Square will eventually customize its directory to suggest hot or newly opened stores based on our spending habits. Varma even believes that his company could beat Foursquare in the local recommendations field, and it's easy to see why when Square knows that we're willing to buy, not just that we've entered a given store. Of course, this is all contingent on both a ubiquitous Square presence and consumerist intentions. Foursquare is entirely willing to point us to both free landmarks as well as stores without Square readers, so it's doubtful that the two services will ever completely overlap.
Foursquare 6.0 for iPhone improves Explore recommendations
This seems to be the week for social networking app news, with Twitter's Vine app taking most of the spotlight so far. Today's news is about Foursquare 6.0, which has just become available through the iOS App Store's software updates and was announced on the Foursquare blog. Foursquare first came to life in 2009 as a way to check in at venues, see what your friends were up to, grab mayorships and hopefully get the occasional badge. Lately, the app has been more about exploring venues near you, thanks to its recommendations engine Explore. But starting out on that exploration wasn't easy to do. That's what the new update is fixing. When launched, version 6.0 of Foursquare replaces the Foursquare logo at the top of the screen with a new Explore search box. That's tied to a new, faster auto-complete engine for faster results when you're looking for that cinnamon roll joint. The big difference, though, is that Foursquare is no longer fixated on telling you where your friends are. Instead, it places an emphasis on recommendations, giving hints about places where people go after being at the same venue you're at, or providing insight into places friends like in a city you're visiting. The app exclusively recommends good lunch spots around lunchtime, a convenient way to stop going to the same old burger joint and go to a new burger joint. One interesting move in the UI is that the check-in button has moved to the bottom of the app; apparently that means that Foursquare's recently introduced tap-and-hold-to-check-in function is working well. The button also floats above the listings, which is kind of an interesting and useful UI change. %Gallery-185244% I'm not entirely sure if this is new, but the home, profile and history, to-do list, and other lists are now found by tapping a disclosure icon next to the Explore search box or just sliding the current screen to the right. The home screen slides to the right to reveal all of the controls you'll need to have Foursquare fun.
Foursquare 6.0 for iOS shifts the focus to exploration with a new home screen
Those who've had the redesigned Foursquare for Android are familiar with the app's greater priority on exploring local haunts; it's the iOS users' turn now that Foursquare 6.0 is here. The update puts the Explore search box and map right on the main page, helping socialites quickly find out what's going on nearby. The remake also splits up activity, emphasizing closer check-ins and what's hot in one space while keeping recommendations and more distant goings-on in another section. Foursquare's refresh isn't a complete revolution, but it puts the app's two main platforms on the same page -- and shows how check-ins have become just one part of a larger whole.
Navigon and Garmin GPS navigation apps get updates and new features
Garmin and Navigon have a barrel full of free updates today, bringing the two GPS navigation solutions into closer parity. This seemed inevitable, since Garmin acquired Navigon in 2011. Both iOS apps now support voice directions through your car speakers if your iPhone has a Bluetooth connection to the car. Audio sources fade out for voice direction announcements, then increase back to the original volume. The apps also gained Wikipedia integration, allowing users to search local points of interest and displaying Wikipedia icons on maps to indicate places of interest. The update also improves Foursquare integration by showing Foursquare locations on your maps. Integration with Glympse, one of my favorite standalone apps, has also improved and now allows you to add or delete contacts or change the expiration time of an active Glypmse. The Garmin app added the ability to download maps by region, something the Navigon app has featured for a while. That means users can be selective about what maps to store on their device if space is at a premium. It is nice to see these enhancements, as nav apps compete with the free Google and Apple offerings. I still like Apple Maps for quick trips due to the Siri integration, but Garmin and Navigon offer better data, on-board maps, Google local search, Google Street View (Navigon) and Glympse built in. Until April 8, the Garmin and Navigon apps are reduced in price by US$10, with Garmin USA and Navigon USA both selling for $39.99. Other deals are available for different versions of the apps, so be sure to check the app store.
Foursquare's BlackBerry 10 app updated to add features that iOS users already enjoy
Heads-up, BB10 users -- checking in just got a little less second-class. Foursquare has today issued an update to its BlackBerry 10 app that effectively brings it closer in line with the version already available for iOS users. For starters, there's a more compact Explore screen, and your friends can now be tagged in check-ins and comments. For big spenders (or frugal ones, we guess), Visa and MasterCard specials can now be taken advantage of by Z10 users. Per usual, it also ironed out a few miscellaneous bugs along the way, and you can get your update in the source link below.
Foursquare for Android now greets newcomers, says what's fresh for locals
Foursquare gave more adventurous iOS users an updated Explore section at the start of the month that, among many other things, better highlighted either just-opened locations or the hottest places to be. It's the Android crowd's turn to check out new scenes: their updated Foursquare app will tell a traveler what sights and sounds are worth catching when visiting a new location, and better emphasizes what's new for anyone on familiar turf. If you're a tourist worried about fitting in like a local, or just want to check out a fresh location before it's ruined by popularity, hit the Google Play link at the source.
Foursquare adds 'quick glide' feature to iOS
I'm one of the millions of people who love checking in at locations all over the world with Foursquare. To date, the free social location-sharing app has logged almost 3 billion check-ins. A new feature appeared in the app's most recent update on February 28 to make it even easier to check in to your favorite restaurant, office or coffee shop. The feature, called "quick glide" by our friends at TechCrunch, eliminates a few steps in the check-in process. If Foursquare has identified the current location and put one of those blue "Looks like you're at ..." button at the top of the screen, users can just tap and hold that button until a green line glides across the display indicating that the user is checked in. For those situations where you need to tap the "pin" icon to see a list of local locations, a tap and hold on the correct listing checks you in with the same gliding line indicating your check-in is underway. It's not much of a change, but just another way to ease the efforts of those of us who want to retain our mayorships at venues around our homes.
Foursquare on iOS gets streamlined Explore section
The folks at Foursqaure have just pushed out version 5.5 for their iOS app, and it packs a redesigned Explore section that crams more recommendations onto a device's screen. While the new condensed place listings make better use of display real-estate, they still highlight ratings, friends who've visited, specials and tips. Though the fresh release is already up for grabs, Explore doesn't seem to have undergone its metamorphosis quite yet. If you're hankering for the concise interface, hit the second source link for the download.
Foursquare for Android now makes it easier to find friends, places nearby
It's safe to say the Android folk account for a pretty good chunk of Foursquare's hefty user base, so it's only logical for the social firm to often bring more and more new features to the highly-rated app. As such, today Foursquare announced it has added a few additional tidbits to its Android offering, including a couple which are bound to make it simpler for users of the service to find nearby spots and friends via the application's main map. What's more, Foursquare's moved the "To-Do List" feature over to the app's left drawer for easier access, while the essential "Check In" button also has a new home on that same side but toward the bottom corner. It's worth noting that despite the latest version being live right now, Foursquare says these changes will be rolling out "over the next few weeks" -- in other words, fret not if you're not seeing the novelties show up just yet, as they're sure to be coming very soon.
Foursquare adds tips and photos to shared mobile links for non-members
In a continuing effort to be more of a discovery and recommendation engine, Foursquare has updated the mobile version of its place pages with more information for non-members. In the past, whenever users of the location-based app shared info about a place via Twitter, Facebook, email or text, friends without the app would be led to a relatively barebones link with details like the address, phone number and not much else. Now that mobile-friendly page is spruced up with all-important tips and photos, which makes that sharing function infinitely more useful for would-be shoppers and diners who aren't into the whole Foursquare thing just yet. Of course, there's that not-so-subtle "Download the App" hint at the top right to nudge them that direction, but that's entirely unnecessary if all your friends want are suggestions on which kind of nigiri they should get at that hot new sushi bar.
Foursquare gives business owners their own app to manage specials, track customer visits
Foursquare just recently tweaked its privacy policy to share more user information with local businesses, and it looks like it's already putting some of that data to use in a new app now that the policy has gone into effect. Launched today for the iPhone and iPod touch, Foursquare for Business is just that -- an app designed for business owners instead of customers. In addition to letting managers upload new photos and refresh their specials regularly, it'll also give them a peek into customer activity at their business (or businesses), including information on check-ins and the ability to keep an eye on their top customers. As Foursquare notes in its privacy policy, though, you can opt out of having that check-in information visible to businesses in the app's privacy settings.
Magellan's smartGPS navigator has built-in Yelp reviews, syncs with your phone (video)
It's no secret that the GPS business has faced an uphill battle these past few years. Thanks to smartphones there's less of a reason to invest in a standalone navigator, and while GPS companies have been selling mapping apps of their own, that doesn't quite make up for plunging device sales, now does it? Well, Magellan has an interesting solution: the firm just announced the smartGPS, a dashboard navigation device that's designed to work in tandem with an iOS / Android app. Naturally, both the smartGPS and the app have turn-by-turn navigation, so you can use either when you're in need of directions. But really, the device does so much more than that. Thanks to Magellan's new cloud service, all of your data -- recent destinations, etc. -- will get pushed across your various devices, including the navigator and mobile devices with the mobile app installed. (There's also a website where you can manage all of this.) By default, this syncing happens over your home WiFi network, but if you already left the house and are out of range, the smartGPS will instead use Bluetooth to talk to your phone. So what does this all mean? For starters, if you search for a restaurant on your phone, you can send it to your navigator so that you don't have to enter the address manually (and we all know how annoying that is). What's more, the navigator and app both have Yelp reviews and Foursquare offers built in, so if you wanted you could peruse reviews of cafes on your phone and then push the directions to the device. As an aside, it's neat to see user reviews built into a personal navigator, which isn't exactly a typical feature. It also seems pretty well-implemented: there are big, yellow stars indicating the overall rating, so you needn't worry about having to drive and read a two-paragraph write-up at the same time. By default, the driving map takes up the whole screen, so you can keep those Foursquare offers hidden if you find them distracting. The smartGPS will be available in March (price TBA) with applications for both iOS and Android. (Note: these won't take the place of Magellan's existing apps.) Turn-by-turn navigation will be a premium feature -- an in-app upgrade. That's all she wrote for now, but if you want to see the whole setup in action, we've got a demo video embedded just after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Foursquare to display full user names, share more data with local businesses
Fond of your family name? Good -- it's about to get a bit more visible. Foursquare is planning to display full user names on profile pages, explaining in a recent community email that the old policy has become confusing. "If you search for a friend on Foursquare, we show their full name in the results, but when you click through to their profile page you don't see their last name." The team says these abbreviations made sense in Foursquare's early days, but recently users have been asking for change. "We get emails every day saying that it's now confusing." The social network hopes that displaying users' full surnames will help mitigate confusion between the John Smiths and John Smythes of the world. The company's tweaked privacy policy promises to share more data with businesses, too, giving store owners greater visibility of customers who have recently checked in. Users who want their quests for coffee to remain anonymous still can, of course -- Foursquare was careful to remind users that they can change their "full name" whenever they want, and can opt out of sharing their location information with businesses. We wouldn't want to step on any toes, would we? Head past the break to see the email for yourself, or check out the adjacent source link to read Foursquare's "Privacy 101" summary.
Curiosity spends holidays in Yellowknife Bay, immortalized on special Foursquare badge
While many of us were opening presents and having our fill of mulled cider, NASA's trusty Curiosity rover was busy at work capturing panoramic views of Yellowknife Bay, a shallow area of unusual terrain on the Red planet. Jokingly dubbed "Grandma's house" by the crew, the rover spent over 11 Martian days there so that handlers could take some time off for the holidays. When they get back, the space vehicle will hopefully have provided enough data to pinpoint a potential drilling area so it can drill, collect and analyze rock samples using onboard tools -- a feat never-before attempted on Mars. The Curiosity rover has, however, checked in on Foursquare on Mars, which is a feat no one else is likely to attempt. In continued collaboration with the social media platform, NASA is now providing a Curiosity Explorer badge to anyone who checks in to a NASA visitor center or a venue categorized as a science museum or planetarium. Badge recipients will get this message: "Get out your rock-vaporizing laser! You've explored your scientific curiosities just like NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. Stay curious and keep exploring. You never know what you'll find." No idea if you'll get a free "scoop" of space ice cream or a hand in the next Mars mission along with it, but we're behind anything that boosts the public's interest in space.
