Obviously, competition breeds innovation; without some healthy competition, companies wouldn't be pushed as hard to create the best possible products and experiences for consumers. And with so many smart companies and products on the market, it's nice to see that instead of constant head-to-head combat, companies took advantage of the progress made by their competitors, often embracing unlikely Read more

Popular location-based app Gowalla released today its most significant update to date. The biggest addition: the integration of other location-based services via a "combined activity tab" that merges your Gowalla check-ins with Facebook Places and Foursquare check-ins, and it enables sharing via Twitter and Tumblr. In addition, you can see friends' Foursquare and Facebook check-ins directly in Read more

Although Foursquare is still your location-based app of choice, Gowalla is still in the game and has teamed up with NASA to launch a national scavenger hunt. Called "Search for the Moon Rocks," this hunt requires you to track down a few space items, and check in to win a special badge on your Gowalla Passport. Moon rocks, which were brought back during the Apollo 12-17 missions, are currently on Read more

Location-based apps and services like Foursquare, Yelp, and Gowalla can be super helpful in finding a great place to eat or meet up, as well as tell you where your friends are. But jumping around from app to app can be a waste of time, especially now that you have FourWhere — a Google Map mashup of all three of those location-based services that tells you which joints are poppin' right now, Read more

Checking in on Foursquare or other geo-location apps can get you more than mayorship — it can get you some pretty sweet deals if you know where to look. More and more businesses are offering up discounts for their mayors, frequent customers, and even passers-by, kicking back a little coin just for visiting. Find out how you can save money, get a great deal, and even make a little cash, just by Read more

Your iPhone is loaded with geo-location apps like Foursquare and Gowalla, and you even use Facebook Places. All that is fine and dandy, but wouldn't it be nice if you found an app that compiles all of your (and your friends') social check-ins on one singular map? Enter MeMap (free), which does just that. Using your shared check-ins, MeMap shows you which of your friends are around you now. One Read more

There's a whole new crop of location apps appearing on the mobile scene that allow users to preemptively check in to a venue they'd like to visit in the near future — a restaurant, for example — inviting a friend who may want to do something similar to join. Instead of telling friends and contacts what you're doing, it broadcasts what you plan or want to do. One such app, called Ditto, Read more