foursquare

Thursday's top stories will fill you up on patent spats, better maps and creepy apps:

There's a laughable twist in the never-ending global patent battle between Apple and Samsung. A U.K. judge (the same judge that said Samsung's tablets were "not as cool" as the iPad) ruled that Samsung did not copy the iPad's design. But the judge also ordered Apple to publish a notice of this fact on its U.K. website and in British newspaper ads for six months. Awkward.

Nokia has promised "something amazing" to be announced Sept. … Read more

Foursquare has added a new feature to its app and Web site called Connected Apps. Basically, it's a showcase of apps that got a head-start on using the Foursquare API. In the choices you'll see apps such as: The Weather Channel, Instagram, and Eat This, Not That!

When you check in to a location, you'll see the Connected Apps information right below Foursquare tips from other users. Ready to add some to your Foursquare and check them out? Here's how:

Step 1: Open the Foursquare app and head to the Me … Read more

Instagram is a free and fairly simple photo enhancement app that requires only a couple of touches to produce great-looking images. But what's really special about Instagram are the sharing capabilities that let you tell the story of your life through photos.

Start by signing up with Instagram with an e-mail address, username, and password. From there you can configure Instagram to autopost to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Posterous, or just choose to share images from within the app or via e-mail. You can also turn any of these options on or off if you don't … Read more

It's time to pony up for prepaid iPhones, avoid password scams and drop that mayor obsession:

The iPhone is coming to Virgin Mobile at the end of June. But you'll have to drop a hefty $650 to get the iPhone 4S, since there's no two-year contract. Plans start at $30 a month. It's cheaper in the long run to go prepaid with this plan instead of spending $200 upfront and paying for a more expensive monthly bill for two years (but you'll be limited with talk minutes). Virgin is on the Sprint network.

If Android … Read more

Early this morning Foursquare rolled out a massive update, including both visual updates along with some great new features. One of which is the capability to easily discover and follow brand Pages. Up until now, there wasn't a streamlined method to follow a brand's Page when using the mobile app. 

Following a brand's page provides Foursquare users with the added benefit of seeing tips and check-ins from a particular brand. There's another incentive for following a Page -- badges.

Some badges can only be unlocked by following a Page and checking into a specific venue. … 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

Ever wonder what you were doing exactly one year ago? Or how about what you said on Twitter or Facebook last year? Instagram? What were you saying in text messages? There's an easy way to find out.

Take a trip in a virtual time machine each morning when you wake up by using Timehop.

Timehop will curate your Facebook status updates, your tweets, your Foursquare check-ins, your Instagram photos, and even your text conversations from one year ago, package them together in an entertaining e-mail, and send it to you each morning.

You can get started by visiting the&… Read more

Roamz is an "intelligent" local discovery app that pulls real-time data from Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram in order to show you what's going on in your area. It can even "learn" what you're into and calibrate its recommendations accordingly.

Roamz opens up to a Hot Now screen, which shows public photos, check-ins, and other status updates originating in your immediate vicinity. So, right off the bat, you can swipe through all of the updates and see if anything looks interesting. For instance, in my trials, I saw that several people checked in to … Read more