Since stepping forward into the light of smart phones, mobile computing and the world of Android – I’ve been gripped by quite a few ‘apps’ and recently, FourSquare is developing into a fun little addiction.

What is Foursquare?

It uses the location ability on your phone (GPS if you want pin point accuracy) to let you know whats around you – shops, pubs, houses, arenas, anything! You check-in to a location when you get there. So, when I go to work I ‘checking’ to the department at work. My Foursquare friends can see my last check-in. I can also tweet/Facebook these check-ins to share information about what I’m up to and attach photos or notes. It’s a great tool for investigating restaurants around you and seeing real users reviews and notes on what’s good or bad about these venues.

Where’s the fun part?

The Foursquare chaps added a point’s based function that awards you points, prizes and badges for different locations based on various factors like the first time you checking, or the fourth time you checked into a barber shop etc…

This soon blossoms into a fun little competition with your other Foursquare buddies.

It’s an addictive scoring system.

How do I improve my High Score?

Don’t cheat! I know you would never check-in to a location that you weren’t actually at just to grab a few points… /me shudders at the thought of such impertinence ;)

How do the Foursquare points work?

Check in to a new venue – 5 points

Add a new venue to Foursquare – 5 points

Check in to a place you’ve been before – 1 point

Check in to a place where you are a Mayor – 3 points

Check into a place that is swarming (ie: lots of people are here) get more points..

And many more fun variations.

How can I ‘win’?

• Check in everywhere you go. Burn that phone up. By performing lists of checkins you will build a terrific high scrore (don’t neglect repeat checkins as every point counts)
• Add friends - you get more points for checking in places your 'friends' are at.
• Add new venues. For example, I always add my office and my home location and check in to each as I go in/out.
• Don’t forget to check into bars, coffee shops, sandwich shops, petrol (gas) stations… if you can’t see it on the list – don’t create a duplicate! Search for the shops name and add it if it doesn’t exist. Five points for adding a location remember.
• Make sure you either TWEET or FACEBOOK your check-ins. Personally, I only Facebook the ones I deem interesting as I don’t want to bug my FB friends.
• Use the EXPLORE function to find neat places around you and explore the world… try a NEW coffee shops once in a while.  ;)
• Add tips; mark them as done when you’ve done somebody else’s tips.

Foursquare is extremely useful, fun and simple to use.

“Hi, my name is Nick. I’m a Foursquare Addict”

https://foursquare.com/finkpad

 ;)