New version of Mapquest for iOS will appeal to those without an iPhone 4S

Even with Apple jumping into the navigation sweepstakes, many iOS users will still need some kind of navigation app because they won't have an iPhone 4S that Apple's new map apps requires.

I've written many reviews of GPS based apps, and have found a lot to like with the paid versions from vendors like Garmin, Navigon and Magellan.

Still, there are people who want something free that has enough features to get from point A to point B without feeling they are a second class citizen. If you fall into that category, let me suggest you take a look at the MapQuest app, that has just been updated to version 3. The app already supported turn-by-turn voice directions, and has now added a new GUI, gas price information, live traffic cameras, better search, improved audio and landscape mode.

The result is a pretty full-featured app that looks good and generally works as you would expect it to. I gave the app a spin today to see how it compared to my favorite nav app from Navigon.

There were some issues I hadn't expected. When I searched for a destination about 12 miles away the app reported it couldn't find it because it was not within the boundaries of the view the app defaulted to. That's plain silly. I zoomed out, and then my search worked. The voice prompts are very clear, but I found the app too chatty. It sometimes told me 3 times about an approaching turn. I wish there was an adjustment to tame the verbosity.

The app worked fine in the background, alerting me to upcoming turns when my iPhone was on the home screen. Using the app requires a data connection, and theoretically, the maps should be very up to date. That wasn't my experience on my maiden voyage. A 3 year-old street next to a shopping mall was nowhere on the map, and the app kept reporting that I was on a street a half mile away -- odd.

Those criticisms aside, if you are looking for turn-by-turn navigation the MapQuest app has enough features to make it worthy of comparison to, some of the paid apps. As you've read, it's not perfect, but if you were counting on Apple for free navigation services, and you don't have an iPhone 4S, MapQuest may be just fine for you. Hopefully, it will improve, and the recent upgrade to version 3 indicates MapQuest wants to keep developing and improving this app.

Gallery: MapQuest 3.0New version of Mapquest for iOS will appeal to those without an iPhone 4S originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Driving around with Maps for iOS 6

Much of the excitement in iOS6 centers on the new Maps app. It replaces the Google Maps-powered version that's been part of iOS since the beginning

The revamped Maps adds Flyover (3D aerial perspectives) for some cities; it also offers spoken turn-by-turn navigation, a feature that the old Maps never offered for iOS but that Google baked into Android phones. Maps in iOS 6 also integrates Siri for search on supported devices. Unfortunately, only newer devices get the snazzy features; turn-by-turn requires an iPhone 4S or an iPad (2 or new), for example, and obviously Siri is only available on the 4S & soon the new iPad.

I made quite a few trips using the beta iOS 6 Maps app, and have lots of impressions. Keep in mind, the app really is beta. Some of the data is flaky; for example I was looking for a location in southern Utah by zip code and was directed to the east coast of the US. Never fear, these little glitches will get fixed by the time iOS 6 is released to the public in the fall.

OK, let's get driving. The first really big advantage of this app is the direct integration with Siri. Say "take me to the nearest Home Depot" and you'll see a map with a pin on it. Touch the pin, press the start button and off you go. The map works in landscape or portrait mode, and that familiar Siri voice will guide you through each turn. When you arrive it will tell you if your destination is on the right or to the left. You can also say "Take me home" and if your home address is notated in your contacts, you'll be ready to navigate.

The maps themselves look pretty similar to the Google variety, and you get a choice of a flat map, 3D or satellite. If you are in a big city, you'll see Flyover's beautiful 3D renderings of buildings. I did a brief check and saw that feature work in Chicago and Seattle. Flyover is very pretty, but not much use when driving. Viewing all that detail or playing with the map is not something you should do when your attention should be on the road.

If your destination includes reviews from Yelp, you'll see the reviews when you ask for the destination, as well as photos if there are any. If you are in 3D mode, you can rotate around a location by rotating 2 fingers on the screen, and zoom in or out in the usual way by pinching or dragging.

Of course you can bookmark any location, add it to contacts, or share the location with someone else. If you are properly equipped, you can print the information to a local printer.

Overall, the app is similar to the older Maps app, but the iOS 5 app doesn't provide Siri voice integration or turn-by-turn directions. Like the older Maps app, map data is downloaded over the air, so a data connection is required. Without one, you'll see a dot representing your location, but the map will be blank. You can contrast that with apps like the Navigon family, where the map data is permanently resident on your device, and a cellular connection is not required.

Still, for most people, the Apple app will be more than enough. The integration with Siri, Yelp, and the ease of use is a real plus. Just telling Siri where you want to go is really great, and a very compelling reason to use this app over other navigation solutions that involve some fiddling to set up. There is traffic data built in, and the app will offer alternate directions if conditions warrant it. Traffic was working in my city, and was color coded and superimposed over my route. Note that at this point, there are no public transit directions or pedestrian directions. For some urban users, this is a big missing item. Apple has said it will rely on 3rd party apps for this, but they are unlikely to be integrated into the Apple Maps app. [Cocoanetics has an interesting perspective on why this is the right move for Apple to make. -Ed.]

Clearly, Apple was motivated to meet Google and Android head on, and they are well on the way. Google has had years of collecting data and getting the map experience to be very friendly. Apple has started from scratch, with a few key purchases of mapping companies, and come very close. There are no street level views with the Apple app. Google has that feature pretty wrapped up for itself, but for getting easily from point A to point B, Apple is offering an excellent solution that I think will become the first choice for many users. It's unfortunate that turn-by-turn navigation isn't supported on the iPhone 4, but Apple wants to sell you the latest phone and this is a not-so-gentle nudge to get you back to an Apple store.

Even with some obvious bugs, and a few crashes, I was impressed with the new Maps. It will be a challenge for Google. Will it offer turn-by-turn voice navigation for the iPhone, or just concede? For older devices, will this be an opportunity for vendors like Navigon, Motion X and TomTom to sell up -- or for free turn-by-turn apps like AOL's Mapquest or Waze to get more traction?

Competition is good, and Apple has thrown down the gauntlet. I think the other nav app companies with iOS products are going to feel uncomfortable with Apple in this business, but it's likely they will aggressively compete and we will all benefit.

Check the gallery for screenshots of Maps in action.

Gallery: Apple Maps beta for iOS6

Editor's Note: Mel is not personally subject to the iOS 6 NDA.Driving around with Maps for iOS 6 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TeleNav offers a sort-of free GPS solution for iOS

As we continue our survey of GPS apps for iOS, I have to mention the TeleNav family. The company, which is also behind the AT&T Navigator subscription app, offers a free entry level app that is quite popular with users, even though it is missing some key features.

For free you get turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, local search that includes gas prices, and one-touch rerouting.

There's a big feature missing, however. No spoken turn-by-turn directions. So, in a way, it's not offering much more than the built-in Maps application, and less than the free voice-enabled Mapquest application (published by our parent company AOL). There is a 3D view, but when driving, you don't want to be looking at a screen.

The solution is an upgrade to the US $0.99 app, but after that you use it for 30 days you need to upgrade to a $9.99 a year subscription. That's a sale price which is about half off the regular tariff. The paid version adds voice guidance, spoken street names and auto rerouting.

So how does it all work? It's not bad. The graphics are clean, setting up a destination is easy, and the local search is comprehensive. The voice guidance is very clear. I didn't run into heavy traffic during my test, so no comments there.

Since the maps are downloaded as you go, that means a data connection is needed. It's something to think about if you are going to be out of cellular range frequently. On the other hand, with no onboard maps, the app has a small footprint (17.5MB) and your maps will theoretically stay current.

With my driving in Arizona the maps seemed current, although some comments in the App Store indicate they may not always be up to date with the latest street layouts. As someone with local knowledge, TeleNav didn't always take me the way I would have chosen, but the choices always worked. I've noticed that nav apps have a bias for bigger streets, but sometimes the best shortcuts are the road less traveled.

Is the TeleNav app for you? If you are on a budget an in an urban setting I think it is worth a serious look. I'm not wild about the idea of subscriptions to apps. I'd rather spend a little more and forget about recurring charges. If you are on a limited data plan, and you use it a lot, you may run into extra charges, but the data being downloaded is pretty minimal.

It's nice to see the many, many choices iPhone users have to get a perfect fit for navigation. TeleNav has given you yet another choice worth considering. The app requires iOS 4 or greater but runs fine on iOS5 and the new iPhone 4S. TeleNav is universal so it runs on the iPhone as well as the iPad.

Of course, life would be grand if Apple provided built-in navigation as is found on the Android phones. That may be coming, and there have certainly been indications of it. Think of the power of Siri and navigation rolled into one.

Gallery: TeleNav GPS app for iOS

TeleNav offers a sort-of free GPS solution for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Maps for iOS 6: A great start but some big gaps

Make no mistake. Maps for iOS 6 is a great achievement for Apple. Starting from basically a blank slate and making some strategic acquisitions and partnerships (TomTom, Placebase, C3, Poly9, Waze) in map data, POI information and 3D fly-over images, Maps is amazing for what it does. On the other hand, comparing it to Google Maps, which has been around since 2004 and leverages the company's experience and expertise in mapping, is going to leave Apple coming up short.

I've been using Maps for several weeks, in beta and the golden master version, so I've gathered my thoughts and experiences to share with you.

Map Display

It is very clean and easy to read. Roadsigns are displayed boldly and the navigation information is very clear. The map can be displayed in 2D or 3D, with or without satellite imagery. I think most people will prefer the display to Google maps in the iPhone, which Apple has banished anyway. The Apple maps are vector maps, so they are infinitely zoomable. Google maps are actually a series of still images, that expand for a set amount, and then quickly replace the image with a fresh one. I think the vector maps from Apple are far more preferable.

Gallery: Apple Maps for iOS 6

The 3D flyover images are only available for big cities in the US, UK, France and Canada, and they are impressive, but probably not as useful as Google Street View when you are trying to find a location. Note that Apple maps requires a data connection. Maps are not cached and if you are away from any kind of internet connectivity you are plain out of luck. Apple should allow pre-downloading of specific areas, or deal with a lot of user complaints. Google Maps on iOS had the same problem, but several third party navigation apps like Navigon stepped into the breach with onboard maps that work anywhere. Apple isn't going to load the whole country on an iPhone -- users would be up in arms -- but Maps needs a trip-planning mode that will allow you to have the maps you need on board.

Finding a POI

A navigation program is only as good as the database behind it. The Google POI listings are very complete. Of course, it will sometimes steer you to an out-of-business store or restaurant, but Google really does try to keep up. Apple has a good, but not excellent POI roster. In general, here in Arizona, it works quite well, and it seems to be sourced mostly from Yelp. It seems to do better on resturants than other types of businesses. It's generally up to date, but on occasion it misses a location I know is there. I think the Maps app is US centric. Reports from overseas are pretty consistent in identifying omissions, especially in Europe and Asia.

Voice integration

I think the brightest spot with Apple's maps is the way it works without typing. Say, "Take me home," and the app does just that. Say, "Find direction to the nearest pharmacy," and off it goes. Typing and driving just don't go together, and this feature works very well.

You can also navigate to anything in your contacts list by just saying that is where you want to go. The app uses the Siri voice, and the turn-by-turn directions are clear and concise. Google, for whatever reasons, never offered turn-by-turn directions on its iOS app, although it does for Android phones. It's likely Google Maps will be back to the App Store very soon, but whether or not it will have turn-by-turn directions is unknown at this point.

The voice-controlled feature on Apple Maps is superior to anything Google offered on the iPhone. It is a pleasure to use and simply reduces distractions when driving. Note: an increasing number of states won't let you pick up your phone to talk on it, so your options are limited but with Bluetooth speakers there are some safe workarounds.

Traffic

Maps offers traffic information for the US and several countries. I don't live in a place with lots of traffic issues, but I've seen information appear and Maps warns you when your route may have delays. Alerts are quite clear, with a popup that says something like "Faster Route Available: Due to traffic, rerouting can save 8 minutes." Icons show you accidents, alerts and construction.

Transit directions

There's a big gap here. Apple Maps simply doesn't have them. Apple says it is going to integrate them from 3rd parties, but if you live in a big city and are dependent on public transportation, you are not going to like Maps at all. This may get better, and it will have to if Apple is going to compete with Google.

Summing up

Apple felt it had to dump Google Maps from iOS. Apple and Google are in serious competition, and Apple didn't want to partner with a company it no longer trusted. It's understandable, but Google Maps had features that simply aren't in Apple Maps yet, and some may never appear. If you are a casual maps user, Apple's app is going to be just fine in most cases. It will get you from here to there with reliable directions and traffic. If you are a Google Maps power user you are going to be unhappy.

The detail, POIs and transportation data are far superior on Google. Street view is more useful than 3D flyovers, as impressive as the technology is. Seeing a 3D rendering of a destination just isn't competition for a street-level view. For now, you can get Google Maps on your iPhone browser, but it is ugly, and awkward to use.

That said, Maps is a terrific and free addition to iOS. When Google Maps returns, you'll have a choice, but will give up Siri integration which is both powerful and helpful. If Google offers turn-by-turn directions, that's going to be terrific for those that want to go that way. Meanwhile, 3rd parties are updating their navigation apps because they will have to compete with the free Maps app from Apple. In the end, their will be a lot of full featured choices. For now, with this first version of Maps from Apple, there are trade-offs and no easy replacements. I find Maps works fine for about 90% of my needs. You may feel differently for your own particular navigation desires, especially if you use public transportation.

Maps features are hardware dependent. Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation are only available on the iPhone 5, 4S, iPad 2 or later, and iPod touch 5th generation. If you have an older phone, you'll get maps, traffic information, and local search with directions.Maps for iOS 6: A great start but some big gaps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dragon Go! is a must-have voice search app for your iPhone

Like the proverbial genie in the bottle, you can ask a lot of Dragon Go! and have a pretty good chance of the app granting your wish. Dragon Go! is the latest free app from Nuance, creators of Dragon Dictate for the Mac and Dragon Dictation for iOS devices. In this latest app, Nuance has delivered what they consider the next generation of voice search, and after several days of testing I have no reason to doubt it.

Here's the deal. Speak just about anything to Dragon Go! and it will try to parse your meaning and bring up the right set of tools to complete your search. Ask for News about Libya, or news about Libya from the New York Times and the app complies. Ask for reservations for 2 at a favorite restaurant and Open Table is queried. Directions from your current location to the nearest hospital will launch Google Maps with the route. Say a product name, like JBL speakers and an Amazon page came up with the JBL speakers Amazon sells.

It gets better. Ask it to play an artist on Pandora, and if you have the app installed it will launch and start playing the artist you asked for. Say "Play the Beatles" and if you have the Beatles on your device the music will play. You can also direct a query to a particular site. I tried "stories about Apple TV on TUAW" and it brought up a list from our website. Then a tough test. I asked to see pictures of obscure character actor Whit Bissell and the images popped up right on cue. Check our gallery. Holy Moly!

No app is perfect, and every so often Dragon Go! botched a search, but most questions I asked delivered useful answers. It may seem like the app has a bit of overlap with Siri, which is also powered by Nuance Technology. There is some, but Dragon Go! reaches deeper and takes you to the appropriate place on the web, rather than try to contain the info within the app itself.

The sources Dragon Go! is using are displayed at the top of the screen. You can change those sources manually if you want. The default search engine is Google, but Bing and Yahoo! are fine if you'd rather use them.

I found Dragon Go! an extraordinarily useful app in day to day use. I can only scratch the surface of its capabilities in this review. You must try it for yourself. I was often wishing this kind of technology was built into my iPhone at the system level, and I'll bet Nuance wishes it were too. Of course with Apple buying Siri, we may see something similar.

Dragon Go! is free, and iPhone-only at this point. According to Matt Revis, VP of Product Management at Nuance, the app is US English for now. It will come to Android sometime in the future, and also to the iPad. For all intents it replaces Dragon Search, which is not as full featured. The app will continue to function, but it won't be downloadable from the US app store. My guess is that most people will replace it with Dragon Go! anyway. I'd seriously recommend you download and give the app a test drive. It's a great iPhone demo, and I think it will work its way into your daily routine.

Share your experiences with us, and tell us what you like and what you don't like.

Gallery: Dragon Go! for iPhoneDragon Go! is a must-have voice search app for your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Will Apple pull a Siri competitor from the app store?

It might. Evi, a Siri knock-off, has apparently turned some heads at Apple. I took a look at Evi a few weeks ago. After a rocky start with overloaded servers, the app settled down and has gotten more reliable, but still has a lot of bad reviews in the App Store. Evi is attractive because unlike Siri, it does not require an iPhone 4S. Evi also uses the Nuance speech-recognition engine, just like Siri. Unlike Siri, Evi can't interact with Mail, Calendar or the Reminders app. TechCrunch reports that William Tunstall-Pedoe, CEO of Evi developer True Knowledge, received a phone call Friday from Richard Chipman of Apple. According to the published report, Tunstall-Pedoe was told Apple was going to remove Evi from the app store because it was very similar to Siri. Apple is citing section 8.3 of the App Store Terms and Conditions: "Apps which appear confusingly similar to an existing Apple product or advertising theme will be rejected." The controversy has caused lots of people to download Evi, probably not what Apple was hoping for. Late today there were some indications that the two companies are negotiating some ways to keep the app alive. We've reached out to True Knowledge for comment.Will Apple pull a Siri competitor from the app store? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Siri clone Evi is off to a very bad start

Siri has been a big hit for Apple, but as we all know, it runs only on an iPhone 4S. I've been expecting some Siri knock-offs to appear, and now one has that can be used on any iPhone and even the iPad if you don't mind not seeing it full screen. The app is called Evi by True Knowledge. It's US$0.99 and runs on any iDevice with iOS 4.0 or greater. "Run" is a bit of a misnomer. Evi's speech recognition is powered by Nuance, just like Siri, and the recognition part is first rate. But that's where the good news ends. Evi has not successfully responded to a single spoken query I've made since yesterday afternoon. Generally the app sits there for awhile, then reports that it is "Thinking about it," followed by "Let me see'" and then, inevitably, "I'm having trouble getting a response from my servers. You might want to try again in a minute." Actually, I don't ever want to try again. Ever. Reviews at the app store are ugly, with the majority being negative and some are outright hostile. You would think an app maker would have some degree of preparation for what is sure to be a popular offering. I can understand some failures, even Siri fails on a semi-regular basis, but Siri was labelled beta when it came out. Evi is supposed to be ready to go. This is an app that Apple should quickly pull, not because it competes with Siri (hardly), but because it is simply a complete and utter failure. In frustration I asked Evi if I can get my $0.99 back. Evi replied, "Bear with me" followed by "hang on," "I'm on it" and finally the server failure warning. I guess that would be a "no." Remember, you can't spell 'evil' without Evi. Check the gallery for some screen grabs of Evi not answering any of my questions. Gallery: Evi for iPhoneSiri clone Evi is off to a very bad start originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Siri’s Nemesis Evi Relaunches, Recruits Berkowitz From Wolfram Alpha, Opens US Office

We saw what happened yesterday with the Siri announcements from Apple. Clearly they see it as core to their strategy and its deep integration inside iOS reflects its increasing importance. Plenty of other players see the importance of voice-driven Q&A-plus-actions and a few attempts are roaming around on Android, such as Vlingo. However, the Siri-like app to beat right now is Evi. It launched in late January and soon had Apple threatening to pull it from the app store, although it was later left alone. Since then Evi - which works on any iOS device - has appeared on Android and the company behind it has a bunch of new moves out today.

Apple Prepares To Pull Evi From App Store. Did It Slap-Down Siri?

Last month we reported on the launch of Evi, a new iPhone (iTunes link) and Android app (link) which was very Siri-like in its capabilities. Maybe it was too good at acting like Siri?

Yes, Evi can't do Siri's trick of adding things to your iPhone Calendar or hook into reminders. But, ask "How do I make apple pie?" and Evi provides a list of recipes with web links. Siri can't give you a direct answer and just asks whether you want to search the web. Perhaps it's the fact that Evi is pretty damn good, and doesn't look a million miles away from Siri, that Apple has told True Knowledge that it is going to pull Evi from the App Store. Wait, what?

Garmin releases StreetPilot onDemand iPhone app starting at $0.99

Garmin has added some new concepts to the standard navigation apps already present on the iPhone. StreetPilot onDemand is designed for the urban user, with provided routing that includes public transportation and wraps bus and train schedules into the usual GPS features.

"Our new StreetPilot onDemand app is the perfect solution for anyone who occasionally needs navigation but still is looking for a premium experience and precise directions. There is nothing comparable in the App Store today," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "By including multimodal pedestrian routing, our new app is especially helpful for users in urban areas. The app seamlessly provides directions in the car and integrates public transportation when getting directions by foot."

If you are driving, there are a host of features that Garmin has added that will be familiar to users of Garmin's standalone navigation devices. Such features include spoken turn-by-turn directions, photorealistic junction views, and real time traffic information that will provide routing around tie-ups. Garmin also includes Google search for destinations, warnings when your speed is over the limit, and weather conditions at your destination.

Garmin StreetPilot onDemand is available in the App Store for US$0.99 and includes turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation and traffic rerouting for 30 days in the United States and Canada. Users can extend this initial period by subscribing on a monthly ($2.99) or annual ($29.99) basis. Garmin is offering a special introductory price of $19.99 for the yearly subscription from August 31 through September 14. Even without a subscription, users can still view maps, look up points of interest and create routes. A subscription is required for turn-by-turn voice guidance with automatic off-route recalculation, real-time traffic information and multimodal pedestrian routing.

The maps are not on-board your phone; that means downloading what you need, which I don't think is the best methodology. Lose your data connection, and you are out of luck. I'm also not wild about the subscription model, but Garmin is offering a lot of features for a low, but continuing price.

I'll be reviewing the app soon, with reactions to how it works compared to other solutions already on the market.

Some screen shots are in the gallery below.

Gallery: Garmin StreetPilot onDemand

Garmin releases StreetPilot onDemand iPhone app starting at $0.99 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments