• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, June 7, 2012

Trying to keep the dream (of LBS, or location-based social networking) alive, foursquare just unveiled a new and improved mobile app.

“This new version of foursquare is more about finding things around you based on where you are right now,” The Next Web notes. “Instead of loading up the app when you arrive at a restaurant or bar and checking in, foursquare wants to be the app that you use to find new places to go. The ‘All New foursquare’ is all about discovery.”

“With this release, Foursquare becomes a direct competitor to the current recommendations leader, Yelp,” remarks ReadWriteWeb’s Richard MacManus. “Foursquare is also aiming to beat Yelp on the social part, hence social functionality has been enhanced in the new version of Foursquare.”

For some -- including MacManus -- an improved foursquare couldn’t come soon enough. “My usage of Foursquare dropped off markedly over the past year,” he admitted. “It was one of those apps that was addictive for a while, being the mayor of my local cafe and so forth, but then it just became a drag.”

“Two years ago, Foursquare was the star of the New York start-up scene,” The New York Times writes. “Since then, the buzz … has cooled and growth has slowed, leaving it in the position of having to prove that its decision [not to sell to Yahoo or other prospective acquirers] was the right one.”

Will foursquare’s redo breathe new life into company? Well, if nothing else, “The new app looks vibrant and clean,” according to The Verge.

“With a new redesign, it is simplifying its interface and pushing for more social interactions between users,” writes VentureBeat. “Both of those factors could make the service more addictive and not just something people casually use.”

“The Explore tab is the best part -- it helps you figure out where to go by analyzing your activity, your friends' activity, and your current location,” comments MSN.com’s Gadget Box blog.

“Foursquare needed a significant new version,” writes Gizmodo. “It's trying to do too much at once, and it showed: clutter. But the newest release is not only more ambitious -- it wants Facebook turf -- it's elegant, thoughtful, and clean. And hugely useful.”