Foursquare Check-ins no more: search and a break

Believe it or not, the ubiquitous "Check-in" will no longer be the center of Foursquare's universe this summer. Instead, having broken the Swarm part of this equation away into a completely separate app, Foursquare will be concentrating on search.

When you enter the new Foursquare, you'll still find a familiar set of controls. Instead of prompting you to check-in wherever you may roam, however, Foursquare's function will be to offer you places to go. Instead of asking you to connect with friends, the Foursquare app will take its ever-growing repository of great places to eat at or visit and provide a top-notch service for letting you know all about them.

There will be two apps instead of one, if it wasn't clear already. Swarm will take the piece of Foursquare that includes check-ins and finding your friends, while Foursquare will continue to operate as an all-powerful location and event finder.

With this split, Foursquare developers will be able to concentrate in the area where they're suited. This will allow the two apps to grow independently – while still feeding information to one-another – creating an ideal set of experiences for the end user. Both apps will be able to be updated independently, too, allowing quicker upgrades in the end.

While with Swarm you'll find always-updated locations appearing to your selected circle of friends, Foursquare keeps it all connected to you alone. You have the power to see what's around you – as far as businesses and events go – while Swarm separates the creepy (creepy is as creepy does, after all.)

The new Foursquare should be out – alongside Swarm – in the near future. Foursquare's developer team has not yet made a hard date public for any updates.