Localscope
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Localscope for iOS gets an update and continues to provide great location based info
Localscope (US $2.99) has been around the app store for quite awhile, and continues to get updates that make the app a great way to explore your surroundings without moving an inch. This latest update tweaks the GUI and adds geo-tagged video resources from YouTube. While some discovery apps give you loads of text, Localscope provides geo-tagged media files to show your picture, maps and videos, and then provides direction pointers to destinations. When you are ready to leave, you can navigate by direct linking to almost every navigation app available, including, of course, Apple and Google Maps, TomTom, Garmin, Navigon, Waze and dozens of others. The app integrates info from Google, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Yelp, Citysearch and many more. It works anywhere in the world, and has built-in support for 21 languages. You can search by category (museums, restaurants, locksmiths, etc.) or you can type in any business name or destination. Destinations can be saved to your address book, or shared with friends via email, Facebook and Twitter. It's a very complete one-stop place to find, see and hear about things around you. The app allows you to set geo-tagged reminders, and get notified when approaching or leaving a destination. One of my only criticisms of the app, and they are mild ones, is that there are a lot of nested screens. I'd like to see more info come up on the main screen to reduce clicking. I also see context-sensitive ads coming up. They might be helpful to some, but this is a paid app and I think there should be an option to eliminate them. To me, they are unwanted and uninvited clutter. If you are going to fill an app with ads, then make the app free. Localscope is not a universal app; it's designed for the iPhone and requires iOS 7.0. Localscope is optimized for the iPhone 5 and above.
Localscope for iOS gets a solid update just in time for your holiday travel
I've been using Localscope (US$2.99) since its debut. Localscope is a discovery app that gets data from 20 different sources to show what is around you with useful background information. The overhaul for iOS 7 looks very nice, with new colors and transparency. Controls disappear in context to what you are doing, so everything is very clean. I tried the app this morning while sitting at the St. Louis airport waiting for a flight. Immediately, a map popped up showing my location, and there were guides to the closest restaurants and other facilities the airport offered. There were even Wikipedia links to more general information about the airport. If you arrive at a place you are not familiar with, Localscope gives you a quick briefing with local knowledge in one place. There's information from Google, Facebook and Yelp, as well as photos from Instagram and Flickr that can illustrate your immediate surroundings. There are also 2D and 3D maps. To me, some of that info is noise, and the app lets you turn off the feeds you don't want to see. I particularly didn't need to see Instagram and Flickr photos. They take up too much screen real estate. Although the app has added a lot more information, it is actually easier to use than previous versions. That's largely due to the GUI changes. A few things are lost in this release. YouTube links are gone until some API issues get sorted out, and Qype has been acquired by Yelp, so results are merged. The timing of the release is great, with holiday travel on tap for many of us. You have a great local guide in your pocket, and it should be in every traveler's collection of apps.
Localscope for iPhone adds tight navigation integration
I liked this 'where am I and what's around me?' app when I first looked at Localscope earlier this year, and it's only gotten better. The latest version of this US$1.99 app adds integration with Magellan RoadMate, NavFree, Motion X GPS and Sygic. The app already pulls info from most of the other top navigation systems, including Navigon, TomTom and Waze. It's one of the few apps that doesn't depend on Google for information. You can find nearby businesses using Bing, Foresquare, Twitter and Wikimapia. The app also supports augmented reality, which is nice when you are walking around. The camera activates, and the app superimposes your target on the live image. I don't recommend it when driving, of course. Localscope provides a map and phone number for your target location, which you can share via email, SMS, Twitter or FaceBook. I found a location I wanted to go to, effortlessly sent it to Navigon, and I was ready to go. Localscope knew what apps I had on my iPhone that it could send data to, so one click sent the data and opened my Navigon app and I was ready to drive off. There are plenty of free apps that do similar tasks, but Localscope is ad-free, easy to use and sophisticated. It works anywhere in the world. It's a perfect candidate for Siri integration, if and when Apple gives 3rd parties what they need to make it work. When you are typing a search request into Localscope on an iPhone 4S, you can enter the search using speech. That worked for several businesses I was looking for but it's only a taste of what the power of Siri would bring. I continue to recommend Localscope. It supports 19 languages and is easily worth $1.99. The app is a 4.4 MB download and requires iOS4 or greater. There are some screenshots for your inspection below. %Gallery-137506%
