Combines travel features, GPS when available

Wazado Mobile Applications, best known for its NAVV turn-by-turn GPS navigation app, has created an iPad-only offering called NAVV Traveller, which combines offline maps with online GPS (if available) and travel-assistant type features such as weather conditions, real-time traffic, points of interest and in-app posting to Facebook or SMS. The app is available for North America and Western Europe so far.

Both versions of the program sell for $25 each, and offer over one million points of interest each. The North American version includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The Western European version covers both major countries like the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Italy as well as smaller countries including Monaco, Andorra, the Republic of Ireland, Finland, Austria, Norway, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Gibraltar (including Mediterranean and Atlantic islands), Malta, San Marino and the Vatican. Turn-by-turn navigation is not available in all cities in the Western European edition.

Menus and voice instruction are available in 35 languages, from English to Zulu. When GPS is available, the tool sports turn-by-turn GPS (requires an additional $25 in-app purchase) that allows blocking of unwanted routes and (when online) incorporates real-time traffic by NavTeq, as well as automatic check-ins with Foursquare.

The maps can be stored and used offline if desired, but users are cautioned that the additional languages and maps will consume approximately 3GB of space and should be loaded using Wi-Fi after initial app installation. The app also features an Adventure mode to let travellers discover their own paths on land, sea or air, and features current weather conditions and forecasts via MyWeather.com.

The program features 3D landmarks among the detailed maps, and lets users create custom itineraries with an unlimited number of waypoints, which can be shared on Facebook. They require iOS 4.0 or later. A separate NAVV series of navigation apps for various countries that works with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad is also available.

by MacNN Staff