UpNext Releases Impressive 3D Mapping App for iPad

[MacRumors]

Mapping company UpNext has released a new iPad app with its 3D mapping technology. The app shows uses points of interest and friends Foursquare check-ins to help users navigate on a 3D representation of close to 50 cities. TechCrunch, writing about the app, says:

I am seriously impressed. The resolution is great and the onscreen update speed is amazing. It offers the best of services like Google Maps alongside real city imagery, allowing you to use the map to orient yourself in 3D space. A blinking dot on a 2D street-scape works, but a 3D dot in a 3D city works even better.

The app boasts what UpNext calls "enhanced 3D" for 22 cities, with rich building and road detail:

Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Paul, Washington DC

UpNext HD Maps for iPad is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: UpNext Releases Impressive 3D Mapping App for iPad

 

[thekeyring]

...and some people still say the iPad is just a big iPod touch. Can't do that on an iPod touch.

 

[Laika37]

...and some people still say the iPad is just a big iPod touch. Can't do that on an iPod touch.

You could if it was bigger

 

[nagromme]

Cool—my city supports 3D!

I’m getting some wackiness with the app download, though: the “Free” (download) button proceeds without asking for my password (haven’t entered it today at all), and then the icon sits on my iPhone screen “Waiting.” On my iPad, it does ask for the password but still sits on “Waiting.”

Retry later, I guess. (EDIT: Yep, OK now.)

You could if it was bigger

They should make a pocket-sized iPad. That would be sweet!

 

[nylonsteel]

re original article

looks pretty good

hope it lives up to expectations

dont care for the annoying foursquare thingy

had to drop a hot looking girl who was a foursquare freak

 

[jontech]

Got Honolulu in there


I'm sold!

 

[Pigumon]

You could if it was bigger

It's not JUST a bigger iPod Touch, it's FINALLY a bigger iPod Touch.

Useful screen space was all the Touch was lacking.



.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

...and some people still say the iPad is just a big iPod touch. Can't do that on an iPod touch.

T.T

A failure on the developers part to envision to interface on a smaller screen doesn't mean the iPhone couldn't handle it. iPad exclusive apps really piss me off.

Edit: nontheless, I shall be using the app on my iPad to look around Boston... There have been some walking routes I've wanted to look into but havn't been adventurous enough to try it in person (what if I get lost?)

 

[Hawkeye411]

Wow!!

 

[nagromme]

Just to be clear:

The app in question is "UpNext HD Maps,” not “UpNext 3D Cities,” which is older and only has half a dozen or so cities right now—but which does support iPhone.

(It also seems to take up more space on your device, pre-downloading your chosen citi(es); compared to this newer app which streams as near as I can tell—but may therefore depend on an Internet connection all the time? I haven’t checked what else differs between the two.)

 

[wordoflife]

3 cities that I can frequently use. I'm sold!

Oh wait, it's free.
Well actually now I just need my iPad.

 

[skinned66]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

This is the beginning of the end of iOS not having a native map that doesn't do turn-by-turn navigation.

Edit: I need to really read the whole story before I post from now on.

 

[0098386]

Devices I own- 2008 13" MBP, latest and highest-end 27" iMac, 64gb iPhone 4S, 64gb iPod touch
Devices I own that can run this app- theoretically all, but none

Oh well!

 

[andrewsd]

It's not JUST a bigger iPod Touch, it's FINALLY a bigger iPod Touch.

Useful screen space was all the Touch was lacking.



.

No no. 3.5 inches is perfect for "angry birds.". Isn't that why we buy iPhones and what not.

All kiding aside the app does look impressive. Too bad there is no "San Diego" though.

 

[JesseFogarty]

So much for Android trying to use the lack of turn by turn directions, I think 3D maps > turn by turn directions.

On another note, really Apple? Another god damn genius update that Canadians get to drool over but never use... Nice.

 

[pointlessly]

Pretty. Cute. Pointless.

When you have applications that show you actual street photographs, how is a 3D map any better, especially when the buildings don't really look like the actual buildings? They try, sure, but don't come close. So it's another "gee whiz" app that's redundant. And then there's the advertisement at the bottom of the map that bears no relation to my interests. If you want turn-by-turn on your iPhone and iPad go with waze.

 

[ombrenelcielo]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Nokia Maps = many times better.

 

[SockRolid]

Very nice. But I suspect Apple is going to release a massive upgrade to Maps in iOS 6.0. On iPhone and iPad. And that will crush independents like UpNext.

And that massive iOS Maps upgrade just might explain why Samsung is hyping their own turn-by-turn navigation system in ads now. Because in a few months Apple will trump them.

 

[KiwiAdventure]

This app is rubbish.

 

[Oletros]

So much for Android trying to use the lack of turn by turn directions, I think 3D maps > turn by turn directions.

Like the 3D maps that Google Maps and Navigation have?

 

[Digitalclips]

Good effort and quite fun, if obviously very beta. When Apple release their own 3D mapping system based on the SAAB technology this sort of application will be doomed, I would not want to be an investor that's for sure.

 

[alhedges]

The app looks more like a demonstration than an actual app. It's kind of cool for the cities that they have in 3d, although I wouldn't really call it useful. And the random ad at the bottom is both annoying and useless.

It's completely useless for the non-3d cities though...and some of the restaurants they listed in my spot check have been closed for 2 years.

 

[Zimmer62943]

coming soon for other devices like the kindle fire. kindle FAIL

 

[kboyle65]

Wish I would have gotten a 3G iPad 2......

 

[robertosh]

I think that is a great app for show but it has any advantage vs the traditional google maps?