Skip to main content

Foursquare uses 3 billion check-ins and 10 million tips to create ‘most awesome places in the US’ lists

Lists, lists, lists. They’re everywhere, on the web, in apps, scrawled across notebooks and in our heads. For me, it’s all about the to-do list. Although I only ever want to have one to-do list, I somehow end up with several on the go at any given time, all of which have things written on them like “find main list” or “make definitive list” or, when they really start getting into my head and keeping me awake at night, “quit making lists”. But of course, I don’t.

And now location-based social network Foursquare has added to the lists of the world, announcing on Wednesday the creation of The Best of Foursquare 2012 comprising a bunch of best-of lists born out of three billion check-ins by its users as well as tips numbering in the tens of millions.

Recommended Videos

The site says it has compiled lists of “the most awesome places” in 30 cities across the US and urges users to “take a look, see if your favorites made the cut, and save some spots for your next weekend out.”

“These best of lists are based on the ratings we give to millions of places on Foursquare,” the site said in a post on its blog. “We use signals like tips, likes, dislikes, popularity, local expertise, and nearly three billion check-ins from over 30 million people worldwide to determine how much people love a place.”

Multiple lists

To explore The Best of Foursquare 2012, click on a location and you’ll be presented with top 10 lists for subjects such as nightlife and food, with the ability to drill down to specific cuisines and such like.

The lists compilations have served to highlight the uniqueness of each city, the company said in its post.

“Bostonians love seafood, Portland is a veggie paradise, and Philly may be the city of brotherly love, but what they really love is a good sandwich,” Foursquare said.

The new ‘best of’ page underlines the way in which the service is continuing its efforts to broaden its appeal as it attempts to position itself as a Yelp-like search engine and recommendation platform in a drive to attract more users.

Right, off to make another list now.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to get verified on Instagram Threads
A verified account on Instagram Threads.

Like Twitter and Instagram, Instagram Threads allows users to become verified to confirm their identities and access some exclusive features. Similar to Twitter's verification process, you'll need to pay a monthly fee to be verified on Threads, so keep that price in mind as you get your verified Threads account set up.

So, without further ado, here's how to get verified on Instagram Threads in a few straightforward steps.

Read more
How to remove location data from your iPhone photos
How to transfer photos from an iPhone to an iPhone

We all love making memories, and a great way to collect those memories is to take a quick snap of a gorgeous landscape, a party in full swing, or a particularly incredible meal. The Apple iPhone now also adds a location to your pictures, meaning it can collate those images together into a location-themed album, or show you all the shots you've taken in a specific location. It's a fun little addition, and it's one that adds a lot of personality to the Photos app.

Read more
‘Photoshopped’ royal photo causes a stir
The Princess of Wales with her children.

[UPDATE: In a message posted on social media on Monday morning, Princess Kate said that she herself edited the image, and apologized for the fuss that the picture had caused. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote, adding, "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."]

Major press agencies have pulled a photo of the U.K.’s Princess of Wales and her children amid concerns that it has been digitally manipulated.

Read more