Tellmewhere is the latest iPhone app that aims to assist you in locating places such as malls, coffee shops or restaurants that are near you. For anyone that has used this type of app, you know the help is priceless.
In September I am taking my annual trip down to Seattle, Washington and every year when I go, I have the same problem; I can never find a place to eat that I like that is close to my hotel. Of course, it was not until I came back to Vancouver that I found apps such as Yelp or Aroundme that help you find places local to you. However, both of those apps simply did not satisfy the want I had for locating establishments and so I resort to simply using the Google Maps.
Well, this year I found a new app called Tellmewhere.
Tellmewhere provides essentially the same services as Yelp and some of the other big players but the difference for me was Tellmewhere shows me local shopping areas (the other apps do not) and it was able to accurately identify five restaurants and gas stations near me in Vancouver that I frequent.
When I ran that same test with the other apps in this class, they did not return the restaurants I wanted (they got the gas stations right though). In fact, Yelp did not return any of my five restaurant choices. Needless to say, Tellmewhere has found a permanent home on my iPhone home screen.
The app includes a ton of interesting features. The local search results are personalized for you and even go so far as to recommend local places that you should visit based on your previous searches and your Facebook friends (log in required). You can then publish your own reviews and ratings and upload photos to the app from the establishments you visit. When you find a place you like, among reviews and details, tapping it also presents an option to show the location in Google Maps.
Another reason why I like Tellmewhere is the interface. Along the bottom of the app, you can customize your Top 3 search buttons such as Gas Stations, Clothing and Restaurants. You can change them in the same fashion in which you can modify your iPod search settings through Albums, Artists, Songs etc.
When you tap ‘More’, you are shown the extended search functions available from the app such as Banks, Hospitals, Bars, etc. The app also includes a default search so that you can search for a place by name, just in case the app does not have it listed.
Overall, Tellmewhere will be completely invaluable to me when I travel and the interface is very well done. Accessing my Top 3 searches, additional searches or just browsing through the results could not be easier. In my tests, the app results were 100% accurate and show you extended search results until you find a location that you want. Oh, and the app is free!
Tellmewhere is scored a 5 out of 5!
Tellmewhere is available in the iTunes App Store for free!
