Weekly Digital Roundup (5.12.14)

Foursquare swarms digital industry headlines with the announcement of its new customer review app, and other updates from Google, Snapchat, and more. Without further ado, here’s what we found to be the biggest news, so you may comfortably remain snuggled under a rock.

Foursquare Swarm

Foursquare has plans to move its check-in features into a standalone app called Swarm. This comes in an effort to move the Foursquare app toward a recommendation engine such as Yelp. It's too early to tell if the company can make this big of a transition without discouraging loyal users. "Our intention here is not to rip the Band-Aid off, but to get people into the right usage pattern," Foursquare's Jon Steinback says.

On that note, a recent study by social analytics firm ShareThis is shedding some light on what online reviews mean for a business' bottom line. The survey found that positive consumer reviews could increase purchase intent by 7%. However, negative reviews could discourage consumer purchases by up to 11%. The company also found that consumers are willing to pay more for a product if it has positive reviews in print or online.

Pinterest Rivaling...Google?

As Pinterest ramps up its advertising offerings, the social network adopts a Google-like ad buy that allows advertisers to purchase Promoted Pin ads based on keywords. Pinterest is confident that their visual search engine is far superior than others since content is curated, handpicked, and organized by millions of people designated by interests.

Snapchat Steps Up

With brands like Taco Bell and Victoria's Secret embracing Snapchat's new features to attract a younger audience, it's evident that this mobile app is here to stay. Taco Bell entertained users by featuring an interactive video of a prom date proposal and allowed users to choose the ultimate outcome. The snap possibilities are endless!

Rad Google Maps Update

Google stepped up its game with the Maps App update by adding Uber ride options, offline maps, and lane navigation to all app users. Each of these features will surely come in handy, so here's to smoother sailing and an even better mobile experience.

Google Nest Parody

Remember how Google bought Nest Labs back in January? Well a German activist group whipped up an elaborate spoof and even convinced some media folks of its veracity. (Not even gonna lie, they had us going for a hot minute.) See for yourself: google-nest.orgSo how do you like our new site? Take a look around!