All-new Foursquare update removes check-ins, takes on Yelp directly
Foursquare has been working on this pivot for a while, starting with separating out the check-in portion of the app into the new Swarm app. But, today, the transformation is complete, and the all-new Foursquare app is completely focused on personalized place suggestions. Some may miss the check-ins, but the new Foursquare is a powerful tool that may just be better than Yelp or Google Maps.
The update brings Foursquare to version 4.0 on Android and version 8.0 on iOS. The UI has been overhauled, and looks a bit like the newly updated Nearby Places section of Google Maps. At the top, you set your location, underneath is a set of tabs to choose what type of place you want, and then you get your place recommendations. The biggest change is that you get to set your personal "tastes", which are essentially just keywords for types of places, foods, or drinks that you like. These tastes are coded pink, and will appear under each listing based on when those keywords show up in the tips (aka reviews) to let you know when one of your favorites is extra good at a nearby place. Foursquare has gathered around 55 million tips, and they are being put to good use.
There is a new "Here" button, which shows you the tips at your current location, with tips that feature your tastes surfaced at the top. There is also a tips feed to show you new tips from your friends, new nearby tips featuring your tastes, or the most popular tips overall. Of course, you can still search for places if you know exactly what you want, but the real focus is on the recommendation engine.
The new Foursquare app is available now for free for Android in the Google Play Store, or in the iOS App Store.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: