foursquare

For alcohol brands, social media a stiff cocktail

On a Monday morning late last month, at the headquarters of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, the promotional vehicle for a vineyard-speckled region about four hours northwest of Manhattan, something was amiss with Foursquare.

Namely, the Corning, N.Y.-based tourism group's account on the location-sharing social-media site was doing something funny: It was triggering friend requests. That's not supposed to happen with a Foursquare account that's set up as a brand or business page--users should be able to automatically follow the brand or company, rather than having to wait to have their requests … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1401: Fail! Fail! Fail! (podcast)

On today's show, I tee off a little bit on Internet haters who just can't let it go ... in a way that might seem to suggest I can't let it go. Hm. Anyway, in tech news proper, Apple shareholders demand a succession plan, Verizon users demand their iPhone 4s, and AT&T demands $499 and a two-year contract for people who want an Atrix 4G with the laptop dock. Plus: Computer Love! Aloha, everyone! --Molly

Buzz Out Loud 1392: There is no Matrix (podcast)

Brian Tong returns from the islands in time for us to get collectively punked by a surprisingly elaborate rumor about Keanu Reeves and two more Matrix sequels. But that's nothing compared to the punking that is AOL's subscription service, which generates 60% of its profits and isn't needed by pretty much anyone who pays for it. Ouch. Plus, the tech bubble is our new drinking game and the white iPhone ... never mind. We're not talking about that damn thing anymore. --Molly

Pinch to play

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

The FCC approves Net neutrality rules

eBay launches Gifts Nearby to help you shop offline

Microsoft wants to enable the Kinect to recognize finger gestures

The new FourSquare iPhone app lets you comment on your friends' location choices

The state of Oregon will now allow spell check on state exams

And that's all folks! Loaded is on hiatus through the end of the year. We will see you at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for new tech galore! Have happy and healthy holidays!

Buzz Out Loud 1374: Zuckerberg pokes China (podcast)

On today's show, we get a brief appearance of Brian After Dentist, but it's not as fun as we hoped, because the poor guy was actually in pain. So, Donald and I soldier on, discussing how Google TV is probably just plain done for, Net neutrality is under attack from all sides, and how college may be useless for entrepreneurs but it's a crucial nerd breeding ground. Plus, in the future, we'll pay for everything in Jobses. Depressing. --Molly

Foursquare iPhone app: Now with photos

A new version of geolocation service Foursquare's iPhone app hit the iTunes App Store this morning, bringing photos and comments to the product for the first time. Foursquare members can now post comments on their friends' "check-ins," as well as attach photographs to the directory listings for venues they visit and tips they leave behind.

These new features will be available on Foursquare's Android app later in the week and then on its BlackBerry application next month.

Photo services Instagram and Picplz, as well as food photo network Foodspotting, are already tapped into the new Foursquare … Read more

What might be on Google's holiday shopping list?

At this point, it's almost embarrassing to be a Web company that hasn't been courted by Google.

Not a week goes by when news doesn't surface regarding Google's trolling the waters of Silicon Valley for a new acquisition; Friday's discussion surrounded daily-deals site Groupon. And for every big fish contemplating the Google bait, there are tons of smaller ones that don't get as much attention but are potentially just as important to Google's overall strategy.

At this point in its history, it's simply easier for Google to let outside firms nurture promising … Read more

Air Force worried geolocation services help enemy

In a very 21st-century spin on the old World War II adage "loose lips might sink ships," an Associated Press report Wednesday claims that the U.S. Air Force is concerned about troops' use of geolocation services like Foursquare and Facebook Places and the possibility that it could reveal the location of U.S. forces in war zones.

Military authorities in the U.S. and other countries have already made warnings about social networking in general, claiming that it's all too easy for sensitive information to be exposed inadvertently. The Department of Defense had been considering banning the use of social media entirely (… Read more

Privacy concerns dog location-based services

It sounds like a sweet deal: report your location to a social network and get a coupon for discounts and prizes. The price? The possibility that advertisers and other third parties will know where you are and where you've been.

A recent survey by the Pew Center's Internet & American Life Project found that only 4 percent of Internet users have adopted location-based services, as Cecilia Kang reports on The Washington Post's Post Tech blog. That survey was conducted in August and September, before Facebook and Yelp joined Foursquare and Gowalla in offering coupons to users who … Read more

MySpace gets slap on wrist

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Facebook announces single sign-in for mobile and Facebook Places launches discounts and promotions for checking in

Microsoft expects to sell 5 million units of Kinect in 2010

AT&T announces AT&T ForHealth to help automate health care

MySpace gets a stern warning about performance from Rupert Murdoch

Facebook Credits are now the official currency of EA social games

FourSquare is cracking down on fake mayors