Foursquare Shares API For Location Based Fun and Games
In an attempt to both crush the competition and embrace developer creativity Foursquare has opened up a new API to be spliced and diced into mashup galore. We see it as a big move and possibly a milestone in the location based social arena. Over and over people have aligned both the skepticism and early adopter behavior surrounding Foursquare with that of Twitter's early years.
Providing an API is almost the startup equivalent of free trade in economics, it supports creativity and competition which can lead to outstanding results. Google and Bing have embraced social technologies, which points towards the future of search and online. Foursquare brings social mapping and with this geo-data we are bound to see our cartographic world in new ways. The company has put together a gallery to demonstrate what is already possible.
Social Great lets people vote for restaurants, bars, and other venues 'using their feet.' Using Foursquare check-in data the website ranks location on the number of people that have announced their presence. Since the service has such a tight focus, it also ranks a city's current activity level and allows users to search historical data.
Mobzombies extends on Foursquare's built-in game mechanics by adding in its own little zombie thriller twist. In mission mode, users track zombie hordes, created and sized by number of check-ins at a certain location, and then destroy them.
Fourtap enables Foursquare check-ins with the swipe of London's Oyster subway card. This takes the API a step away from mobile phones, showing how powerful this data really is.
Other examples include Peek Maps, Foursquare for Android, ul.timate.info, Yipit, Wordpress, Layar, and Last Night's Check-ins. And remember, this is just the beginning.
