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Yelp’s business review application for Android and iPhone have both been updated with a couple of new features: Android is getting Bookmarks that are synced with your desktop browser-based account, and review drafting for later publishing; the iPhone version is getting compass-enabled mapping, so it faces where you are, and highlighted locations where you’ve reached Regular status. Of course, that’s on top of Yelp’s very cool augmented reality features for iPhone.
If you’ve missed either app, or even the whole service, it’s basically a repository of customer reviews for any kind of business under the sun. Every venue is categorized, given a star rating out of five, includes general pricing information, and contact/mapping information. There’s a definite social element to it that allows you to follow the reviews of particularly favourite locals. Recently, Yelp hopped onto the “check-in” bandwagon established by Foursquare, and included short, quippy “tips” to be added to locations via mobile.
Full-blown reviews weren’t allowed because Yelp wants to maintain some modicum of quality in written reviews, which is hard to do when mobile typists are prone to brevity and mistakes. However, the addition of drafted reviews does allow critics to jot down their initial impressions while they’re at the business in question – an immediacy which I think is vital for keeping reviews accurate.
You dig it? Scan/click the QR code with your Android phone to get downloading, or download the latest iPhone version for free from iTunes.
[via Yelp Blog]
– Yelp for Android (Free) [Android Market Link]
– Yelp for iPhone (Free) [iTunes Link]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
