As it stands, this is Qype’s third version, and actually went ‘live’ simultaneously in Germany, Britain and France, as stated in a press release by its presenters. Qype 3.0, now visually more slick, has been brightened up, feels more spacious, but does not reflect any shift in strategy, according to Uhrenbacher. However it certainly offers a series of new uses.

For example, one can now display the results of a search on an enlarged map- the coup here is that when the user moves the zoomable map with the mouse, the search results adjust accordingly as the viewable map is redrawn.  The functions only when one enters a city/place name in the “Where?” (“Wo?”) section.  It does not work this way if the user searches using another new function –location-based search– searching by post code, street name or city quarter.

Brand new is the possibility to link to You-Tube videos—not only for new ratings, but also existing ratings can be pepped up using this new option.

The new function “Town-talk” (“Stadtgespräch”) on the overview page for individual towns and cities allows registered users to communicate directly with other Qypers. Here one member can, for example, let other user(s) know about new events in the town, ask for advice or make an appointment to meet up.

One can discover more about the new Qype in a series of screencasts, where the most important functions are briefly showcased in short videos.