Where To? 3.7 – iPhone local search app now shows business hours and the direction to the destination!
No more long searches – find it at the drop of a hat. The local search app Where To? for iPhone is familiar with over 700 local categories. Via GPS, the app will quickly find a pharmacy, a cinema, a public pool or even an Apple-dealer in the immediate vicinity. The new version 3.7 shows business hours of the destination. A compass-like arrow always points the user in the right direction. It also links the destination to Google Earth and U.S. turn-by-turn navigation app MotionX GPS drive. VoiceOver support for the visually impaired has been improved.
In a nutshell:
- New app version: Where To? 3.7
- Local Search for the iPhone
- Finds 2,400 brands in 700 categories
- Exhibits locations on a map or in list format
- Augmented Reality: Local search results superimposed onto the live camera video
- NEW: Shows business hours of destination
- NEW: Directional arrow on detail page
- NEW: Linking of destination to Google Earth
- NEW: Supports MotionX GPS drive for directions in the U.S./Canada
- NEW: Improved VoiceOver support for the visually impaired
- NEW: Added localization for Brazilian Portuguese
- Price: $2.99 + $0.99 for Where To? 3D Augmented Reality
- Link: http://www.futuretap.com/whereto
The app Where To? teaches the iPhone to navigate. No matter where in the world, a simple tap in the iPhone app is all it takes to instantly find the nearest restaurants, doctors’ offices, post offices, parks, public pools or hotels. Important questions can even be clarified while at home: Is there actually a Thai restaurant in the neighborhood? Or an acupuncturist? During a vacation or business trip it is only a matter of seconds for Where To? to get the user oriented.
Where To? is familiar with more than 2,400 brands in 700 categories that can be tracked down from an innovative navigation wheel. All the main topics are covered: “Food & Drink”, “Entertainment”, “Travel & Transportation”, “Health & Medical”, “Organizations”, “Emergency”, “Attractions”, “Government Offices”, “Education”, “Services” and “Shopping”.
Results are compiled into a list which is sorted according to distance from the current location to the destination. Alternatively, Where To? inserts pins into the map. For example this allows to see at a glance the theaters in the vicinity that are showing the latest movies – plus the exact location where they can be found.
Anyone who would like to can have destinations directly superimposed onto the live-image of the iPhone camera by help of the additional module Where To? 3D Augmented Reality ($0.99). While out for a walk for instance, points of interest in the immediate neighborhood could be easily displayed.
Where To? 3.7 now also knows business hours
The new version 3.7 of Where To? offers a full range of new features that users of the previous version can download as an update free of charge. These are the most important innovations:
– Display of business hours: From now on business hours for each destination may be retrieved as long as they are registered with Google Maps. They are usually for the current day, but can also be displayed for an entire week. This makes it possible to verify that the desired store is open and therefore avoid unnecessary travel.
– Directional arrow: On the detail page of the desired location an arrow always indicates the direction of the destination. If the iPhone is being rotated or the user changes the walking direction the arrow will adjust itself like a compass needle. . This way the user will always be heading in the right direction.
– Link to Google Earth: Previous versions displayed destinations on the built-in map in either map, satellite or hybrid style. The new version of Where To? however will additionally display – in Google Earth – what the neighborhood looks like. When looking for a suitable hotel, one can now immediately verify that the surroundings look beautiful enough to justify a booking.
– Improved VoiceOver support for the visually impaired: The creators of Where To? attach great importance to their social responsibility and therefore tried right from the start to develop a barrier-free app. In the new version the VoiceOver support for visually impaired users has been optimized once more. The direction and distance to the destination are now continuously announced. For instance: “Slight left, 200 yards” or “Straight ahead, 180 yards”. It is all about the rapid orientation for the visually impaired.
– Support of MotionX GPS drive for turn-by-turn directions: The support of voice navigation apps like Navigon MobileNavigator and TomTom is one of the favorite features of Where To? users. The new version adds support for MotionX GPS drive, a popular turn-by-turn navigation app in the U.S. and Canada. The operator is able to start the navigation from the detail page of the desired location. The external app starts automatically with the correct address, so that navigation can begin immediately.
Ortwin Gentz, FutureTap CEO: “We are constantly thinking about how to improve Where To? without compromising its user experience. Displaying the business hours is a great example for this approach because it clearly provides an added value for the user.”
Where To? 3.7 is available immediately on the App Store
Where To? 3.7 (11.2 MB) is now available for download on the AppStore under the “Navigation” category. It is priced at $2.99 US. The Where To? 3D Augmented Reality module may be tested free of charge for 30 days and can subsequently be unlocked via In App Purchase ($0.99 US). Where To? is winner of the 2009 and 2010 “Best App Ever” awards in the category “Best Travel App”.
Offer to the Press: If you would like to test the app on your iPhone simply request a promo-code from the press agency. This will allow you to install it free of charge. (5741 characters, released for free reprint)
Homepage: http://www.futuretap.com/whereto
iTunes AppStore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id314785156?mt=8#
Further Contact Details
Information about the responsible Company:
FutureTap GmbH, Seefelder Str. 17, 82229 Seefeld
Press Relations Contact: Ortwin Gentz
Tel.: +49 8152 993944
Fax: +49 8152 999716
E-Mail: pr@futuretap.com
Internet: http://www.futuretap.com/
Journalists should contact the emitting Agency:
Press Agency Typemania GmbH
Carsten Scheibe (CEO), Werdener Str. 10, 14612 Falkensee, Germany
Tel: +49 3322-50 08-0
Fax: +49 3322-50 08-66
E-Mail: info@itpressearbeit.de
Internet: http://www.itpressearbeit.de/