Posted on August 20, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

7 Location Based Apps for Finding Local Businesses – Guest Post by James Adams

Guest Post from August 16th by: James Adams is a tech analyst who works at an ink supplies store based in England where he covers the latest news in tech, writes reviews of items such as the Epson T0715 and, when he finds the time, posts about design and the media on their blog.

If you want to find that perfect place, you don’t need to look any further than your iPhone. There are many location based applications which will help you to find the best nightclubs, bars and restaurants right in your home town. Here are ten of the best applications to help you discover the treasures in your own neighborhood.

1. Foursquare [iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm. Price: Free]

Foursquare is a social networking game which lets you use your neighborhood as the playing field. Compete to be Mayor, earn some badges and learn about some of the hidden jewels of your city with Foursquare. Create your profile and let the world know about the best bagel shops in the city. Some businesses are catching Foursquare fever and offer discounts to their Foursquare patrons.

2. Urbanspoon [iPhone, iPad, Android. Price: Free]

Take your love of great food to the streets with the Urbanspoon application. You have a wide variety of cities from which to choose. You have the best places to eat, coupons and variety at your fingertips when you download the Urbanspoon application. Looking for that great Ethiopian restaurant? Urbanspoon has it.

3. Loopt [iPhone. Price: Free]

Leave your mark on the city’s best venues with Loopt. You can get real world rewards like free music and special offers when you use Loopt. You can also receive Zagat ratings and share updates with your friends about new places that you discover. You can sign in and chat with your friends and neighbors.

4. Gowalla [iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm. Price: Free]

This is another great location based social networking tool. Tell people about the new bookstore that you discovered behind the auto parts place. Rave about the fried cheese platter that you found at that hole in the wall Greek place last week. Add the places that you want, let your friends explore the best that your city has to offer.

5. Where [iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm. Price: Free]

With the Where app, you can find Yellow Pages information, movie show times and news headlines. You can discover more about the traffic and the weather that is affecting your area. You have access to other information like gas prices and Zip car locations. This application is great for people who need information while they are traveling.

6. BrightKite [iPhone, Android, Palm, Nokia Blackberry. Price: Free]

Learn about all of the happenings and keep up with your friends using BrightKite. You can coordinate your posts with your Twitter feeds. You have a great opportunity to talk with different people who are on the network. You get to create a customized network which lets you in on all of the great places in the area.

7. Whrrl [iPhone. Price: Free]

You can do many things on Whrrl. Their goal is to remove any barriers between you and the physical world. You recommend activities and places to go. You are also responsible for creating societies which are devoted to various endeavors. If you do not see one, create your own. You can create your stories and connect your cameras on Whrrl.

Find new friends and learn about your local world through these mobile device applications. Put one on your phone and see how well it works. You might just find a new business to frequent.

James Adams is a tech analyst who works at an ink supplies store based in England where he covers the latest news in tech, writes reviews of items such as the Epson T0715 and, when he finds the time, posts about design and the media on their blog.

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