GeoWalk
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TUAW's Daily App: Geo Walk
Geo Walk is an interesting title from Vito Technology, the folks behind the popular Star Walk and Solar Walk apps. They originally released Geo Walk a little less than a year ago, but the app wasn't quite as developed as their other titles (and presumably didn't do as well as those either). So Vito went back to the drawing board, revamped the app completely, and the new version is now available on the App Store, at 99 cents for the iPhone, or $2.99 for the iPad. The new app is still an educational title focusing on giving information about various places, people, and plants and animals from different areas all over the world, and rather than just a 3D globe, there are now a few different views, including a new card view to check out. There's also a new quiz mode, which asks questions based on the information on the cards, letting you quiz yourself or others about the various facts. It's an interesting app, and if nothing else, it's a good example of just how flexible the App Store can be -- if an app doesn't work the first time around, a developer can go back and try again. If you've already downloaded Geo Walk, the big update is free, and well worth checking out.
WWDC 2010: Vito Technology walks on with Star Walk and Geo Walk
We met up with both Victor Toporkov and Murad Nazaraliev of Vito Technology during WWDC this past week, and while we know the company's name well from their great Star Walk and Solar Walk apps (the first one won an Apple Design Award this week, and the second one is quite popular, too), we learned some interesting facts about the history of the company. Toporkov now lives in the United States, but the company has its roots in Novosibirsk, the biggest city in Siberia. Back in the 1950s, Russia created a scientific center out in the middle of Siberia, consisting of a whole group of nuclear and scientific research facilities. Toporkov was one of those nuclear scientists, and now that the Cold War is over, he and many other scientists in that community have moved on to creating various kinds of software. In fact, the region itself is now sometimes referred to as "Silicon Forest," in a comparison with Silicon Valley in the US. I found that background fascinating. But of course, Vito is looking to the future -- after a couple of solid educational astronomy apps on the App Store, they're looking to come back down to Earth with Geo Walk. I first got to use this app back at Macworld Expo this year, but the latest version has come a long way, with lots of various nodes to browse around a 3D globe, featuring historical locations or individuals. The app is due out next week on the App Store, with an iPad version coming later in July, and Vito says they'll be pricing the app at just 99 cents -- it's meant for kids, and they're trying to find the lowest acceptable price possible.
Macworld 2010: Solar Walk and Geo Walk from Vito Technology
Our own Mel Martin is a big fan of Vito Technology's Star Walk iPhone app, so when the company's rep stopped by our booth at Macworld this week to show us two apps that they're working on right now, we couldn't refuse. The first app we saw was called Solar Walk, and while Star Walk will help you find and explore information about the stars, Solar Walk is designed to do the same with planets. The app features a beautiful (and accurate) simulation of the solar system, complete with all of the planets orbiting trails, and an adjustable clock so that you can see where Mars will be in 2029, if you so choose.
