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Google Places for iPhone just got an update to include the Hotpot review and recommendation service that launched on Android back in November. Hotpot is basically a social review system that lets you give an overall rating for businesses found on Google Maps, more specific thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings for particular aspects, and the option to leave detailed write-ups for others to consider. By adding friends to your Hotpot account, you’ll receive get tailored recommendations based on their tips. Likewise, the more you rate, the more tailored returned results are to your tastes.
Google Places was released as something of an extension to Maps that promoted simple categorized browsing of nearby locations, which is better for casual browsing than the required specific searching used by Google Maps. Hotpot in particular will have NFC connectivity in the Nexus S, allowing users to start reviewing just by waving their phone near a tag in the area. Of course, we’ll have to wait until we see NFC in an iPhone before that becomes an option for the iOS version of Places, but in the meantime, there’s a “Rate Now” button that launches into a review of the nearest spot based on GPS.
Anyway, Google Places is pretty awesome, and with the addition of Hotpot, it’s even awesomerererer. Download link is in the iPhone App Store below.
[via Google]
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.
