Foursquare Debuts 'Super-Specific' Search Filters

Foursquare has refined its search capabilities to make it easier for users to look for particular venues.  The location-based social network unveiled what it's calling "super-specific searches" for iOS and Android on Wednesday.

"With today's update ... Foursquare helps you find exactly what you want, whatever that may be," it announced in a blog post.

Users can filter their searches based on the following criteria: "I've checked in before," "I haven't checked in," "my friends have checked in," "offering specials," "open now" and "I've saved." Users also have the option to choose the amount of money they want to spend, with dollar signs reflecting certain price ranges.

Foursquare lists five examples, below, of very specific searches that users can now input.

• A cheap sushi place that’s nearby and open now, but that I haven’t been to yet.
• A bar downtown that’s new to me, but that my friends have been to. Oh, and that has margaritas.
• A Moroccan restaurant that has tagines on the menu, but isn’t going to empty my bank account.
• One of the museums in Paris that my friend Matt went to last year, that’s also near my hotel.
• A burrito place I’ve been meaning to try (it’s on my to-do list) in San Francisco, that’s in The Mission and open right now.

For those who want to keep it simple, Foursquare also allows users to select "best nearby" to see the app's recommendations, or to search for "specials" for good deals.

Android users can download the latest update in the Google Play store, while iOS users can head over to the App Store.

In April, Foursquare unveiled a major update to its iOS app, effectively revamping it to become a discovery tool instead of a way to keep track of friends' activities.

What do you think of the app's new features? Tell us in the comments, below.

Images courtesy of Foursquare

Foursquare Updates Explore Tab On iOS App

Foursquare has updated the Explore section of its mobile app for the iPhone, increasing the number of results shown on the screen to make comparing them faster and easier.

In the Explore tab, users are able to discover the best places to visit and eat, each with a rating out of ten, a list of friends who have visited them, special offers and recommendation quotes. Clicking on a result takes the user to a screen with more information such as directions and items on the menu.

The update, version 5.5 of the app, has suggestions for the best places to go in the area, as well as places that are trending or that have just opened.

The recommendation system uses a proprietary algorithm based on how many check-ins and ‘likes’ places have, as well as using sentiment analysis to rank businesses.

According to AppleInsider, an unadvertised “Turbo Check-in” feature has also been included in the update. Users can now press for an extended period of time on a point of interest to automatically check in without having to click through to the businesses page.

“Whether your go-to brunch spot is too crowded, or you’re walking around looking for dinner options after a movie,” reads the announcement post on Foursquare’s blog, “it’s great to be able to find places quickly.”

You can purchase the update here.

What do you think of Foursquare for iOS v5.5?

An American Airport Is The First Location To Reach A Million Check-Ins On Foursquare

On Monday, Foursquare announced on their blog that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has passed 1 million check-ins on the site, a significant milestone for the company as it is the first location to do so.

Airports get a lot of human traffic, points out Foursquare in the announcement post, and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.

According to Foursquare’s data, Monday is the airport’s busiest day and Terminal B its busiest terminal on average. Foursquare has also discovered that One Flew South is the most popular restaurant in the airport and that waiting travellers tend to walk by the permanent collection of sculptures from Zimbabwe to kill time.

Visitors to the airport have left 2,000 hints, reviews and tips for fellow travellers: “so whether you’re looking for power outlets, a quiet place for a nap, or the shortest taxi line, a quick search on Foursquare Explore will make you a concourse connoisseur.”

The 1,000,000 check-ins at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport amount to less than 0.03% of the total 3,000,000,000-plus check-ins that have been made on Foursquare in total.

Foursquare inserted a heatmap of the airport in the announcement post – the image at the top of this post – its structure defined by every check-in. As you can see, people are even checking in on the runways as they arrive, suggesting that Foursquare is one of the first things people do when they turn their phone on.

If you look closely, at the heatmap you can even see the outlines of planes that have taxied to the terminals. Here is the heatmap beside a satellite image of the airport to put all those check-ins into perspective:


It is more than likely that another airport will be the next location to break a million check-ins, given the amount of human traffic that goes through them every day and the length of time people have on their hands waiting for their plane, but, considering how eager people are to check-in, even logging into Foursquare as soon as their planes touch down, it might only be a matter of time before some shopping centres and train stations hit the million mark.

What do you think the first non-airport location to reach a million check-ins will be?