In the last 48hrs Facebook has launched ‘Facebook Places’.
I have done some quick research on what has been said, there are mixed reviews but largely due to the privacy issues & Facebooks’s aggressive approach of always making these features ‘active by default’. However there is no doubt that this could become a massive game changer if even a ¼ of the 500 million Facebook users begin to utilize it.
I have included links and snippets of relevant articles below – failing that just Google ‘Facebook places’
Facebook launches "Places," geo-location service that's both cool and creepy
Facebook today is announcing a new feature, called Places, that allows users to share their locations with friends - and allows their friends to be updated in real-time.
The goal, of course, is to take the virtual relationships that we’ve recreated with old friends on Facebook and bring them into the physical world, too. And, if you really start to look beyond that, you can imagine the interaction you might have with local businesses who will know that you’re in the area - and might want to entice you into their businesses with a coupon or some other promotion.
Facebook Places takes aim at Google
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20014162-265.html
If Facebook Places catches on with the company's 500 million users, Facebook could be sitting on a gold mine of local business listings that advertisers and users will love and Google will hate.
Facebook Places is a similar idea with a social-media twist. Facebook users can "check in" to an existing list of nearby locations from their mobile phones or add new listings themselves, sharing that activity with their friends. But this isn't just about social butterflies: this feature will give Facebook a treasure trove of local business listings, the same prize that Google, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla, and others aiming for local advertising dollars are chasing.
Places - Who. What. When. And now Where.
http://www.facebook.com/places/
Facebook’s official places homepage – Worth having a look to understand how they are pitching this service.
How to Disable Facebook Places
http://lifehacker.com/5616395/how-to-disable-facebook-places
Of course there are a number of these tutorials popping up as well
