In a world overflowing with technology, advancement, and innovation, Smartphones continue to surprise and impress everyone, across all age groups. The amount of applications on Smartphones is exponentially increasing by the day, making it more and more difficult to choose which are right for you. Now dominating the iPhone application store: location-based applications. But what is the purpose of these apps and which are the most worthwhile? This article should help you decide.
Foursquare, which you have probably heard of at this point, currently rules the market for location-based iPhone Apps. In this application, your smartphone uses its GPS capabilities to find your real-life location, and lists the places closest to you. When you “check-in” to a location, you receive points and you can also see who else is there. This can be useful in a variety of situations, such as not knowing your friend would be attending the same baseball game as you, but when you both check-in via Foursquare, you can meet up. The more places you check-in, the more points you receive and you can eventually win virtual badges for checking-in a certain amount of times.
If you check-in to a location more times than anyone else, you are crowned the “mayor.” This can turn into a vicious competition between the most loyal customers or attendees, especially when there is a promotion or prize involved. A lot of companies have started using Foursquare for promotions, coupons, and giveaways. Many locations offer special deals for the major. For example, some spas offer the major a free massage or an ice cream parlor gives away a free scoop of ice cream to the mayor every day.
More iPhone App Reviews favor other GPS apps over Foursquare. For example, Gowalla and Whrrl 3 are other location-based apps that perform similar actions as Foursquare does. On Gowalla, the user checks-in and collects special badges for their “Gowalla passport.” You can view pre-created trips and experience trips that other users have done before. Whrrl 3 encourages users to not only check-in, but to also join community groups at the locations, such as “Chicago Brewpub,” “Supersize,” and “Pie in the Sky.”
Some lesser known location-based applications still prove themselves useful under Foursquare’s reign. Skimble uses GPS for athletes who want to compete with their friends. They can check in to wherever they work out and record what they did. iDateME, a deceiving name for this app, helps you find bachelors and bachelorettes in the area, but also thwarts thieves. If your iPhone is stolen, the application will use GPS to e-mail you the location of the phone.
TapFinder is a popular genre of iPhone applications that help find places closest to you by category. There is a TapFinder app for Starbucks (called Venti Coffee), bookstores, hotels, smoothie shops, ice cream parlors, and many more. Some other applications help you navigate your way around public transportation in your area. Red Rocket is associated with those living in Toronto and Tube Washington will direct you around the nation’s capital. iAltimeter uses GPS to calculate your altitude. Trails is perfect for outdoors-y, nature-lovers who want to track running, biking, or hiking routes they have taken.