Party planner
There were fears that Facebook's Places check-in service could squash location-based start-ups like Foursquare, but the popular service has just announced a new app.
In two weeks time, heaps of people will flock to Texas' SXSW tech summit, which showcases lots of start-ups and according to a blog post, Foursquare will have a new app ready to show off.
The excitable post reads: "SXSW IS LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AWAY! NEW APP + NEW BADGES + PARTIES + CONCERT + MOAR FOURSQUARE. DETAILS COMING. OKTHXBAI."
So in other words, there will be a revamped app, badges to earn while at the event and a party or two with the possibility of a big headliner.
According to Tech Crunch, Foursquare launched 2 years ago and fought it out with another (now less popular) location-based start-up, Gowalla, for the best spot at the event.
It is believed that FourSquare's new app will be speedier with a better recommendation feature plus other extra add-ons, while Gowalla apparently has a few surprises lined up too.
Foursquare announced in January that it grew by a staggering 3,400 percent in 2010. It received 381,576,305 check-ins in every country and even one from the International Space Station, although judging by the top check-in spots, the service is arguably most popular in New York.
Despite some commentators worrying that Facebook's foray into check-in services might quash demand for smaller services, Foursquare's plucky chief has previously branded the social network's efforts ‘boring'.
He reportedly said: I have now had a chance to play around with Facebook Places and it's not that great or interesting. It's a pretty boring service, with barely any incentives for users to keep coming back and telling their friends where they are."
Foursquare differs from the Facebook offering as it offers users the chance to become ‘mayor' of a location they frequent regularly, encouraging users to continually check in with the service.
Furthermore, when Places launched in the US in August of last year, the firms' co-founder said he was reassured by Facebook's interest in the concept of check-in rather than fearful of the giant negatively impacting on his company's niche.
