Location-based services - android

   Foursquare

FREE

 Most location-based services just give you information. Foursquare adds a competitive edge to being in the right place at the right time by rewarding you with badges for 'checking in'. Visit often enough and you can become the 'mayor', ousting the previous most regular customer.

Many venues offer discounts for Foursquare users to tempt you to buy their goods rather than a rival's. Becoming friends with other people via the service is also part of the fun, and you can then message each other. Tell Twitter or Facebook you've checked in somewhere with a 4sq.com location link and you can tip others off about the best bars, restaurants and events in your neighbourhood.

 PintailFREE

 Pintail is an app for finding lost Android phones. When you send an SMS message to yourself from another phone, containing your chosen personal identification number, Pintail texts you back with the location of your device. It's that simple. Setup is easy: type a four-digit PIN into Pintail, close the app and you're done.

You can now text 'Locate ####' to your phone from anywhere, and within a few minutes it will text you back its location details and a link to Google Maps. It's real a lifesaver if you happen to leave your phone in a cab or at a cafe. For what it does, this app is a great freebie.

Google Maps Navigation 

 FREE 

 

The Google Maps Navigation app builds on Google Maps, which already comes as part of the Android OS, by giving users visual and audio turn-by-turn directions from their current location (using GPS) to a new destination. The app is easy to use: once you've chosen to drive or walk, simply enter your destination. You can enter a street name, postcode, or even type of place, such as 'restaurant' or Tost Office', as your destination.

Once your handset's GPS has identified your location, which can take anything from a tew seconds to over a minute depending on signal strength, the route is calculated. A blue icon is displayed on the map at your current location, with a blue line marking the route the software has created.

You can also view step-by-step instruction as a list. Meanwhile, a female voice offers an audio version of the instructions. We loved the range of customisation options, from being able to turn off the audio navigation to switching between 3D satellite maps, street view and standard Google maps. Because the app uses a web
connection to obtain the latest maps, users will never need a printed map as long as they are connected.

There are some negative points though. Unlike many satnavs, the app gives you the same estimated journey time no matter what the time of day. For example, it calculated 39 minutes for a journey from King's Cross to the Kent/London borders -achievable in the early morning perhaps, but unrealistic during rush hour. In fact, the only indication of how congested your route is comes from Google's Traffic View, which colours roads in green, yellow, or red based on how busy they are.

Google Maps Navigation is a useful app. It works well, and as it's free, it's excellent value for money too. If you don't want to invest in a satnav, Google Maps Navigation is a worthy download.





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