Gowalla announced an upgrade to their service today, integrating the app with its two biggest competitors.
Also on the docket is integration with Twitter and Tumblr, but Gowalla 3 is only available for iPhone until January. (iPad, Blackberry and Android integration is expected to follow then.) In a post on their blog describing how “stoked” they are about the new features, Gowalla says:
In fact, we’ve made checking in at your favorite places even easier with a new, faster check-in interface. We debated calling this “quick” or “express” check in, but it doesn’t really need a gimmicky name. We just made it better. Simply tap the Check In button that is universally present in the tab bar and based on your previous history and current location, we’ll auto-fill where we think you are. We get it right about 80 percent of the time. In the cases where our best guess was a little off, it’s super easy to select the correct location with a couple quick taps. Then you can quickly and easily share where you are with your friends on Gowalla, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Tumblr… We’ve combined them all into a single, connected activity feed with all your friends, regardless of the service they checked in on.
The post also discusses “Highlights,” which are now “baked into” Gowalla’s Spots. Highlights will, according to Gowalla’s posts, also allow users to read Foursquare tips at the very same location. Another updated feature is “Bookmarks,” allowing you to save places you wish to visit in the future and access them later.
One feature that sounds pretty cool is the “Notes” functionality, enabling users to leave messages for friends set to open on their next check-in at a spot. The upgrade is available now on iTunes- do the new features give you more reason to use the service, or are you married to Facebook Places or Foursquare?
[Gowalla Blog]
