Location-based Social Technology and Sense of Place.

Microsoft has invested $15M in location-ware app maker Foursquare, based in New York City.

Pedro Hernandez at eWeek writes that licensing this social technology will "help Windows and Bing users hone their sense of place."

Connecting Windows Phone users with the search engine Bing and Foursquare's location sensitive app will allow users to receive recommendations about nearby scenes and sites, ostensibly adding depth and perspective to the user experience. Used over time, says Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch, these platforms will allow "the user to 'come in hot' with intent information about what they're searching for and where they are."

This is "anticipatory computing," using search and activity history to make algorithmic predictions about what other information or activities a user might find interesting. Big Brother never had it so good.

Does crowdsourced, place-based technology like Foursquare "hone" a user's sense of place? Do users become more emotionally attached to places or develop a deeper sense of meaning through the use of such technology? These are empirical questions. Social scientists take note.