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Foursquare offers a new interface in version 5 that has been completely reworked to a much cleaner design so you can get to what you want quickly using only three tabs across the bottom of the screen (the former design had five buttons across the bottom). The Friends tab (which used to be only about checking in) now offers big photos you can swipe to browse along with tips, lists, and places your friends have saved. From here you can "Like" or comment on activity by touching a button for each. The new layout seems much better organized … Read more

The Foursquare app for both iPhone and Android got a complete redesign in the latest update out moments ago. The streamlined interface uses fewer buttons than older versions but adds changes in functionality based on millions of users' feedback, says Alex Rainert, head of product at Foursquare.

The new redesign simplifies the look with only three buttons across the bottom for Friends, Explore, and your profile. The new Friends tab lets you view a feed of latest activity from your friends with big photographs; lets you comment and "Like" any activity; and check out tips and lists that … Read more

By now, "checking in" at coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and sporting events is a common practice across many apps, but it was Foursquare that really made this social activity popular.

Before the announcement, I had a phone interview with Alex Rainert, head of product at Foursquare. Rainert says Foursquare has listened to user feedback and has torn apart the current app for both iOS and Android and rebuilt it anew to make browsing locations around you an easier and richer experience.

With the latest version of Foursquare, the interface has been completely reworked to a much cleaner design … Read more

When you upload photos to Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere on the Internet, you may be sharing more information than you know. Your photos can have hidden data in them, like exact location data. If it's a well-known public location, like Disneyland, you might not mind sharing that, but what if it's your home, or where your kids go to school?

The easiest way to avoid sharing location data on your photos is by turning off geotagging in your Android camera's settings. But maybe you've already taken photos that have location data on them. Or maybe you … Read more

Earthquakes can seem like isolated, uncommon events, but the truth is, multiple earthquakes occur around the world every day. If you want to keep track of this fascinating -- and sometimes terrifying -- natural phenomenon, try eQuake Alert. This Firefox extension can instantly alert you to earthquakes occurring anywhere in the world.

eQuake Alert installed easily and was ready for action after we restarted Firefox. The extension is highly configurable; you can select the frequency with which eQuake Alert checks for new earthquakes, whether to display a status bar message with the location and magnitude of each quake, and how … Read more

In today's show, we're putting filters on Facebook, paying with our phones and watching the networks get hoppin' mad:

A battle is brewing in court between the major television networks and Dish Network's commercial-skipping Hopper DVR. The fight centers around a feature in the Hopper DVR called Auto Hop, which lets users instantly skip commercials for a show recorded the day prior from a major network during prime time. (No need for a fast-forward button!) Fox, NBC and CBS are suing Dish, arguing that commercial skipping violates copyright. And Fox added another layer to it, saying that … Read more

Since Facebook released its new "Camera" mobile app yesterday, there's been speculation as to why the social network would buy Instagram and then release its own very similar app. There's been even more curiosity about why the new app has such an interest in where you are while using it.

As users have noticed, the Camera app requires iOS' Location Services to be turned on so it can access your locally stored photos, and the app won't let you upload a shot if you simply deny it location access from the get-go.

According to software … Read more

The Weather Channel is a free weather-monitoring application that provides many more features than Apple's built-in Weather app. Released first in 2008, the app recently received a complete overhaul to the interface, adding features that make it even easier to check weather conditions wherever you are.

You can find paid weather applications that are more specialized, but The Weather Channel (sponsored by the cable channel of the same name) offers the features most people want in a weather app. You can view forecasts (hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day outlooks), quick access to Weather Channel local and regional video forecasts, severe … Read more

An apparent bug is present in OS X 10.7 "Lion" that causes some applications to crash when the system's network location configuration is changed. However, while the system generates a crash report, the applications appear to have not crashed at all.

This issue happens because of a bug with how OS X handles both network location configurations and its process sandboxing routines.

In OS X you can set up different "locations" in the Network system preferences -- convenient configurations for the various network setups you might need for your work. For instance, a home … Read more