Developers Blog: Archive for November, 2009

App Store Recap 11/27/2009

This week the App Store got three great new apps that will both aid and entertain users of all types.

Urban Quiz by Tobias Basedow is a unique location based quizzing app. This app provides relevant trivia based on your current location. These questions are user submitted and only accessible to other users if they find themselves in the same location in which the question was submitted. This app creates a new sense of immersion for users as they are forced to interact with their environment in depth as they search for the right answer to these questions.

Kluckr by Kluckr Communications is your solution to the constant dilemma of finding the best chicken wings possible in your area. This app uses your current location to provide listings for nearby chicken wing restaurants, while additionally providing Kluckr’s ratings, reviews, and filtering options to aid in your wing selection process.

Phresheez by Michael Thomas is a useful app for the skiers and snowboarders this winter. This app will track your location throughout your day on the mountains, automatically upload pictures and videos to phresheez.com, and show your friends’ locations on a map of your resort. Phresheez will also geotag your photos and videos so you can see exactly where you were when they were recorded.

App Store Recap 11/20/2009

Last week the Apple App Store released three new location-aware apps to help you decide where you’re going, how to get there, and some ideas on what to do once you arrive.

Going by AOL is a great app to find things to do, covering many of the top cities in the U.S. based on the popular website Going.com. Using the power of location, Going shows you what your friends are up to right now, and where they’re planning to go later.

Before heading out to your chosen destination, it’s always important to make sure you’re looking your very best. Luckily, Holiday Gift Guide by NearbyNow provides a great way to check out the latest fashion styles. NearbyNow can even contact stores located near your location to reserve any particular item you happen to like.

Now that you’ve got some nice clothes to go out in, if you’re in Boston for the weekend (or for life like we are), just launch the Open MBTA app by Daniel Choi to gain access to public transportation data including the bus, commuter rail, subway, and boat schedules and make sure you arrive on time.

Skyhook Releases Maps Booster for Ovi

Skyhook released Maps Booster for Ovi today, an app that dramatically improves the speed and accuracy of location results on any S60 Nokia handset.  The app serves as a fix for both Nokia Maps, and any app that uses location on the devices.  Nokia Maps often takes up to a full 60 seconds to pinpoint location, while Maps on the iPhone loads location almost instantly. And when Nokia devices finally do determine location, the results can often be very inaccurate.  Maps Booster replaces Nokia’s location platform with Skyhook Wireless’ location software. This superior location system quickly feeds quality location data to Nokia Maps and all other applications that use location like I Parked Here, Google Maps, or Lifecasting with Ovi.

Maps Booster will greatly enhance user experience on your LBS apps.  We hope that improved location on LBS apps will result in higher download volumes for developers and  better user satisfaction.

Maps Booster is currently available for the following Nokia phone models: Nokia E71x, Nokia 5730 XpressMusic, Nokia N79, Nokia E55, Nokia N95, Nokia N86 8MP, Nokia N85, Nokia E52, Nokia E63, Nokia N96, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia E66, Nokia N78, Nokia E72, Nokia E71, Nokia E75, Nokia N82, Nokia N81 8GB, Nokia N81, Nokia E51, Nokia N95 8GB, and Nokia 5630 XpressMusic.

We are currently waiting for Ovi store approval for the following S60 5th edition phones: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97, Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, Nokia X6, and Nokia N97 mini.

These five phones should be added within a week or two.

Skyhook also provides an SDK that Symbian developers can integrate into their apps permanently: http://www.skyhookwireless.com/developers/sdk.php

Tweet this:  #Skyhook Wireless releases Maps Booster for Ovi http://bit.ly/U0j9W

To get up-to-the-minute updates of Skyhook news and partnership announcements, follow us on Twitter: @SkyhookWireless