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Ready For Facebook To Rock Your (Location-Based) World?

Facebook is gearing up for an industry-rocking announcement Wednesday, and all signs point to a Foursquare-like location-based check-in service.

"A multitude of sources indicate that Facebook will finally be rolling out its own geo-location offering," reports BoomTown's Kara Swisher. "Foursquare might want to stock up on the Mylanta."

"Despite their burgeoning popularity, it's unclear whether smaller location services would remain popular if Facebook (with its 500 million-strong membership) got into location sharing," writes Computerworld. "However, recent rumors suggest Facebook's location feature would somehow integrate with existing location services."

"The new features might compete against other check-in services, but also might allow them to somehow use Facebook's data in new ways," suggests Inside Facebook. "We've most recently heard that Facebook will offer a simple addition to the existing user experience, with features such as the ability to attach a location to a status update, or Like a physical place."

Earlier this week, members of the press received an email invite to a "news event" at Facebook's Silicon Valley headquarters.

"The new feature -- the development of which has been the biggest open secret in the digital space -- has been a long time coming, as Facebook has noodled on how to incorporate the hot trend that was pioneered by Foursquare and other start-ups," adds BoomTown.

Indeed, "We've suspected for a long time that Facebook would leap aboard the location-based gaming bandwagon," writes Fast Company. "It's got every reason to, with its massive userbase of 500 million souls, pre-built social networking technology and thirst for every similar new tech that comes its way. And because as the check-in game grew quickly into something that began to make money, Facebook--on the hunt for raw cash--was bound to perk up and pay attention."

Read the whole story at All Things D »

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