Loopt for Android Hits 4.0, Looks Aesthetically Marvelous

Loopt for iOS got a huge update last week, but nothing was communicated about the Android version getting the same treatment. The folks at Loopt have given us good news, though: version 4.0 is now available in the Android market. Beside the fact that things just look a hell of  a lot better visually, it comes with a nice bucket of changes to give similar services like Gowalla and Foursquare runs for their money:

• A streamlined new design, focused on finding friends and finding places that your friends like to go around you.
• Very cool tools to communicate with friends (like Ping, which lets you send location-text messages)
• The ability to see where friends are now, see where friends like to go around you now, and places where people are gathering right now.
• Rewards! Starting out with free music, you can now find rewards on Loopt while you go about town.
• Notifications when friends are nearby, when places are getting busy, and where the deals are to be found
• A very simple ON/OFF mechanism for automatic location sharing — right on the Home screen of Loopt — so you’re never in doubt about whether your location is being automatically updated;  when automatic location sharing is OFF, your friends will only see where you are when you specifically check in to a place.

I haven’t used Loopt in a long time, but I’m definitely reconsidering checking it out. Take a look at the video above to get an idea of what to expect when you find it in the Android market. (It’s a look at the iOS version, but you’ll get the gist.)