WebProNews

Tag: Updates

  • Linux Mint May Resort to Windows 10-Style Forced Updates

    Linux Mint May Resort to Windows 10-Style Forced Updates

    Linux Mint is considering measures to keep users up-to-date, including Windows 10-style forced updates.

    Linux Mint is a popular, community-driven distribution (distro) based on Ubuntu. Unfortunately, like users of other operating systems (OS), many Linux Mint users are slow to update, both applications and the OS itself.

    In a blog post detailing the problem, the Linux Mint teams notes that only 30% of users updated to the latest version of their web browser in less than a week. Similarly, while acknowledging it is hard to get an exact figure, between 5% and 30% of users are running Linux 17.x.

    0% of users should run Linux Mint 17.x! Anything above is not good, whether it’s 5% or 30%.

    Linux Mint 17.x reached EOL (End-Of-Life) in April 2019. In other words it stopped receiving security updates for almost 2 years now!

    In another blog post, posted Sunday, the Linux Mint team discusses some of the options on the table, including forced updates.

    In some cases the Update Manager will be able to remind you to apply updates. In a few of them it might even insist. We don’t want it to be dumb and get in your way though. It’s here to help. If you are handling things your way, it will detect smart patterns and usages. It will also be configurable and let you change the way it’s set up.

    It remains to be seen how the community will respond. Forced updates have been one of Windows 10’s most unpopular features. The Linux Mint team may be playing with fire venturing into forced update territory.

  • Instagram, No Longer Square, Lets You Post Landscape and Portrait Photos

    Instagram, No Longer Square, Lets You Post Landscape and Portrait Photos

    Instagram photos are square. That’s just how Instagram has always been. Has it been annoying for many users? Absolutely. If you want to share a wider or taller photo on Instagram, often the only option is to create a letterbox image in a third-party app. It isn’t ideal, but it’s what people have to do to make sure the entirety of their photos are seen.

    Well, not anymore. Now, in it’s about damn time news, Instagram is going to support landscape and portrait photos.

    “Square format has been and always will be part of who we are. That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to,” says Instagram. “It turns out that nearly one in five photos or videos people post aren’t in the square format, and we know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram: friends get cut out of group shots, the subject of your video feels cramped and you can’t capture the Golden Gate Bridge from end to end.”

    Both photos and videos can now be oriented to landscape, portrait, or regular old square mode. No letterbox borders – just full-sized end-to-end photos.

    Yes, this will change the overall look of your Instagram feed. If you’re a square purist, well, get on with the times, man.

    Today’s update also adds the ability to adjust the intensity of video filters, and normalizes all filters for both photos and videos.

  • Snapchat’s New Update Could Help You Save Data

    Snapchat has been known to gobble up data now and then – especially since the introduction its discovery feature earlier this year.

    But a new update could help with that.

    The company has added a new feature to the app called ‘Travel Mode’. When enabled, Travel Mode disables auto-loading of content when you’re using cellular data. When you have Travel Mode on, you have to tap to load your snaps.

    So, you’re trading the convenience of quick, auto-loaded snaps for the piece of mind that you’re not blowing past your data allowance.

    The update for iOS and Android also allows users to stick emoji all over the place. People are already having fun with this, as you can see:

    Finally, as The Verge noticed, users can now export their custom Snapcodes as video files.

    But for Snapchat users, Travel Mode is the big ticket update here. For heavy users, it could be a lifesaver.

  • Instagram Lets You Use Emoji in Hashtags, Adds Filters

    Instagram says it plans to start putting out new filters more often. Today, it’s starting with three.

    Download the latest update to access the new Lark, Reyes, and Juno filters.

    Here’s what those new filters do, according to Instagram:

    Inspired by weekend adventures outdoors, Lark, Reyes and Juno are a family of modern, subtle filters that brighten and enhance your photos in refined, beautiful ways. Lark desaturates reds while punching up blues and greens to bring your landscapes to life. Reyes brings a dusty, vintage look to your moments. And finally, Juno tints cool tones green while making warm tones pop and whites glow for vibrant photos of people.

    More interesting, however, is the news that you can now use emoji in hashtags.

    Yes, you can now search through all the posts on Instagram with the poop emoji hashtag. This ought to be interesting.

    ” Over the past few years, emoji have become part of a universal visual language. And just as we share photos and videos, we use emoji to communicate emotions and feelings in ways that anyone can understand, regardless of language or background,” says Instagram.

    Finally, you’ll also notice that the “Like” and “comment” buttons have been replaced with more minimalist heart and dialogue bubble buttons.

  • Twitter Kills Discover Tab, Adds Context to Trends

    Twitter Kills Discover Tab, Adds Context to Trends

    Your Twitter app just got a shakeup, as the company has decided to retire the #discover and Activity tabs on both its iOS and Android apps. According to Twitter, the reasoning is that it’s been working to put more content in the main timeline, which is most certainly true.

    That means trends have to go somewhere, since they previously resided on the #discover page. Now, you can access trending topics by tapping the search icon.

    Twitter is also providing more context to trends, since there’s a good chance you’ll often have no idea what people are talking about. #OneDZayn? Huh?

    From Twitter:

    “We know that trends aren’t always self-explanatory, so now you’ll see a description below each trend. Since trends tend to be abbreviations without context, like #NYFW, a description will make it clear that this trend is about New York Fashion Week. The new trends experience may also include how many Tweets have been sent and whether a topic is trending up or down.”

    This is currently only happening for US users with taoilered trends enabled on iOS and Android. Twitter says its “experimenting with similar features” on the web and also plans on pushing this internationally soon.

  • Apple Watch App Part of iOS 8.2 Update, Is Not Deletable, Will Get Stuck in That Folder (You Know the One)

    iOS 8.2, now available to download, “introduces support for Apple Watch, and also includes improvements to the Health app, increased stability, and bug fixes. It also introduces one more pain-in-the-ass undeletable app.

    If you update your iOS right now, you’re going to be stuck with a new Apple Watch app that you cannot delete – just like newsstand, passbook, and various other forced apps. The Apple Watch is not even out yet. You don’t even want an Apple Watch. Too bad, you now have the app.

    Comparisons to Apple’s last device coup are already coming in:

    The good news is that you already have a folder for this. Most iPhone owners do.

  • Instagram Videos Now Loop Continuously

    Instagram Videos Now Loop Continuously

    There’s a new version of Instagram out, and with it comes a small but important change to videos.

    Videos on instagram will now auto-replay in your feeds. According to Instagram, this will not affect how much data the app uses.

    Vine has been doing this since the beginning, and the constant looping is part of the app’s appeal. Case in point:

    Apart from making it easier for users to rewatch videos, why would Instagram make this change?

    Advertising, of course. It’s not just your buddy’s videos that will now loop on an endless repeat if left to do so, it’s also the video from major brands.

    Instant replay of that interception:

    A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on

  • Instagram Adds a Handful of New Filters

    Instagram has launched an app update today, and it brings with it five new filters which the company describes as its “best yet”.

    Joining the filter lineup today are Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua, which “soften and subtly shift colors”.

    The last time Instagram added new filters was way back in December of 2012, alongside a major update to the app’s camera.

    “In December 2012, we added Mayfair and Willow to the Instagram filter family—and a lot has happened in the last two years. Photography trends have evolved, and the capabilities of the camera on your phone have vastly improved. We’ve seen tremendous creativity within the community, not only in the moments they share, but in the time spent carefully composing and editing photos and videos to bring out emotions and make them beautiful,” says the company.

    New filters aren’t the only changes to Instagram. Instagram is also making some changes to how you preview and organize those filters.

    “To make it easier to choose between filters, we’ve updated how they’re displayed. When you go to apply a filter to your photo, each filter icon on the bottom now displays a blurred preview of your photo with its effect applied. This lets you see at a glance how your photo will appear with each filter applied.

    Finally, we know that everyone has their favorite filters. We want to keep things simple as we add more, so we’ve added a new “Manage” button at the end of your filter tray. Tap it to re-arrange the order of your filters and hide the ones you rarely use.”

    Also, Instagram is adding slo-mo video uploading and real-time commenting.

    It’s a pretty big update, and you can grab is now on both iOS and Android.

    Image via Instagram

  • Twitter Changes Its Font, Makes Other Updates

    Twitter has just announced a few changes to twitter.com, most notably a revert back to its old font after a brief stint trying out a new one.

    At the end of May, Twitter quietly changed the font on Twitter.com from the ubiquitous Helvetica Neue to Gotham. The change resulted in some backlash, as evidenced by many of the replies to this Twitter Support tweet.

    Apparently, the experiment didn’t pan out, so Twitter is going back to Helvetica for “speed and readability”:

    Twitter has also given users some new profile colors and added a prominent “tweet to” button on user profiles, making it easier to tweet directly at other users.

    While these changes will be met with little to no friction, Twitter is currently facing a mini backlash over its decision to start showing favorites and other activity in users’ timelines. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo moved to assuage any concerns by saying that Twitter will only show this ‘extra’ content when Twitter doesn’t have anything better to show.

  • Spotify Adds an Equalizer in Latest iOS Update

    Spotify has just updated its iOS app, and whadda ya know – there’s an equalizer now.

    Sprung out of strong support for the idea in Spotify’s community ideas pages, the new equalizer appears in the playback settings inside your app.

    It’s a pretty basic equalizer, but still allows users a good amount of control over their playback. You can adjust each level manually, or select from 22 pre-determined settings like ‘Rock’, ‘Bass booster’ and ‘Electronic’.

    As far as other platforms go, Spotify already has a native equalizer to be found in its Android app’s ‘Audio Effects’ settings. Looking to a broader implementation, you’re just going to have to drum up enough interest for it:

    It seems odd that Spotify for iOS went this long without an equalizer, but when you think about it, you just don’t see equalizers as often in modern streaming apps as you did in programs, let’s say, a decade ago. We wholeheartedly welcome an old-school equalizer.

    Spotify via The Next Web
    Image via Spotify, Twitter

  • Check-in Out: Foursquare Officially Kills Check-ins

    Just a few hours after touting Swarm’s success in becoming users’ go-to place for check-ins, Foursquare has announced that starting tomorrow, all check-ins will be moving to that app. For the first time since its launch in 2009, you won’t be able to check in using Foursquare.

    Back in May, Foursquare decided that to survive and flourish, they were going to have to split apart. The company announced the launch of a new app called Swarm, one that would be tailored to handle the checking in aspect of the service – while transitioning the main Foursquare app into one entirely focused on local search.

    But up until now (tomorrow), check-ins have still worked on Foursquare, and any check-in made on Swarm automatically shows up on the main Foursquare app. Foursquare has always made it clear that Swarm would be the place for check-ins, and now they’re making good on that promise – like it or not.

    “Starting tomorrow, we’re moving all check-ins to our new app, Swarm. Don’t worry; all your past check-ins, all your friends, all your photos, they’re all automatically in Swarm. For everyone still using Foursquare to check in, you’ll need to download Swarm to keep checking in,” says the company.

    If you look above, the left-hand view is a Foursquare venue page for someone who doesn’t use Swarm. As you can see, there’s no check-in button. On the right, however, there’s a Swarm-powered check-in button. If you have downloaded and signed up for Swarm, that’s the venue page you’ll see on the Foursquare app. So yes, you can technically check-in from the main Foursquare app, but not on it.

    As for the new Foursquare we’ve been promised – well, it’s coming soon. Foursquare says a couple of weeks, to be not-that-precise. What we do get today is a brand new logo. At least is doesn’t look like balls.

    Foursquare echoes the same kind of constantly-touted benefits of personalized recommendations (It doesn’t get you, and, as a result, everyone gets the same one-size-fits-all results. Why should two very different people get the same recommendations when they visit Paris?). Few people would argue that notion. The question is – can Foursquare deliver on bettering local search?

    “This is the beginning of the ‘personalized local search’ future we’ve been talking about since we started Foursquare. It’s been built with the help of our amazing 50,000,000-strong community, with all your tips, check-ins, photos, and the smarts we layered on top of that. Those of you have been with us since the beginning, your check-ins and history will continue to help shape your recommendations. For those of you giving us a try for the first time – you still get all the benefits of a better way to explore any neighborhood, no check-ins required,” says Foursquare.

    More like no check-ins allowed. If you’re on the fence about Swarm, I will tell you that there is a pretty killer unicorn rainbow sticker over there.

    Images via Foursquare Blog

  • Instagram Update Brings Ten New Editing Tools, Like the Ability to Adjust Filter Strength

    Instagram has always been about the filters. The ability to alter a photo with one simple click and make it look a million times better is one of the main reason people use the app. Sure, it’s now a busting community of users that care about it as a pure social network–but in order for it all to work, amateur smartphone photographers have to be able to slap on a filter in order to make the experience work.

    Today, Instagram launched version 6.0 for both iOS and Android, and it comes with a new suite of creative tools to make your photos look even better with minimal effort.

    Yes, it’s all about the filters–but sometimes those filters can be just a little too much. Instagram now allows you to adjust how much of any single filter you apply to your photos–just double tap the filter icon.

    Alongside the ability to choose your filter strength, Instagram has rolled out nine other photo-editing tools with version 6.0:

    Adjust, crop and straighten your photo at the same time; Brightness, make your photo brighter or darker; Contrast, make the bright areas of your photo brighter, and the dark areas darker; Warmth, shift the colors of your photo towards either warmer orange tones or cooler blue tones; Saturation, increase or decrease the color intensity of the image (e.g. red becomes redder); Highlights, adjust the brightness focusing on the bright areas of the image; Shadows, adjust the brightness focusing on the dark areas of the image; Vignette, darken the edges of the photo and direct the attention away from the edges towards the center of the photo; and Sharpen, add a subtle crispness to your photo and make photo clearer

    All of these rest behind a new wrench icon on the photo editing page.

    “You take a photo to capture a moment, but often what you see in the photograph doesn’t feel the same as what you remember. From brightening up a photo of your dinner party to better capturing the warmth of a sunset portrait, these new creative tools help you bring out and share the beauty of the moment as you remember it—right inside the same simple Instagram you already know,” says Instagram.

    Image via Instagram

  • Instagram Likes Will No Longer Be (Embarrassingly) Shared to Facebook

    Here’s an example of how a single social networking action can produce drastically different results on two different social networks.

    Imagine you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and you come across a photo of your friend on the beach. Aw, she deserves a beach vacation, she’s been working so hard lately! So, you double tap and like her photo on Instagram. Your like is lost in a sea of other likes.

    Well, let’s say you had cross-posting to Facebook turned on for all your Instagram activity. Now, all of your Facebook friends and let’s face it, mostly acquaintances and even less, have a fresh, singular story in their news feeds about how you liked a photo of a tanned, buxom woman in a bikini.

    Awkward? No, and yes, depending on the network involved.

    This scenario, while common I’m sure over the past couple of years, will never happen again. Instagram’s new app update kills this link between Instagram activity and automatically sharing to Facebook.

    “Updated Facebook share settings: Continue sharing your Instagram photos and videos on Facebook. But Instagram likes and activity will no longer be shared on Facebook,” say the latest app update notes.

    So, your Facebook friends will no longer get the news that you just followed “CaliHOTbutts69” on Instagram.

    But you’ll still be able to share your Instagram photos directly to Facebook, if you’re so inclined.

    At first glance, it appears that Facebook (who owns Instagram) is doing something odd by removing a layer of seamless sharing, which is basically free (cross) promotion. But let’s face it–nobody really liked their likes and other random Instagram activity being directly ported to Facebook. It’s a dumb feature. Now, Instagram users are free to like as many photos as they please without the fear of looking like a weirdo stalker on Facebook. Sure, you could’ve turned off this feature manually, but judging by my Facebook feed, there were more than a few Instagram users who had no idea that their totally appropriate Instagram likes were popping up on the much less-appropriate Facebook news feed.

    Image via Jen Selter, Instagram

  • Snapchat Has to Be Thrilled with This Little Anecdote

    What’s so terrifying that it’ll make high-school students panic like they’re seven and someone just took away their recess?

    Apparently, it’s not a giant zit on prom night or the revelation of a secret burn book. It appears that the worst thing on planet Earth is one goshdarn moment without Snapchat.

    Kansas high-school teacher and possible Snapchat plant Tracie Schroeder says that she can’t remember anything disrupting her classroom more than the latest Snapchat update.

    What did Snapchat do? Well, yesterday, they finally fulfilled the promise of their name by adding a chat function to the primarily photo-based message service. Not only that, but they also added live face-to-face video chat. Apparently, it was so distracting, that Schroeder had to start taking phones away. And then things went south. Fast.

    As she tells Business Insider:

    Today was the first day in a long time I actually took phones away. I have no idea what all was included in the update, but you would have thought it was crack. They seriously could not keep away from it. I even had one girl crawl under the table with her phone.

    At that point I took all the phones away and we had a little reminder chat about when it was appropriate to use your phone and when it was not. Also that it was rarely appropriate to hide under the table.

    For quite awhile now, kids have had a real anxiety about being separated from their phone, but today it was near panic. I am hoping by tomorrow some of the novelty will have worn off and we can get back to business.

    Separation anxiety, it seems.

    Teens be lovin their Snapchat. And this little anecdote has to be sweet, ephemeral music to the company’s ears.

  • PS Vita To Receive Update 3.10 Today

    PS Vita To Receive Update 3.10 Today

    The PS Vita is turning into quite the handy portable games console. Even if you don’t use all the features on the device (like the email app), it’s still a daily companion for some of us. Now Sony is making it even better with a new firmware update.

    Sony announced today that the PS Vita firmware will be updated to version 3.10 today. The latest update will bring with it a number of new features, including an increase in the app limit. The increase should be especially helpful for those who have a large memory stick.

    Here’s the full list of updates:

  • You can now display up to 500 applications on the home screen.
  • A Calendar application has been added for PS Vita, allowing you to set up gaming events with your friends. Sync your Google calendar to have all your events with you on your PS Vita. You can also share your favorite events by using the Messages and Email applications.
  • A new “Manage Content on Memory Card” option has been added to the Content Manager application. You can now view the data on your memory card, making it easier than ever to manage content on your PS Vita. You can now view memory usage by content type, and delete content and applications.
  • You can now send and receive voice messages using the Messages application on PS Vita. Exchange voice messages with your friends and players on PS4 and PS Vita.

    • The new PS Vita update is pretty awesome, but what about that promised PS4 update? According to Sony, it’s coming soon. The update will add many of the media features that were missing at launch as well as the ability to turn off HDCP encryption for those who want to record gameplay through external capture devices. The next PS4 update might also include emulation support:

    For now, however, just look forward to being able to stuff over 100 applications onto your Vita.

    Image via PlayStation Blog

  • Instagram Says It’s Now Much Faster on Android

    Instagram for Android users are being treated with an app update today, one that the photo-sharing service claims will boost overall speed and simplify visuals that will benefit both smaller and larger devices.

    “Today, we’re excited to announce improvements to the way Instagram for Android looks and feels,” says the company in a blog post. “These changes mean a faster, more responsive app. Your profile screen now loads twice as fast, and we’ve cut the overall app size in half to increase speed throughout Instagram.”

    Other than the boost in speed, Instagram says you’ll notice a tweak in the UI as well.

    “By making our design cleaner, we’ve also made Instagram for Android easier to use. We’ve simplified our visuals throughout our app, making use of valuable screen space for small devices and feature phones and rearranging our design to keep buttons within easy reach as you navigate the app on a larger device.”

    This means that Instagram will look much better on less-sophisticated Android devices, which continue to dominate the market share in some countries across the globe.

    This is a pretty significant update to Instagram’s Android platform, even though it brings no new features to the app. By contrast, Instagram just made a small update to its iOS app that allows users to strengthen of soften their photos with a new Lux slider.

    You can grab the Android update right now on Google Play.

    Image via Instagram Blog

  • Microsoft to Beta Test Xbox One Party System Update

    Last week Microsoft rolled out its first major Xbox One update since the console’s launch. The update included near-essential features for the console’s OS that simply didn’t make it into the system by launch day, such as hard drive storage management and an on-screen battery indicator for controllers.

    Microsoft is promising an even more significant update will be coming on March 4, and now the company has announced that it will be beta testing the update on select Xbox One consoles. The company will be sending some Xbox Live subscribers a preview build of the update.

    The testing will begin next week, and Xbox Live subscribers chosen for the beta will receive a n invitation via an Xbox Live message. The message will contain a “token” needed to register to preview the update early. Microsoft is hoping that those gamers testing out the update will help out with feedback on the changes via a private forum set up for the test.

    The March update – the one previewed in this beta test – is meant to fix the Xbox One’s largely broken multiplayer party system. The update will bring changes to the console’s friends list and the specifics of party interaction. New multiplayer parties will have chat audio (which will be separated from in-game audio) turned on by default. Players will also be able to invite friends to multiplayer game sessions in any Xbox One multiplayer title following the update.

    The party system fix is coming just in time for Microsoft, rolling out exactly one week before the release of Titanfall. Microsoft is leaning heavily on Titanfall to drive sales of Xbox One consoles, which have begun to fall behind those of Sony’s PlayStation 4.

  • Microsoft Details Upcoming Xbox One Party System Update

    Today Microsoft’s Xbox One console is getting a large update, one of two coming within the next month. Today’s update includes support for storage management, allowing Xbox One owners to see and adjust exactly what is on their 500GB hard drive.

    The second update, coming on March 4, is set to fix the Xbox One party system. The feature set is one of the most important for the multiplayer games that are so popular on Xbox consoles, but has been a mess since the Xbox One launched back in November. Today Microsoft outlined its plans for the Xbox One party system, giving players a preview of what they can expect in the week leading up to the much-hyped launch of Titanfall.

    For the most part the updates to the party system will implement features that are already mainstays on the Xbox 360 console. In fact, some of the planned updates are simply baffling in their current absence.

    Party chat will now be separate from in-game chat and chat audio will be turned on by default when a party is created. A list of recent players will also be available, allowing Xbox One owners to see who they’ve played online with recently. The option to invite friends to a multiplayer session will, following the update, be an option to all Xbox One multiplayer titles.

    Changes will also be coming to Xbox One friends lists, which will now be located closer to the console’s home page. A console’s friends list will be accessible through the “social tile” on the Xbox One home page and the list will also be displayed prominently in the “Friends app.” Players will also, of course, be able to call up the list with a voice command (“Xbox, go to friends”).

    That Microsoft is bringing these significant updates just one week before the launch of Titanfall shows just how important Microsoft believes Titanfall is for the Xbox One’s success. With the title delayed to late March for the Xbox 360, a good showing on the Xbox One will be essential for Titanfall‘s success – and a working party system is a baseline for a good console multiplayer experience.

  • Xbox One System Update Coming February 11

    Microsoft today announced that the first major system update for the Xbox One since launch will be coming on February 11. Another large update will follow on March 4.

    The most important feature coming with the February 11 update is storage management. With launch Xbox One consoles having only a 500GB hard drive and game downloads larger than 40GB, it was inevitable that Microsoft would have to eventually pull back the curtain on its storage management and allow users some control.

    After the update, the Xbox One will surface just how much space content is using and allow users to manage their download queue. Apps and Games will have separate queues, allowing users to choose in which order they update. The console will also provide users with a visual indication of update download progress.

    Other features coming with the February update include the addition of a controller battery icon on the Xbox One home screen and support for USB keyboards. Microsoft also promises stability fixes, improvements to the Kinect’s voice recognition software, and other “surprises.”

    The March 4 update, according to Microsoft, will have the crucial changes that Xbox One owners have been begging for. That update will bring a fix for the console’s party and multiplayer systems – just in time for the launch of Titanfall. Microsoft is also promising other “features and improvements” for the March update.

  • Twitter Improves Search with New Filters

    Twitter Improves Search with New Filters

    It would be in Twitter’s best interest to become a true search destination – to have people check Twitter when they want to find photos, videos, and news on breaking topics. Search is just one arm of Twitter’s possible reach when it comes to being a true news distribution service. Simply scrolling up and down the timeline is the preferred method of use for most users, but every little thing the social network can do to improve search can only serve to make it more attractive.

    Enter a Twitter search update:

    Twitter has added a bunch of helpful filters to make wading through the vast waters of erroneous tweets a bit easier. Before, you could only narrow your search results to include people or photos only – but now you can refine your searches to pull tweets with videos or tweets with a newsy feel.

    Twitter has also added parameters to help you narrow down who you see in your search results – either all users or just people you follow, and either all users or only users in your area.

    Try it out – it looks like this one is a wide rollout. If you don’t yet see the new filters when you search, just give it time.

  • Foursquare Now Pushes Recommendations to All Users with 7.0 Update

    With the new 7.0 update, Foursquare is pushing recommendations to all iOS and Android users – even when they don’t have the app open. Now, when you arrive at a location (be that a specific city or state, or a specific venue), Foursquare will let you know what to eat, buy, see, and more.

    These real-time recommendations aren’t new – in fact, Foursquare has been testing them out for months. But this is the first time they’re bringing the feature to all users.

    “The idea behind Foursquare has always been that, someday, hundreds of millions of people will carry software in their pocket that lets them know when friends are nearby, when places they’ll love are around the corner, and whether nearby merchants can help them save money. This is the future we’re spending our days building,” said Foursquare when they first began to push these types of notifications to users.

    And with version 7.0, Foursquare has made good on this vision. Though the new app doesn’t make use of all the possible push notification scenarios that one could imagine, it makes use of the most popular and well-received type – the “once you arrive at a location” suggestion. It’s passive recommending, something that Foursquare has been talking about and experimenting with for years.

    With 7.0, Foursquare has also offered up a significant design change, as well as tweaks to help you better explore what’s around.

    “Foursquare has been completely redesigned for iOS 7 and there’s a lot to see. It’s smarter, faster, and has a whole new look,” says a post on the Foursquare blog. “We shuffle the deck every time you open the app so you don’t miss a thing. Just swipe to explore great tips, find money-saving specials near you, and check out the feed to see what your friends are up to tonight.”

    A couple of months ago, Foursquare touted that they now have well-over 40 million total users. Earlier this year, the company expanded their ad offerings by showing sponsored tips after check-ins and opening up self-service advertising to any and small businesses.

    You can download the new app on both iOS and Android today.

    Image via Foursquare Blog