Foursquare 3.0 and Gowalla 3.0 set the next stage for the recommendation industry

Both Foursquare 3.0 and Gowalla 3.0 are just released.  Below are some highlights of the additions/changes.

Foursquare 3.0 - http://foursquare.com/sxsw/

• Places Recommendation for shop, food, nightlife, coffee
• Locating merchant deals nearby
• Partnership with American Express that offers cardholders automatic savings when they swipe their cards at 60 participating merchants in the Austin, Texas area

Gowalla 3.0  for Android - http://blog.gowalla.com/post/3703511661/gowalla-3-for-android

• new passport view - lets you know where you last checked in and even reminds you to check-in if it has been a while
• and action bar - check-in quickly or to refresh the screen
• can quickly turn on and off sharing with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr
• checking-in with photos and comments is now a one-stop shop
• push notifications for Android 2.2 and above

It is important to note that the "recommendation" industry is certainty a big one.  Friends' recommendation on where to go, what to eat, what to do on the location social networks keep users motivated and entertained.

Secondly, following Groupon and LivingSocial's big success in 2010, a lot of social networks are now offering location-based deals to users.  Giving a lunch discount for a group of friends checking into a restaurant or planning to go to a restaurant just makes business sense.