location based social media

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• 5 things you need to know about LBS
• What are LBS?

I think the easiest thing to recognize with location based services (LBS) is the huge marketing opportunity. "For the same reason radio is a great advertising channel for retailers, LBS advertising is also valuable: because it can reach the consumer near the point of sale."(Via article 1)

However, I am really glad that the first article points out the battery life issue. My biggest personal issue with location based anything is that my GPS kills my phone battery. As the article points out, Foursquare has done well in setting up their "check-in" feature so that you don't have to run the battery-sucking GPS all the time. 

The second article addresses safety concerns. The author suggests three options for staying safe on LBS.

1.  If you're worried about your safety, don't check in. Maybe LBS aren't for you.
2. Share with trusted friends only. 
3. Only check in as you're leaving a location.