We’re now just over two weeks away from this year’s SXSW event in Austin, Texas. And just as is the case every year, there will be several startups jockeying to be the one that is the breakout hit. But one of those previous breakout hits, Foursquare, isn’t standing still either.
In a ridiculously awesome blog post on the matter today, Foursquare hints at their plan for the event this year. Here’s the entire post entitled “OMFG!”:
SXSW IS LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AWAY! NEW APP + NEW BADGES + PARTIES + CONCERT + MOAR FOURSQUARE. DETAILS COMING. OKTHXBAI.
Translation: there will be a new version of their app. There will be more badges to earn at the event. There will be a party (or maybe more than one?). And that party will likely feature a high-profile concert of some sort. And there will more that we’ll learn about shortly.
It was two years ago at the same event that Foursquare (and rival Gowalla) actually launched for the first time. And last year, the two fought to the death during the event for location-based supremacy. While the outcome wasn’t so clear at the time (helped by the fact that Gowalla is Austin-based), Foursquare now has far more users than Gowalla. And so we probably shouldn’t expect the same time of war this year.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t have a few new tricks. Both have numerous things planned for this year, we hear. The early whispers about Foursquare are that their app should feature significant speed improvements, and perhaps some new recommendation layer, on top of a few other new features.
Still, I’ll probably be more focused on the group texting app blood bath that is likely to engulf Austin for a week or so.
Foursquare is a geographical location based social network that incorporates gaming elements. Users share their location with friends by “checking in” via a smartphone app or by text message. Points are awarded for checking in at various venues. Users can connect their Foursquare accounts to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, which can update when a check in is registered. By checking in a certain number of times, or in different locations, users can collect virtual badges. In addition, users...
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