Google may soon swipe some Foursquare functionality by allowing users to unlock special offers through its social network offering, Google+. A Google Offers help page (which has since been pulled) noted that businesses "can request that [users] check-in on Google+ in order to redeem your offers," though they'll be allowed to keep check-ins private should they wish to. Of course, you can already find local deals using alternative Google products like the dedicated Offers app, and check-in using Latitude, but Google+ is a logical option for bringing all of these services together. Facebook's acquisition of Gowalla signals the increasing importance of location in social networking, and we're glad to see Google beginning to consolidate its offerings to compete — some more original than others.