August 12, 2010 at 15:59Facebook introduces geolocation a la Foursquare
The much debated feature of geolocation on Facebook is close to release. According to Cnet , numerous informed sources testify to this: the feature of “check-ins” with coordinates will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
The interface will be implemented as an open API, where all existing startups in this area will be integrated, including Foursquare, Loopt and Gowalla.
Thanks to standardization, “checks-in” will become part of the development platform and can be used in any other applications and games for Facebook. In addition, it will be possible to “like” various locations, which means a new large flow of advertising revenue for Facebook.
Facebook itself does not officially comment on this functionality, although it confirms the fact of developing geolocation and its integration with other applications, and promises to tell everything immediately after its completion.
One of the sources claims that the deadline for this project is scheduled for next week, but there is a possibility of its extension.
There is information that Facebook works in partnership with the local search engine Localeze, which helped develop the Places directory on Twitter. Twitter users can also automatically add coordinates to each of their tweets, and in the future this will become the foundation for a complete geolocation product.
Localeze also did not disclose details, but confirmed that in the coming weeks / month it will announce the release of some important project.
The imminent appearance of geolocation is also indicated by the purchases made by Facebook recently. This summer they bought for about $ 10 million a little-known check-in web service Hot Potato, which does the same thing as Foursquare, but not with locations, but with events. It is said that the founder and sole owner of this startup Justin Shaffer was supposed to be a key element of the geolocation project on Facebook. Actually, for this he was paid such money.
This money is not very large compared to what Foursquare startup required when Facebook approached him with a purchase offer. The startup did not agree with the price of $ 120 million and asked for 25% more, after which Facebook came out of negotiations.
The interface will be implemented as an open API, where all existing startups in this area will be integrated, including Foursquare, Loopt and Gowalla.
Thanks to standardization, “checks-in” will become part of the development platform and can be used in any other applications and games for Facebook. In addition, it will be possible to “like” various locations, which means a new large flow of advertising revenue for Facebook.
Facebook itself does not officially comment on this functionality, although it confirms the fact of developing geolocation and its integration with other applications, and promises to tell everything immediately after its completion.
One of the sources claims that the deadline for this project is scheduled for next week, but there is a possibility of its extension.
There is information that Facebook works in partnership with the local search engine Localeze, which helped develop the Places directory on Twitter. Twitter users can also automatically add coordinates to each of their tweets, and in the future this will become the foundation for a complete geolocation product.
Localeze also did not disclose details, but confirmed that in the coming weeks / month it will announce the release of some important project.
The imminent appearance of geolocation is also indicated by the purchases made by Facebook recently. This summer they bought for about $ 10 million a little-known check-in web service Hot Potato, which does the same thing as Foursquare, but not with locations, but with events. It is said that the founder and sole owner of this startup Justin Shaffer was supposed to be a key element of the geolocation project on Facebook. Actually, for this he was paid such money.
This money is not very large compared to what Foursquare startup required when Facebook approached him with a purchase offer. The startup did not agree with the price of $ 120 million and asked for 25% more, after which Facebook came out of negotiations.