GeoVector Corporation, which develops mobile technology linking digital information with real-world places, has launched its directional search and pointing application for mobile phones.
GeoVector World Surfer is now available for download from the Apple App Store for AT&T customers with the iPhone 3GS, and Android Market for the T-Mobile G1 with Google and the T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google. World Surfer is available for Sprint customers using the recently-announced HTC Hero, and will be available on future Android-powered devices.
Developed for compass-enabled GPS smartphones, World Surfer allows users to point their phones in a particular direction to search for retailers, restaurants and other points of interest.
Using GeoVectors pointing technology, World Surfer users can, as the company puts it: click on the real world with their phones to access information.
GeoVector, in partnership with NEC and Mapion, has provided services based on this technology throughout Japan since 2006. Building upon experience gained by delivering the service in Japan, GeoVector has designed a directionally-filtered location browser which helps users to zero in on places in the real world which interest them, simply and efficiently.
After locating a point of interest, World Surfer users can visit the location's website, get reviews, place a phone call, check for pictures or YouTube videos, search Google, see the location on a map, and be guided there by an interactive arrow. They can also bookmark their favorite spots, hotel or parking garage to return after a days exploring.
Other local search applications present the user with a fog of information.World Surfer totally avoids that fog, providing just the information users seek quickly, reliably 24/7, says GeoVectors CEO John Ellenby.
Initial US content channels for World Surfer include Google, Microsoft Bing, Yahoo! Local, Wikipedia, Papa John's International pizza restaurants, and a Starbucks coffee tracker. The company says that several national and international retail and restaurant chains are currently in discussion with GeoVector to reach out to their customers using World Surfer.
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