Foursquare is a free social networking application for the iPod Touch and iPhone, as well as Android. For the iPod Touch and iPhone version, the latest update to Foursquare was made on January 11, 2010. The latest version (1.5) allows users to access and use the application around the world. Also, there have been improvements to locations and tips. The improved user interface is also a nice touch.
General Overview
The idea behind foursquare is to allow people to explore cities around the world. As you explore a city, you can “check-in” to a location on the foursquare application. This will tell foursquare where you are. Foursquare can then notify your friends of where you are and provide helpful recommendations as to what to do at wherever you are at. Foursquare acts as a social networking application in that it can help individuals meet up with nearby friends and help friends discover each others favorite locations anywhere in the world.
Tips and recommendations are not limited to your friends. Checking-in at a location can unlock a number of advice from other people who have previously checked-in at the same location. Advice can range from what to order on the menu to what to do afterwards.
As you check-in to places, you will receive points and unlock badges. You can get points just for checking-in or bringing along a friend or two. Badges can be unlocked by checking-in to interesting locations and doing interesting things at those locations.
Becoming a Foursquare Mayor
Every time you check-in to a location, foursquare will keep track of your activity. If you manage to be the most frequent visitor to a location, you will become the mayor of that location. As mayor, you may be entitled to a variety of freebies, which can include anything from free food to free accommodation at a hotel. These incentives are great for attracting individuals to different locations and attempting to be the most loyal to those locations. However, the title of mayor lasts only until someone else comes along and frequents a location more than you. A great way to keep the title to yourself is to frequent a location that is easily accessible and, obviously, somewhere you enjoy being at. Visiting on a daily basis can also greatly help your chances of becoming, and staying, the mayor.
General Review
Like any other social networking application, foursquare has both its ups and downs. On the plus side, foursquare is great for those who like to travel a lot and explore different places, especially since this application works globally. What is not so user-friendly is the fact that one has to visit a website while using the application, and connection problems may arise because of this. Foursquare has been compared to Gowalla, which may be more user-friendly. If you’re interested, check out foursquare. It’s a free application, so you have nothing to lose.
