Android App Spotlight #5-#9: Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, SCVNGR, Brightkite, and Google Latitude (With a Little Yelp and Facebook Action Thrown In) (Part 2)

Loopt
Price: Free
AppBrain Link
Website

Originally more of a always-on service like Google Latitude, Loopt has integrated check-ins to the Android app. The process is no different than any other service, though it seems like checking in is a bit pointless given that you can already see where everyone is located using the map. The app allows you to either update your location automatically throughout the day - completely draining my battery before midday - or just to update when you first run the app. There is a journal feature, which I think can provide an interesting feature, but blogs like Blogger offering the ability to add a location, this isn't a killer feature. Sadly, this service is the one on which most of my real-life friends use (a whopping two people!), but with the check-ins feeling like a tacked-on feature, it can't really compete with some of the other services. Loopt does offer several variations on their apps, including a Foursquare competitor Looptstar, but they're all for iPhone/iPad, so Android users are out of luck.



SCVNGR

Price: Free
AppBrain Link
Website


SCVNGR started as a tool to help give tours for museums and the like, but thanks to a small backing from Google, they're changing their business model to a more mainstream approach through check-ins. You earn points for doing routine tasks like checking in, taking a picture, and writing a blurb, but the unique aspect of the program is the ability to earn points for unique tasks such as posing with a department store mannequin or making an origami swan from the tin foil of your burrito. Businesses can add their own challenges, and users can add "treks," a series of places to visit. The service is still new, with most businesses offering only the standard check-ins, but if adoption spreads, the possibilities could be interesting.

Google Latitude

Good old Latitude. Since they bought Dodgeball from the makers of Foursquare back in 2005, the service has been integrated into Maps and left dormant for five years without much development. It does the always-on GPS feature like Loopt, though it doesn't offer much else. Hopefully that will change soon - they've recently released an API for the service, and their "Where Have I Been?" feature is neat, though a bit inaccurate. If you're interested in the simplest way of sharing your location with friends, the integration with Maps and the ease of use can't be beat, though it really isn't a check-in app.

Yelp


Though they have an Android app, iPhone users are currently the only ones able to participate in their ability to check in. The service is fairly basic in its current iteration, though upcoming developments are looking to get into earning badges similarly to Foursquare.

Facebook


Facebook has been rumored to get into the check-in business since the beginning of the year. When they finally decide to flip the switch, it's pretty much over for any other service. The sheer install base of Facebook ensures that they will immediately dominate the competition.

Final Thoughts


This overview of apps was essentially pointless - no matter what features one app has over another, the most important thing for these programs is that your friends are using them. I can amass a million points on Foursquare and every item in Gowalla, but it's not really fun if I can't throw it in my friends' faces. Perhaps the future of the check-in apps will come down to Facebook's sheer numbers and Latitude's open API and Maps integration. Personally, I'm waiting for Yelp's check-ins to come to Android, but that's just so I can add more crap to my profile at that site. There's still no one winner in this space, and it's only going to get more difficult to keep first place as more companies look to get into the mix.