Updated iPhone apps that take advantage of all that iOS 4 offers are coming in hot and heavy, and one standout difference in most is the ability to leverage multi-tasking to the user’s advantage.
Loopt’s forthcoming updated iOS 4 app does just that, but for check-in functionality. The location-based service is adding background processing that allows users to check-in automatically, without having to dive directly into the app. In addition, version 3.0 will allow deeper integration with Facebook to leverage its massive social graph. This combined with background automatic check-ins will make Loopt an LBS app to be reckoned with, though all the others will surely follow suit just as quickly.
“The ability to run location-based apps in the background makes serendipity happen. With the new capabilities provided by iOS 4, users will be able to share their location and receive alerts on the phone in their pocket when they’re near a friend. This sort of accidental discovery just wasn’t possible with a check In-only approach to location sharing,” said Sam Altman, CEO of Loopt, in a prepared statement. “We will be able to bring the full Loopt experience to our users, allowing them to find friends with a single click or instantly discover interesting events nearby in a way that is fully controlled, adjustable and above all privacy-conscious.”