Archive for the ‘Localization technology’ Category

The new live-service from the navigation specialist Tom Tom is now offering local information about stores, restaurants, or service providers, in addition to the local search from Google Maps and Places. For local results in Germany, the directory service Gelbe Seiten provides the data. Read the rest of this entry »

The social network Facebook has been given a facelift in the past week: Almost one year after its release, Facebook announced early last week that its location-based service Facebook Places would be killed off. Later in the week, the network also announced that its online-coupon market, Deals, would also be killed off. But this doesn’t completely mean that Facebook is leaving the location-based market. The social network added that its check-in deal service will still be offered, albeit a bit different than previously. Read the rest of this entry »

Wohin?, the iPhone app from FutureTap was just selected as iPhone App of the Week by Apple in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The app has been able to sell over 300,000 licenses, making it the most successful local search app in the App-Store.
The app costs 2.37 Euro in the App Store. There is also a module that can pep up the service to operate in augmented reality, which is free for 30 days and 0.79 Euro after that on top of the regular app. Read the rest of this entry »

Shortly after the Gelben Seiten updated their iPhone app to have a full navigation system, the online directory has now released a special emergency app for the iPhone and the iPad. Emergency situations and everyday problems can be tended to quickly with just a click of the button.
The emergency app, which is available for free download in the App Store, covers all major branches, like healthcare, finance/law, home/vehicle, as well as advisement, according to a press release. The app can let users know who to go to, be it the pharmacist or dentist, in emergency situations. And the shortcut buttons alert the fire department, police, or the poison control centre know quickly. Users can also activate an SOS function that can alert pre-selected phone contacts to be alerted. The app can also assist those that tend to misplace their keys, or when the car won’t start, the user has a legal issue, or the computer had a complete meltdown. Read the rest of this entry »

Das Telefonbuch did it about three weeks ago, now Gelben Seiten is following suit: with the new application, the iPhone or the iPad can become a navigation system – for free. Integration with the V-Navi-App from the cooperation partner Map and Route makes this possible, much like the app for Das Telefonbuch. Read the rest of this entry »

The location-based check-in service Foursquare is expanding its coupon offering: starting immediately, the new app will be offering dailys deals fromLivingSocial, Gilt City, zozi, BuyWithMe, and AT&T Interactive, according to the company’s blog. The Wall Street Journal reports that Foursquare is currently in discussion with Croupon. This information was classified as confidential. Read the rest of this entry »

Shortly after the optimized app for the iPhone and iPad, Das Telefonbuch has also added some new, useful features to its mobile internet version. Read the rest of this entry »

The city portal meinestadt.de has pepped up its interactive city guide: not only are traffic alerts integrated, but also hiking, jogging, walking, skating, and biking trails. meinestadt.de wanted to offer its users the new features just in time for the summer season to enhance their travel planning experience, according to a press release. The city guides are available in the “Tourismus” rubric, or hidden behind “Services” and “Adressen”. And for those that can’t manage that, they can simply enter http://www.meinestadt.de/deutschland/stadtplan into their browser. Read the rest of this entry »

Check Templeton, founder of OpenTable, a portal for free restaurant reservations, now has a new baby: he and Arun Sivashankaran have created a local network with literally a social personality called OhSoWe. On the platform, users can not only meet their neighbors, but also discuss local issues with them. Users can potentially borrow things from one another that they would otherwise have to buy. Community users should therefore save money and protect resources. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh boy…it’s not really that much of a surprise, right? But the outrage is still quite prevalent. At a conference in the USA, IT specialists revealed that iPhones and iPads with UMTS interface save the locations of their users using mobile networks. What really gets the blood boiling is that this data is not encrypted and can be viewed by just about anyone with the help of some special software. Read the rest of this entry »