Google Places

Google Places Review

by on January 21, 2011

Google’s answer to FourSquare has arrived; a natural development given the amount of location-finding applications that already use its faultless maps service. The only question in our minds is why it’s been so long coming.

The app comes pre-loaded with nine popular searches including restaurants, bars and pizza. Tapping on these searches around your position on Google maps to bring up matching services in your area, along with phone numbers, street addresses etc. Brilliantly, you can add to these options yourself by tapping the + button at the top of the app. We tried “Markets” as a general tester, and then just to be difficult “Cheese Shops”. And wouldn’t you know it, up came T3 Towers neighbour La Fromagerie. Touche, Google.

Some of the selections worked better than others – the app’s insistence that there were no ATM machines for a half mile in any direction while standing in the middle of Edgware Road was particularly curisome. However, when it works (which is most of the time), the accuracy almost military (our reviewer sleeps safe in the knowledge that his local Pizza Hut is a mere 297 feet from his front door).
Once you’ve picked from the list of matching search candidates, the app displays reviews taken from a range of review sites, as well as buttons to “see on map”, “call”, “directions to here”, “more info” and a button to rate and review the venue. A smart, free application for those unfussed by the mayors-and-badges-frills of Foursquare.

Download this app: Google Places for iPhone

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