Don’t get me wrong. When it comes to location-based mobile applications I’m nothing but bullish, but I still get a kick out of press releases for new LBS apps for the iPhone. The latest, Earthcomber’s Personal Radar, uses the iPhone’s GPS to provide you “the people (you) know, the things (you) need, activities (you) enjoy, foods (you) like”. Yes, it’s different than every other LBS app for the iPhone. Why? Because the application updates as your location changes. Yes, it’s another ‘points of interest’ application like the recently sold Where To? but Earthcomber says it’s different because you can tag your interests so you’re alerted by an optional chime whenever you’re in the location of an applicable POI. Oh, and of course you can also find friends in your immediate location with all the usual privacy and security features keeping things kosher.
Says Earthcomber inventor and president Jim Brady,
Earthcomber is different because it orchestrates multiple technologies so that the iPhone user doesn’t have to jump from one application to the next to accomplish related tasks.
I’m not sure how good this application is, but the River Forest, Illinois-based Earthcomber apparently used patented location-based technology to differentiate itself and won Nokia’s 2008 Mobile Rules! competition for the “Best Infotainment” application. Right now Earthcomber’s coverage is exclusive to the United States but it plans international coverage in the future.
If you want to download the Earthcomber app from the iTune’s app store, it’s free.
Related Points Of Interest
