It really seems to be a trend, that as I keep scheduling apps to be reviews, they just keep getting better and better. I can’t imagine what my tenth review will be, let alone the 100th! Let’s hope this trend stays hot. For about a week now, I’ve been looking at the Foursquare app available on the iPhone, Android, and several other platforms. It’s a sweet social 
networking app that allows you to notify friends and other Foursquare users know when you’ve checked in to a restaurant, store, cafe, or anything really. Well, not anything…. but mostly everything. Along with sending out that notification, you’re able to post tips on the places you’ve visted. In my case, I went to the Osaka Japanese Cuisine for some sushi. My favorite type of sushi is a spicy New York Roll. (I love ‘em!) I posted a little tip suggesting everybody try at least one if they go. It’s really neat!
However… I’ll get the BIGGEST downside to this app. It’s geographic oriented! Yes, bring on the sad faces. For the lucky bunch, in major cities (i.e: Philadelphia [my closest], New York City, Chicago), you’ll get full access and use to this application, and you could really have A LOT OF FUN with your friends! For those not in major cities, you can make due. For the hell of it, I added Osaka to the list and just filled in the address information and it found it very easily using Google Maps.
But, as much of a big pain that downside is… I really loved this app. It’s almost like a social networking tool + an EPIC (yet friendly) game. As I mentioned, you can play along with your friends. You can add friends if you know their user name, or you may find them using Twitter and Facebook! Both sites can be connected to receive check-in updates. Once you’ve add a few of your friends, the game is on. Go out and have fun, go to bars, out for sushi, or whatever you may like! I made a few stops at Osaka, the Christmas Tree Shops (no Christmas trees inside btw) and a few other places and made sure I added each location to the app’s database and continued having fun.
As you add events, To-Do’s, and check-in’s you’ll gain points and you’ll be able to see how you compare with your friends on a leaderboard. Everybody loves to have more points than the next person. What’s great about this feature is that you’ll really enjoy comparing your stats with your close friends, but you can also see where you rank among your general area. My app keeps changing my location between NYC and Philly. Along with these points you’ll also be earning badges for specific events or to-dos that you complete. And you’ll eventually end up being awarded them as a token of visiting a certain place multiple times.
The app is very basic, yet probably the most fun and interesting app that I’ve ever run across. Being able to utilize both Facebook and Twitter along with it makes it that much better. But I still imagine you’ll tweet that you’re at the cinema checking out “Sherlock Holmes” this Friday, or that you’ve made a trip to Denny’s for Christmas dinner because dad burned the turkey. However, I don’t think you’ll have to tweet your location out any longer with this app. One definitely worth getting. The amount of fun you’ll get out of this app is seemingly endless and I expect bigger and better features in the future. Hopefully soon they can reach out to more cities throughout the world. And epic game and social networking device this will be.
Now, although short, that’s all. Let’s get down to what you’re really here for, the scoring!
Look and Feel: The design of this app is amazing. It’s very modern and the color scheme fits perfect. Nothing is outrageous or dull. It’s not slacking on any department. I think everybody would enjoy this design! Scoring this at a 9.5/10!
Ease of Use: This may take a few moments to master, but that’s about it. As I mentioned, this is a very basic app. There are some cool features to navigate through, but there’s not all that much to do other than track your whereabouts and see if anybody has been there or if they recommend something else. Ease of Use is sitting pretty at an 8.0/10!
The Good, The Bad, and the WTF: The good part of this app is that it’s incredibly awesome! The bad part is that it’s only really fun if you have friends that would want to download it or even have a phone/ipod that can use it. What’s the point of collecting where you’ve been unless you’re a spy?! The WTF goes with the bad, and that it’s about the whole locale issue. I’m sorry for not living in the Big Apple, but I like Scranton mighty fine. I’d like to let other Scrantonian’s that the New York Rolls at Osaka are phenomenal! Unfortunately, at the moment I can’t do that in a proper way. Scoring this kind of low, but I’m giving it a 6.5/10!
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Review written by Chris of ToTheGalaxy.com. If you’d like to submit a product, application, film, or anything for him to review please visit his contact page for more information as to how you may properly reach him. With that in mind, thank you for taking the time to read this review of the “Foursquare” app and here’s to hoping your holiday season goes smoothly, safely, and surpasses your expectations. Enjoy!
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