A new free messaging client is out for Android, Symbian, BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) and iPhone called Zhiing, which lets you recieve and send turn-by-turn directions to your buddies online as well as on mobile. One of the cool ways that Zhiing improves accuracy is by plugging into multiple GPS services, including Wi-Fi positioning through Skyhook, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps, cell tower ID, and native location apps like BlackBerry Maps and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Maps. Checking across all those sources is a fine way to zero in on the most accurate location, no doubt.
Even if your friends don’t have Zhiing, you can send directions to your location with a mobile web link via SMS. If Zhiing could be used as a multi-platform IM client (i.e. able to talk with friends on Google Talk, AIM, Windows Live, etc.) and simply send your location as a Google Maps link, it would be a definite bonus. Browser plug-ins let you do it right from Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome.
Zhiing is also impressive in that they’re launching on all major platforms (iPhone, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian and BlackBerry) right from the get go, although some are more beta than others. A premium version with voice-enabled turn-by-turn directions will be available in the near future. To give it a shot, head over to Zhiing.
Waze has just launched an alpha for their mapping service, which allows users in San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston to help build road maps while they drive. Not only does GPS integration allow Waze to keep tabs on real-time traffic conditions, but you can also report speed traps, accidents and gas stations for fellow motorists. If that wasn’t cool enough, you can even put new roads on the map that aren’t currently listed, and name them. As with all services that hinge on user-generated content, Waze will only be as good as the people who use it, but if you’re packing an Android handset and are willing to put in a little elbow grease, it could turn out to be a great community. While it’s a neat idea, it would be nice if a system like this could plug into something more publicly available, like Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps. Check out Waze’s site to get started.
We all knew the App World was going to be on the pricy side when they announced no tiers for $0.99 or $1.99 apps, but when it turns out you could get another three apps on iPhone or Android for the same amount you’re paying on BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), it makes you really reconsider your choice of smartphone. A recent survey by Skyhook (the proud parents of Wi-Fi positioning) showed that the average price of a location-based service on Blackberry in the App World is $13.60, versus $3.60 in the iTunes App Store and $0.84 in the Android Marketplace. A wooping 80% of Android LBS apps were free, while the proportion of premium products offered by Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and RIM are 70% and 67% respectively.
The official line from RIM regarding the lack of cheap pricing plans for apps is that developers won’t turn enough of a profit on anything less than $1.99, but I have a feeling that largely has to do with the chunk they have to shave off for PayPal every transaction. For developers wanting to dangle some lower-hanging fruit, BlackBerry might not be the way to go (and from the sounds of it, neither is Palm Pre), but if you’ve got a really buxom offering that could justify a $13.60 pricetag, you could actually make a decent buck on App World. For a closer look at the research, you can find the full report here.
Buzzd, a location-based service that helps you find out what’s going on around town, has been around for about a year as a WAP site, but now have a dedicated program for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) now available in the App World. From the app you can search based on preference and location, book events into your native BlackBerry Calendar, add venues to your Contacts, and even provide feedback once you’re there by way of a built in thrill/kill rating system, as well as uploading photos and shooting out twitter messages from within the app. The BlackBerry Partners Fund shot some cash into Buzzd in October, so we’re left wondering about the ultimate revenue model. Considering Loopt is free, it seems unlikely folks would pay for the app, even with an active community supporting it. Venues, however, might be interested in buying into featured promotions if there are enough Buzzd users in their area. Regardless, it’s a slick-looking app – head over to buzzd.com for more info.
Poynt is one of the cooler location-based applications for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) out there, currently supporting local search for movies and Yellow Pages, but at WES 2009, they’re showing off new features in Restaurant and White Pages services. Using both cell site recognition as well as GPS to figure what’s near you, Poynt plugs right into the native BlackBerry Maps app as well as the considerably more robust Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps for Mobile. Once you find a restauraunt listing you like, just hit the menu key and go to Map Listing. You can also map all of your search results to better weigh your options.
What I found a little more interesting was the White Pages service. It plugs right into your call log, so when you get a call from someone you don’t know, you can run a reverse phone lookup right from your mobile. This is incredibly handy, and I could see it being great even as a standalone app. Of course, the main thing for White Pages is phone number lookup, which is invaluably helpful. Poynt is still free, and available in the App World – keep an eye out for this update in a couple of weeks.
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has churned out another project from its Beta Labs called Here and Now. It’s a bit lackluster for now, but in the long run, Here and Now could easily be a hub for local interest information. Nokia is saying this will be preinstalled on future devices, but present feedback will determine which other services to tackle. Weather and events are certainly the big ones, but I could see some great possibilities with shopping and maybe even geotagged Wikipedia articles pertinent to immediate surroundings. Friend View seems like a natural fit for the app as well – it would be cool to see the two plugging into one another. What would you guys like to see in an app like Here and Now? Head over to the Beta Labs to try it out.
By Simon Sage on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 1:50 PM PST In LBS
Google Maps for Mobile had launched a location-sharing portion a few months ago called Latitude, which, despite its socially creepy connotations, actually helped a San Francisco resident get her purse back from dastardly thieves. Janina Valiente’s BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold had Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps installed and was happily tucked away in the purse when a man took it and ran for the hills. After calling up her sister, who had permission to see her Latitude position, police were able to track down and apprehend the crook. Besides being a feel-good story that gives due credit to the awesomeness of location-based services, a lot of folks are still skeptical about making their exact wherabouts known to anyone or anything. The fact is, Latitude, and most (if not all) LBS services, gives you full privacy control. Hopefully this story is just one of many examples to come of how GPS is shaping mobility. Check out the full story on CBS.
According to recent research by Skyhook Wireless (the guys who work on Wi-Fi positioning systems), only 8% of location-based service developers will jump to the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre operating system, WebOS. The survey was conducted over 100 developers spread across six platforms: Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android, BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), Java and iPhone. Here are the main findings from their study:
73% of respondents want exact location positioning. City or neighborhood-level targeting is not sufficient for most applications.
Applications are designed to be used in metro areas. Very few applications are designed for use in rural areas.
Quick location results are very important.
48% of respondents say location sets their app apart, or is a core component to their app. 46% say location increases app value, and would not have developed an app without location.
The majority of location-aware app developers will port to other platforms. These developers are most interested in the iPhone and Android. Despite Palm and Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s best efforts to lure developers with the Pre and Web OS and Nokia’s Ovi Store, very few developers intend to port to these platforms.
This is bad news for the Palm Pre, which isn’t even out yet (we’re thinking sometime this summer), and could be a serious blow to its app selection at launch. Symbian didn’t rank so hot either, getting only 9% of the developers votes. Why is WebOS such a poor choice for developers? Apparently accuracy and locking speed were big deciders, so perhaps Palm’s web-based programming language doesn’t support GPS properly on that front. To be fair, it’s still very early on to be calling a death-knell for Palm Pre LBS apps, but it is certainly a cause to worry. If you’re interested in a closer look the survey results, feel free to take a gander.
YellowPin has recently launched a simple social networking tool that lets your Facebook friends know where you are when you update via mobile. It explicitly doesn’t work with GPS, so folks only transmit their location when they want to, and aren’t perpetually checking over their shoulder for stalkers. It works by sending SMS commands like “pl valley view center, dallas, tx.” to 555888, which then updates your location for friends to see. Facebook is a solid start, and it’s entirely likely that YellowPin will spread out to other application-capable social networks in due time (Twitter, maybe?). Not a bad little service, and it only costs a dollar each month. Interested? Go ahead and take a look.
Google had enabled voice search in the Maps application awhile back, and now the feature has found its way to the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Mobile App for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM). On top of voice-activation, the latest update to the Google Mobile App is My Location integration, so your search results are pertinent to where you are. My Location was a cell tower ID system implemented in Google Maps Mobile a little over a year ago, and provided a lot of handsets without integrated GPS some location-based services they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. I usually use Vlingo for quick Google searches by voice, and will probably stick with it since it’s just so danged convenient to have one dedicated shortcut key and not have to launch the app separately to use it. Still, these are solid additions to Google’s already great mobile app, and with any luck, the changes will find their way to the recently-launched Windows Mobile version soon.
We all knew the App World was going to be on the pricy side when they announced no tiers for $0.99 or $1.99 apps, but when it turns out you could get another three apps on iPhone or Android for the same amount you’re paying on BlackBerry (
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According to recent research by Skyhook Wireless (the guys who work on Wi-Fi positioning systems), only 8% of location-based service developers will jump to the Palm (
YellowPin has recently launched a simple social networking tool that lets your Facebook friends know where you are when you update via mobile. It explicitly doesn’t work with GPS, so folks only transmit their location when they want to, and aren’t perpetually checking over their shoulder for stalkers. It works by sending SMS commands like “pl valley view center, dallas, tx.” to 555888, which then updates your location for friends to see. Facebook is a solid start, and it’s entirely likely that YellowPin will spread out to other application-capable social networks in due time (Twitter, maybe?). Not a bad little service, and it only costs a dollar each month. Interested? Go ahead and 
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