Anyone using Foursquare?

 

My new GPS came with Foursquare, and I'm trying to figure out why I would want to use it. I'm not a member of the Digital Elite, but to me the app just doesn't seem very useful, the postings almost look like a dog marking its territory.

Anyone here using it, and if so for what?

Thanks.

forsquare on your garmin

Nuvi line to come with Foursquare venues designed to help users find and explore new businesses. The new GPS devices also come with Direct Access to help navigate to complexes like malls and airports and traditional advanced Garmin features like Active Lane Guidance, Real Directions, multi-touch displays and Photo Real and Bird’s Eye Junction View.

All the other features aside, the partnership with Foursquare is really what sets these devices apart from other devices in the nuvi line. The Advanced Series comes pre-loaded with millions of places from Foursquare which can be searched from Garmin’s signature “Where To?” menu. The models that support Bluetooth can also connect to your smartphone via Smartphone Link and then search Foursquare for specific categories like best places, trending places, ratings, price ranges, hours of service and more. It doesn’t specify, but such a connection likely requires data.

The Advanced Nuvi line also has Direct Access, a new feature that’s designed to help find locations inside of large complexes like malls or airports. You can, for example, search for a specific store or restaurant and the device will guide you to the nearest door and indicate where it is located inside.

In addition to those features, the devices also have several other standard Garmin features like Active Lane Guidance, Real Directions, Photoreal and Bird’s Eye Junction View. The devices have 5, 6 or 7 inch touch-screens with multi-touch capabilities that support pinching and zooming, much like smartphone maps. The screens also allow for split-views during certain applications to help drivers see the most useful information as they need it.

--
Never argue with a pig. It makes you look foolish and it anoys the hell out of the pig!

LeapFroggie wrote: ...but to

LeapFroggie wrote:

...but to me the app just doesn't seem very useful, the postings almost look like a dog marking its territory.

Funny, that's my take on it also. My adult kids all have it on their phones, they think it's neat that everyone knows where they go.

--
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

that's my take too

KenSny wrote:
LeapFroggie wrote:

...but to me the app just doesn't seem very useful, the postings almost look like a dog marking its territory.

Funny, that's my take on it also. My adult kids all have it on their phones, they think it's neat that everyone knows where they go.

Foursquare is designed to those people that all gather in one place so they can text each other on their phones. While you can find some interesting places with good food and drinks, almost all they really have in common is a wide bandwidth Wi-Fi link.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Crap

I played with Forsquare when I first got my new 2689 and quickly decided it wasn't worth using. People can put in their location and it shows up as something you may want to go to and if they do it wrong you can't tell that it isn't a legit business. The data for real businesses was way out of date, many places that had have been around for a year or less are not included and many that have been gone for many years were listed.

Anyone using Foursquare?

LeapFroggie wrote:

My new GPS came with Foursquare, and I'm trying to figure out why I would want to use it. I'm not a member of the Digital Elite, but to me the app just doesn't seem very useful, the postings almost look like a dog marking its territory.

Anyone here using it, and if so for what?

Thanks.

I've tried using it but it's a bit squirrely on my Nuvi 67LMT. I tried looking up Public Storage while it was set to look stuff up in my local area and it instead showed me Public Storage in a different city. So...I'm not gonna use it. Plus, when I tried to look up a solution to it on Google I was inundated with websites on how to get my business listed. Basically, it's all just marketing to me. I may play with it a little more to see if there's *any* usefulness but that'll take a while. I just got this unit last week.

--
Safe zones in college!? <sigh>

tried it once

I tried it once because it offered a discount on something or other I only used it that one time. I am not interested in people keeping track of my whereabouts.

I Used to Use it.

It came out around 2008 or so, and I used with with several others on my team at work. It was basically a social search and recommendation app. I used it for maybe a year, but nothing like my younger co-workers did and still do.

I just got bored with it. I really don't care who knows where I am, but to "check in" all the time gets to be monotonous.

I'm right here, by the way.

--
And now, back to your regularly scheduled forum - already in progress . . .

No

No, I'm not using FourSquare.

It is redundant with so many other options. I don't understand why it was integrated within Garmin software.

--
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.

Because FourSquare paid

Because FourSquare paid Garmin to include it.

--
Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

Worthless

Maybe I misunderstood it's real purpose. I thought it was for finding businesses that people recommended. When I tried using it that way I found many of the businesses in our area that were listed were no longer in business and others that had been around a couple of years were not listed. Then I found a lot of the hits for what I thought were businesses, were really individuals that listed where they live and didn't put the right restrictions on it. Completely worthless the way I wanted to use it.

Its just another waste of

Its just another waste of data..

Use Yelp

Yelp has most current ratings and user feedback. Even places that are closed are usually up to date on Yelp. Reviews even help me choose a restaurant in my neighborhood.

--
Zumo 550 & Zumo 665 My alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

My first experience with foursquare, not impressed

I know this is an old topic but found it while trying to figure out how to get my gps to take me straight to a race track 58 miles away. Foursquare keeps coming up taking me 619 miles going way down south, across to the coast then to the north where i wanted to go. I finally tried unchecking the box to avoid highways that I had checked at one point in the past. I ended up tossing it in the trunk and getting my old gps that doesn't have all the extras. It is slower and the screen not as intense but it got me where i wanted to go! Now I am back to trying to figure out how to get it back where it used to be. Removed foursquare but it still keeps taking me the long way around!

Nothing ...

... to do with Foursquare. Whatever the issue it's a routing issue, what map do you have loaded? What avoidances? What routing settings?

Perhaps you could explain where you were trying to route from/to?

Oh, and which GPS is it?

--
Where there's a will ... there's a way ... DriveSmart51LMT-S, DriveSmart50LMT-D, Nuvi 2508LMT-D, 1490LMT, 1310, Montana 650T, Etrex 20

About

About 99 times out of 100 this type of weird routing error is caused by having the avoid toll roads turned on.

Foursquare is a POI database and would not be responsible for your issue.

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

Nope

Not using it and don't plan to.

--
non-native nutmegger

When we first upgraded to

When we first upgraded to 2689 from 660, I, too thought Foursquare wasn't as necessary, but between me learning where it shined, and where it isn't as good.... and with UPDATES... I now have an altogether different feeling about Foursquare...

To me, It works better based upon your present location that it seems to do by changing location areas...

But it has improved much in the past 3-4 years....

--
A 2689LMT in both our cars that we love... and a Nuvi 660 with Lifetime Maps that we have had literally forever.... And a 2011 Ford Escape with Nav System that is totally ignored!

How to shut down foursquare...

I'm not a fan of this app -seems like I'm getting ads in my search results. There should be a way to turn it off. I'd like to keep the display of nearby restaurants on the map. Any suggestions?

Oh, I miss having the distance to via on the map screen. My 2495lmt showed both via arrival time & distance to via at the same time. My new lm51 only allows one of them to be displayed at a time. (The distance to via shows up when you touch the current speed button -that's not enough.)

Tnx in advance for any help you can offer...

Not

TomS wrote:

Oh, I miss having the distance to via on the map screen. My 2495lmt showed both via arrival time & distance to via at the same time. My new lm51 only allows one of them to be displayed at a time. (The distance to via shows up when you touch the current speed button -that's not enough.)

Tnx in advance for any help you can offer...

Not sure if these procedures work on the 51LM but they do on most newer Nuvi and Drive model so give it a try as it will provide you with a Distance to Via and arrival time to via option:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/41428

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

yep ...

They are available on the Drive models too and all the later nuvis so you can have 4 datafields on the right. Note they vary depending whether you are following a route or not.

You can shut down foursquare if you don't like it by deselecting it in Map & Vehicles, myMaps as the data is in a separate map file.

--
Where there's a will ... there's a way ... DriveSmart51LMT-S, DriveSmart50LMT-D, Nuvi 2508LMT-D, 1490LMT, 1310, Montana 650T, Etrex 20

Foursquare

This is the kind of stuff a phone is for, and can't imagine why I'd want it on my GPS. I don't use the app, as Apple/Google/Yelp, etc. all give me everything I need in terms of finding businesses and reviews. Still, it's a personal choice thing.

Tried FourSquare...

...Didn't like it. Seems to be out of date on a lot of the locations. Plus, people put their own addresses in FourSquare. Doesn't really make sense to me, but maybe I'm an old codger. rolleyes

--
With God, all things are possible. ——State motto of the Great State of Ohio

Tnx!...

Appreciate the response. I'll let you know if it works soon...

Not everyone has a smart phone

Foursquare is a reasonable source of information for those that do not have a smart phone. Actually, the whole Garmin GPS thing is pretty well obsolete for those that have smart phones.

--
Lives in Edmonton AB A volunteer driver for Drive Happiness.ca and now (since June 20 2021) uses a DS65 to find his clients.

Hmmm ...

I have a smart phone but there's no way it's a replacement for my Garmin, at least not the way I use mine wink

--
Where there's a will ... there's a way ... DriveSmart51LMT-S, DriveSmart50LMT-D, Nuvi 2508LMT-D, 1490LMT, 1310, Montana 650T, Etrex 20

I have noticed that new

I have noticed that new places or businesses which were not included in Garmin database show up via Foursquare when you search them in Nuvi. For example, Toronto got subway line extension, when I search these new subway stations, they show up from Foursquare search automatically.
So my experience is that Foursquare always keep updating their database and it helps to search new business as your destination.

--
Iphone XR, Drivesmart 61,Nuvicam, Nuvi3597

GPS units stuck on windshields are becoming rare

Ralph6410 wrote:

Foursquare is a reasonable source of information for those that do not have a smart phone. Actually, the whole Garmin GPS thing is pretty well obsolete for those that have smart phones.

Agree. Once upon a time, not all that long ago, you would see a significant number of vehicles with a GPS units suctioned-cupped to the windshields. Nowadays that is definitely not the case, as most people have advanced to built-in GPSs in their vehicles or are using their smart phones. The folks that continue to use a GPS device tend to be older and less likely to keep up with the times and change as conditions change. GPS units stuck on windshields are becoming rare and represent a small percentage compared to its peak popularity.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

Stand alone GPS devices like

Stand alone GPS devices like Garmin are very superior to display lane guidance and junction views in big cities but they are inferior in live traffic updates compare to Waze etc.
I still love my Garmins in big cities to display junctions views and lane guidance which helps big time when you are driving in big cities.

--
Iphone XR, Drivesmart 61,Nuvicam, Nuvi3597

Well ...

In Europe traffic updates over digital traffic are excellent. My Garmin is far better than my smartphone and enables me to do better trip planning. You can keep your smart phone wink

--
Where there's a will ... there's a way ... DriveSmart51LMT-S, DriveSmart50LMT-D, Nuvi 2508LMT-D, 1490LMT, 1310, Montana 650T, Etrex 20

Not using it

Tried it for a bit, but found that it wasn't for me.

agreed

sussamb wrote:

In Europe traffic updates over digital traffic are excellent. My Garmin is far better than my smartphone and enables me to do better trip planning. You can keep your smart phone wink

sussamb wrote:

I have a smart phone but there's no way it's a replacement for my Garmin, at least not the way I use mine wink

I agree, plus I travel in spots where cell services drops and the GPS still goes on directing the way.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

.

Ralph6410 wrote:

Actually, the whole Garmin GPS thing is pretty well obsolete for those that have smart phones.

Nope. While I am older, I am technically literate. I've owned 8 smartphones, and my current units are the Essential phone, and a Pixel XL for a backup.

I use Google Maps, and HERE on my devices, but, the Garmin is still superior in many ways.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

Trip Advisor

When we're on the road and looking for a good place to stop and have lunch or dinner, we've found Trip Advisor be be helpful but that app doesn't interface with my 3597, but I believe it does on later units. The bottom line is that I've found no practical use for Foursquare at all and wish that "G" would update the software that interfaces with Garmin Smart Link to include Trip Advisor for my model.

--
"There's no substitute for local knowledge" nüvi 750, nüvi 3597

Foursquare

have not found it useful, so I basically ignore it.

--
___________________ Garmin 2455, 855, Oregon 550t

"Stand alone GPS devices

"Stand alone GPS devices like Garmin are very superior to display lane guidance and junction views in big cities but they are inferior in live traffic updates compare to Waze etc.
I still love my Garmins in big cities to display junctions views and lane guidance which helps big time when you are driving in big cities."

You're right but the kids these days like everything on their smart phone and want all apps free or, if they're 99¢ then the app had better do everything for them.

Re: FourSquare:
I really wish there were an option in my 61 LMT-S to turn it off. It doesn't really add anything but clutter. If it were something like Yelp! I'd be more into it but, at the same time, I'd prefer a way to turn off the extra services.

The whole, "Hey everyone! Look where I'm at/have been! Here's a picture of my food on Instagram!"-deal doesn't appeal to me. My daughter does it. Can't eat a meal without posting a picture. I don't get it. Who wants to see what she's eaten today?

Foursquare

The only Foursquare that interests me is the wonderful Foursquare Rum made in Barbados. Much better than some stupid "Hey look at me! I was here!" app.

--
GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S

Thanks!

sussamb wrote:

You can shut down foursquare if you don't like it by deselecting it in Map & Vehicles, myMaps as the data is in a separate map file.

Thanks! Very useful!

Over 100 million drivers use WAZE

rookie8155 wrote:

Stand alone GPS devices like Garmin are very superior to display lane guidance and junction views in big cities but they are inferior in live traffic updates compare to Waze etc.

I still love my Garmins in big cities to display junctions views and lane guidance which helps big time when you are driving in big cities.

I think built-in GPSs are excellent at displaying lane guidance and junction views. I don't see where Garmin is superior at all in that department.

Speaking of WAZE, over 100 million drivers use WAZE.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

I like the stand alone..

Never had a vehicle with built in GPS's but any I have looked at require looking down to see the display. I much prefer the option to put my stand alone GPS where I can see it (on dash, next to left side pillar) easily and yet not have it limit my view.

AND.. from what I understand.. it costs a lot to upgrade the maps on those built in models.

--
Lives in Edmonton AB A volunteer driver for Drive Happiness.ca and now (since June 20 2021) uses a DS65 to find his clients.

That's the killer

Ralph6410 wrote:

...
AND.. from what I understand.. it costs a lot to upgrade the maps on those built in models.

That's the killer for frugal me even though I'd love the loss of mounts and cables.

12.3" GPS Display Screen

Ralph6410 wrote:

Never had a vehicle with built in GPS's but any I have looked at require looking down to see the display. I much prefer the option to put my stand alone GPS where I can see it (on dash, next to left side pillar) easily and yet not have it limit my view.

AND.. from what I understand.. it costs a lot to upgrade the maps on those built in models.

12.3" GPS Display Screen on one of my vehicles. The other vehicles are similar.

https://www.lexus.com/cm-img/features/2018/GS/Lexus-GS-12-3-...

The cost to upgrade is actually very little when compared to what most people pay for their wireless plan and smart phone. Of course some people are so frugal they aren't interested in changing with the times.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

On the built-in models, and

On the built-in models, and this differs by manufacturer, I think $200 is the low end and $400 is the high end for a map update.. Because you have to pay a technician to insert a new SD card..

The aftermarket head-units aren't any better. My old Kenwood (granted, this is 10 years ago) required a $100/year update.

The current Garmin line makes a lot of sense with lifetime maps but all of this is why people use their phones and Google Maps.

Also note that the OEM GPS interface is both limited (the ones I've seen have a crappy interface) and locked down (wired so that you can't do much while the car is moving).

I still think Garmin has the most polished interface if they can just not dumb it down on some models (there were some nüvis that were significantly dumbed down, in my opinion because, back then, Garmin was trying to have all kinds of different tiers of options). The Garmin N. America app was probably along the lines of the most dumbed down but, still, it's interface was better than any other GPS interface on the phone.

Well

koot wrote:

12.3" GPS Display Screen on one of my vehicles. The other vehicles are similar.

https://www.lexus.com/cm-img/features/2018/GS/Lexus-GS-12-3-...

Hard to tell from your image but looking down to see a route or what street is coming up next is more distracting than looking at a GPS that is in line with your line of sight.

--
Lives in Edmonton AB A volunteer driver for Drive Happiness.ca and now (since June 20 2021) uses a DS65 to find his clients.

far less downward than when viewing the speedometer

Ralph6410 wrote:
koot wrote:

12.3" GPS Display Screen on one of my vehicles. The other vehicles are similar.

https://www.lexus.com/cm-img/features/2018/GS/Lexus-GS-12-3-...

Hard to tell from your image but looking down to see a route or what street is coming up next is more distracting than looking at a GPS that is in line with your line of sight.

The huge 12.3" screen is about even with the top of the steering wheel, so you are just barely looking downward in this car - far less downward than when viewing the speedometer for example. The size alone of the built-in screen makes it a whole lot easier to focus quickly on route/street compared to looking at a little Garmin screen.

Of course I have used both a Garmin and built-ins and there is really no comparison to how much easier the Lexus 12.3" screen is to quickly view compared to GPS devices with their small screens stuck to the windshield with a cable dangling from it. In fact, there is no comparison, in my opinion, how much easier all built-ins are to view when compared portable GPS units.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

Well ...

I've had a built in. It was useless compared to my Garmin. In any case I couldn't transfer routes planned on my PC to it so it simply didn't meet my needs even if it had been brilliant.

--
Where there's a will ... there's a way ... DriveSmart51LMT-S, DriveSmart50LMT-D, Nuvi 2508LMT-D, 1490LMT, 1310, Montana 650T, Etrex 20

Built-in was useless! Really?

sussamb wrote:

I've had a built in. It was useless compared to my Garmin. In any case I couldn't transfer routes planned on my PC to it so it simply didn't meet my needs even if it had been brilliant.

Built-in was useless! Really? I strongly rather doubt that - otherwise we would see Garmin GPSs in a significant number of vehicles - something we absolutely do not see.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

Well ...

koot wrote:
sussamb wrote:

I've had a built in. It was useless compared to my Garmin. In any case I couldn't transfer routes planned on my PC to it so it simply didn't meet my needs even if it had been brilliant.

Built-in was useless! Really? I strongly rather doubt that - otherwise we would see Garmin GPSs in a significant number of vehicles - something we absolutely do not see.

I have a built-in in my Jeep, I use a DriveSmart 61 in my work truck. The 61 is much much better (feature wise) even though my built-in is a Garmin based unit, but the built-in is far from useless.

There are many times where I would not have "set-up" my stand alone GPS where the quick push of a button on my built-in can get me around an unexpected detour. There are lots of places I know my way through but not the surrounding streets, the built-in is great for that.

Also, while it may take a little extra time to do, I can program "via" points between my start and finish locations on the built-in.

CraigW wrote:
Ralph6410 wrote:

...
AND.. from what I understand.. it costs a lot to upgrade the maps on those built in models.

That's the killer for frugal me even though I'd love the loss of mounts and cables.

Cost for the Garmin based in my Jeep is $149 a year. That does hurt and I've only paid it once since I bought my Jeep in 2013. On top of that the map set was a couple years behind the stand alone map sets. Doubt I'll pay for another. My area is pretty much built up as much as it can be so I doubt I'm missing much that I would use, and I normally have my 61 in a bag if I really needed it.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

Keep both but still use Garmin as main GPS

I do have 12 inches as yours but never use it, even the map is the newest of 2019 because:
- You need to look down, even the speed limit is very low corner left, if you do have speed display on the windshield, good luck, it's only good for night time, daily yes and no to see it, especially you car climb to the hill and light direct to your windshield.
- Very slow to use system, instead of touch from Garmin
- Don't have good traffic, even you pay for it, the best traffic until now I use is Waze and use it on display 12 inches via Apple play. That's terrific But you need to pay data. So alternative, Garmin have inconsistent traffic, not all areas having traffic, and recently traffic data from garmin is FAKE, not useable, especially on highway i87 or i93, it says there's whole very red traffic, I did decide to go ahead, none so far, zero traffic at all, even it shows very red.
- Never try it, but it seems cannot use or add any POI, so if you want to use poi factory camera, sorry, cannot, while garmin just import it easily. As other member mentioned, you cannot import route into 12 inches. POI with factory even new map of 2019 still very limited.
- etc.. many things don't have enough time to tell, but Garmin still the best option now without data, except don't have Apple play or video out to 12 inches, if that so, that's better.

koot wrote:
Ralph6410 wrote:
koot wrote:

12.3" GPS Display Screen on one of my vehicles. The other vehicles are similar.

https://www.lexus.com/cm-img/features/2018/GS/Lexus-GS-12-3-...

Hard to tell from your image but looking down to see a route or what street is coming up next is more distracting than looking at a GPS that is in line with your line of sight.

The huge 12.3" screen is about even with the top of the steering wheel, so you are just barely looking downward in this car - far less downward than when viewing the speedometer for example. The size alone of the built-in screen makes it a whole lot easier to focus quickly on route/street compared to looking at a little Garmin screen.

Of course I have used both a Garmin and built-ins and there is really no comparison to how much easier the Lexus 12.3" screen is to quickly view compared to GPS devices with their small screens stuck to the windshield with a cable dangling from it. In fact, there is no comparison, in my opinion, how much easier all built-ins are to view when compared portable GPS units.

Recent FourSquare versions

Recent FourSquare versions are better today than they were before...

If I don't know the address, I'll use FourSquare as a search for address first, with phone as a backup..
$.02

I use my 2689LMT as Only GPS.... The GPS in 2011 Escape, even when new, was woefully inadequate compared to Garmin 2689LMT...

And If I had updated it.... I'd be $800 Lighter, even with the free shipping they offered at the time!!!

--
A 2689LMT in both our cars that we love... and a Nuvi 660 with Lifetime Maps that we have had literally forever.... And a 2011 Ford Escape with Nav System that is totally ignored!