Earthcomber Adds On-demand Maps and Data

Posted By: Ryan Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:12:28 PM

With the latest release from Earthcomber, travelers with smart phones and PDAs can wirelessly retrieve free maps and data over-the-air, giving mobile users a convenient way to explore their surroundings for places that would make their trips complete.

“Imagine you just stepped off an airplane in a city you’ve never been to before,” explained Dana Sohr, senior vice president of Earthcomber LLC. “Or maybe you’ve driven into an unfamiliar part of your own town. Using the latest release of Earthcomber, you can download the map and all the latest information for that area.”

Earthcomber is a free, location-based service. It employs patented search technology to match the user’s interests with nearby locations and alert the user when one of their needs or desires is nearby. Unlike web-style mobile searches, there’s no need to stop and enter search terms, one by one. Instead, Earthcomber scans the area for the user’s entire list of favorites, interests and needs.

Over 2.5 million locations around the USA are available on Earthcomber. Users can find nearby ATMs, WiFi hotspots, hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, fast food, museums, historical sites, attractions, parks, lakes and trails, gas stations and more.

In addition, Earthcomber provides the latest movie listings for 5,400 theaters and 30,000 screens. Users can search in their proximity for a specific movie title, or simply look for the closest theatre and then display prices and show times.

Other enhancements in the latest release of Earthcomber allow users to pack even more maps and content onto their devices or removable storage cards. In addition, the application’s performance has been improved significantly. Earthcomber can now spot hundreds of nearby locations in just a few seconds.

The over-the-air software is available now for Palm-powered and Windows Mobile smart phones and PDAs.

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earthcomber??

SoS @ 8/28/2006 10:19:37 AM # Q
'Earth' meaning the US.....??

I'm sure things were easier before they became more simple

Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX

RE: earthcomber??
moofie @ 8/28/2006 2:52:46 PM # Q
You're right. Products should never hit the market until they are fully functional in every country on Earth. And free.

Geez...they say they don't have international data yet. What do you want for free?

RE: earthcomber??
ChiA @ 8/28/2006 7:14:31 PM # Q
Well if they have data for only one country of the 180+ in the world they've not exactly combed the Earth have they?

This company seems to have delusions of grandeur.

What would you think if Continental Airlines was a single plane airline that flew once a week between Newark and Dulles or IBM (INTERNATIONAL Business Machines) was a Mom and Pop shop that sold typewriters in some remote corner of North Dakota?

If they're bold enough to call themselves Earthcomber then they should be bold enough to live up to their name.

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. Aaron Levenstein

RE: earthcomber??
joad @ 8/29/2006 2:00:03 AM # Q
Maybe they are combing the earth, but have a bald spot. You can technically be combing your hair even if your entire head isn't covered with hair.

Point taken that they aren't covering 100% of the land mass of earth, at least not yet. But the "combing" function is basically meant to refer to grabbing relevant POIs in the maps that they *do* offer.

The program has hiccups, but it's getting really powerful and you can't argue too much with the price - getting 100% of the maps from counties in every state in the Union for free is certainly something to celebrate. Especially when you look at all the developers seeking $15 bucks for simple "one trick pony" utilities.

I'm really encouraged by the quality of this program and the excellent support I've seen from the developers. After enduring Vindigo's nearly complete failure over the past 5 years or so to improve what was once a promising application, watching innovation like this makes me glad to own a Palm.

RE: earthcomber??
hkklife @ 8/29/2006 10:03:44 AM # Q
Joad;

Is that the ONLY thing that still makes you glad to be owning a Palm?

;-)



Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: earthcomber??
cdunworth @ 8/29/2006 2:38:29 PM # Q
Hi -- my name is Chris Dunworth, and I'm one of the Earthcomber engineers. I'd like to jump in on this discussion, if I could.

We get this criticism very frequently ("earth" != "US"), and it is 100% valid. Our name reflects our vision and intentions, more so than our starting point. We're working very hard to make the software and service a success, and intend to expand coverage as we go. There are obstacles enough to making it a success in our own backyard (i.e. the US -- we're based out of Chicago), so we recognize that we still have much work ahead of us.

If you do live in the US, or are planning to travel there, I hope you consider giving it a try. If not, it is my sincere hope that we will be servicing your home town sooner, rather than later.
:-)

Thanks for all the feedback.

Kind Regards,
Chris Dunworth
Earthcomber Engineer


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