What is it about check-in services? It’s an addictive pastime once you start, but trying to describe it to someone who has never tried it makes it sound like the most tedious and pointless exercise.  Aside from the traditional location check-in apps, there are several which let you check-in to what you’re watching, reading or even thinking!

GetGlue is one such app and it has been updated to version 2.4.1 this week, which sounds like bug fixes, but actually includes some new features and a redesign too.  With GetGlue you don’t only check-in to films/TV, but to books, games, music and even wine too.

The update adds sporting events to the line-up, which ties in very nicely with the addition of Foursquare integration.  GetGlue has always had Twitter and Facebook support, allowing you to share what you’re doing with friends on other networks, but Foursquare’s location check-ins make sense when attending an event where other people will be present.

It’s not all about check-ins either, as GetGlue thrives on users rating what they’re doing/watching, and then suggesting new things based on those ratings.  I rarely find this very helpful, but others may find the inspiration handy.  Rather than offering mayor-ships in the same way as Foursquare, GetGlue users earn stickers for certain activities.

The redesign has improved GetGlue’s usability, and the iTunes description mentions stability fixes too.  The iPhone app has never been a problem, but the iPad app suffered from frequent crashes, and I’m hoping this has cured them.

Like the majority of its peers, GetGlue is a free app and it appears to be getting better with each new version.  As a film fan, I find it useful for cross-sharing what movie I’m watching with my Twitter followers, plus I like the fact it builds a list of what I’ve previously watched; although I’d like it even more if it combined iPhone and iPad check-ins into one stream across both devices.

Do you use GetGlue or one of its alternatives?  Or are you not interested in check-in-based social networking at all?  Leave you comments on this growing genre below!