This document discusses the rise of location-based services and APIs. It notes how smartphones and GPS devices enabled the growth of location data and checking-in services like Foursquare. It provides examples of companies like American Express, CNN, and Yellow Pages that have partnered with location services by opening their data through APIs. The document advocates that companies make their location and other data available through APIs in RESTful formats like JSON to attract developers and compete in the growing market of location-based applications and services.