Consumers are taking to the use of location-based services on mobile devices because of the convenience such services offer. A March 2012 poll of US mobile app users by global security association ISACA found that 58% of those who had smart devices had used location-based apps, compared with only 15% who had not. But users continue to have significant concerns regarding security and privacy issues when using portable devices.

via Privacy Concerns Remain for Location-Based Service Users – eMarketer.

Foursquare is enhancing its feature set for businesses today, with the introduction of a new verification service for merchants. The company says that for a one-time, $10 fee, owners and managers will now be able to instantly verify their business in order to start using Foursquare’s business tools, which include the ability to offer specials, update the business listing, and access data about their customers and visitors.

via Foursquare Launches $10 Instant Verification Service For Businesses | TechCrunch.

The Power of foursquare: 7 Innovative Ways to Get Your Customers to….

As you might have read from our article on Mashable earlier today, as part of our involvement in the Social-Loco conference we have done some research to try to understand the difference between what people are saying online compared to the actions of early adopters and the views of the rest of the US population when it comes to their mobile check-in habits.

The results give us a clear understanding of who the winners and losers are likely to be, as well as the types of things that will motivate the mass consumer to adopt location-based apps. They also highlight some of the real challenges there are to consumers embracing this technology.

via The Reality Behind the “Check-In” Hype | Beyond.

Those who use social location-based apps such as Foursquare or Facebook Places represent just 17% of the mobile population, according to a study commissioned by digital agency Beyond and exclusively shared with Mashable.Of those opting out of participating in the checkin craze, or any other social location behavior for that matter, 48% cited privacy concerns as their primary reason for not doing so. And 50% were merely unable to do so because they did not have a smartphone.

via Why Mobile Users Aren’t Checking In [INFOGRAPHIC].