iOS Foursquare API

[KimGysen]

We thought out a concept for a mobile app that allows:

- To create bar/restaurant/event profiles (we want to define them ourselves) by owners;
- Make these profiles accessible to users via Nearby Places (possible to link?);
- Check In, via the profile
- See how many people are checked in into the place, male/female according to the user profile.

Is this achievable via the Foursquare API?

If not, can it be done in another way? I also don't understand very well why I read everywhere that finding or checking in into places via GeoLocation is patented, but at the same time it seems freely available and everyone seems to use it (?).

 

[waterskier2007]

I suppose you could use the foursquare API to actually get a list of places, but everything beyond that you would have to do yourself. My one question is, outside of the "events" idea and the male/female ratio, how is this any different than foursquare.

I am not saying that similar ideas cannot compete and both exist, but it just doesn't seem to add much functionality

 

[KimGysen]

What we would like to do, a few examples of rich profiles:
- See the hottest bars around (most people checked in);
- See if there's anything to do around wherever you are, whether in bar or regular events;
- Digital menu cards for bars / restaurants (incl.general profile with stars etc..., obviously);
- Special promotions can be posted directly by bar owners (it's interactive) and searched by users;
- Chatroom is embedded in bar / event profiles (want to know about local atmosphere?) - you can give trust points to friends;
A real-time wall should be there in the final version with real-time updates of pictures or webcam for parties (but not in beta probably).
Nearby people will also be a part in the final version.
etcetera...
We want to start local in target cities, but detailed and worked out; not a large database and more limited information like Foursquare does now.
It leaves opening to future systems, such as embedded order app and/ or taxi app.
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The "nearby" functionality is for us so important. If we cannot do it via the Foursquare API, then people can only browse extended profiles, but they cannot see what's nearby (which wouldn't make sense). I read dubious things about patent wars, but we really want to do this thing, as we believe that it is truly useful.
I hope that we are able to do this using the Foursquare API and therefore are allowed to use their functionality in exchange for come attribution! It doesn't exist like we have it in mind, and we would be extremely dissappointed if we could not work this out after defining a really useful scope.