New iPhone Application Works as a Travel Guide
mTrip is the newest application for iPhone and works just like a travel guide but it also uses the latest in smart phone technology to track a foreign locale in a much easier way, helping people bad with directions not to get lost.
The so-named “augmented reality” was made available about a year ago and its greatest advantage is the fact that is perfectly combines the compass features with a smart phone’s GPS, including also the access to high-speed wireless networks.
Sounds all cool but you may probably wonder how does it work? Pretty simple: turn on the application and hit the augmented reality button and then look through your phone’s camera at a certain popular landmark from a place where you are at the moment; you will notice that icons pop up that show you other points of interest, or restaurants within a half mile of your location, and other details about those locations, but mTrip app will also design an itinerary for you or show you what reviewers are saying about a certain place.
The content was provided by Sparks, a massive travel guide company, in partnership with the mTrip developers, while the general information relies on user-generated reviews and suggestions. The mTrip app also has a feature known as mTrip genius, which works similarly to the genius feature in iTunes.
Sometimes, the information provided may seem to abundant but developer Frederic de Pardieu stated that it is not necessary to use to use every feature offered, because, they may as well “give you options” but it is up to you to “so with them what you like”.
Last year, the first phones with Google’s Android operating system, which enables augmented reality, were made available for sale, and even if the augmented-reality feature was added to the iPhone in June 2009, when the iPhone 3GS debuted on the market, only recently Apple joined Google in making it possible for software developers to overlay images on the phone’s camera view.
The augmented reality features can generally pinpoint location to within 30 feet if the user is outdoors, but unfortunately it doesn’t work to well indoors, not to mention that if it is used for extended periods of time, the phone battery will die much sooner than expected. The mTrip app introduces a dream-like concept but it is necessary for everyone and as the executive vice president for Lonely Planet in the U.S., John Boris, stated: “Travelers want to be able to fold up their phone and see physically in a virtual world what is around them”, but “We can help you get to the heart of the place, but we can’t carry you around”.
Boris also declared that this feature should be regarded as another important piece of technology and component of today and for tomorrow which helps the continuing evolution of the traveler’s toolkit. As a matter of fact, Lonely Planet uses in all the international cities the Compass Guides with the augmented reality feature.
