What Does Checking In Mean To You And Your Gps Device?

As each day passes, more and more people are using Four Square, or any of the other location-based social networking services, to check in to their favorite locations, or to simply let others know how they rate where they are and what they're experiencing. This is invaluable information for anyone who may be traveling or may be unfamiliar with a particular region. Maybe you just want to check out a new restaurant, venue or spa. Maybe you're taking your kids to a park or movie and want to know what other's have experienced. Whatever is prompting your need to know, Four Square, Gowalla, Loopt and other such services are more than just informative - They are also fun.

Lately, a major hotel chain has developed a way to raise the bar, and will be providing rewards to anyone using a Location based social networking service (specifically Topguest) for checking in to any of its approximately 4,500 hotels. These rewards approximate actual currency in that once they are accumulated the user may purchase hotel accommodations with them. The rewards are called loyalty points and are easily tracked by users. Anyone with an iPhone or a GPS Personal Navigation Device (PND) can download the app for the service and begin taking part in the loyalty points program. At the same time, leaving comments and tips for others will enhance the experience for all concerned.

As for those of you who are regularly using one of these location-based social networking services, you already know the various levels of fun to be had, like becoming the mayor of a location by checking in on a Four Square app. Simply put, the person who checks in the most times to a specific location within a sixty day period, has the potential of becoming the mayor of that locale. Users can also earn badges by checking in at locations with certain tags, for check-in frequency or for other patterns such as time of check-in. The company has stated that users will be able to add their own custom badges to the site once they're up and running.

In September of last year, Foursquare announced that users can now earn badges for completing tasks as well as checking in. Here's a fun fact, On October 22, 2010, astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock unlocked the NASA Explorer badge by checking into Foursquare from the International Space Station. For those who are interested in taking this to another level, the service also provides three levels of "Superuser status". We're all looking forward to that.

By: GPS City Garmin

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Bradley Jacobs is a GPS enthusiast and touts the benefits of garmin, tomtom, magellan, lowrance, and other gps system available with unmatched on-line store experience. With over 20 years of direct engineering, marketing, and customer service experience in the GPS industry, he is uniquely qualified to offer top-level support. His favorite distributor, GPS City, sells to thousands of customers in the USA and Canada.