Yelp is a networking site whose aim is to “connect real people with great local businesses.” It is visited by millions of users every month who offer and share reviews of local businesses in US, Canada and UK. You can rate businesses, find special offers, lists and also talk with other Yelpers. If you have a restaurant, shop or business it’s probably been reviewed on Yelp.
Yelp is a great iPhone app when traveling to US and London. I use Yelp to make sure my dining out is not an adventure but rather a relaxing enjoyable experience. I have not strayed very wrong following the recommendations on the Yelp site and I certainly recommend you give it a try if you’re looking for a review about a certain business or restaurant.
The Yelp iPhone application is fantastic. It has almost all of the functionalities of the website and is free to download and use. You’re not required to sign-up but if you want to write reviews and chat with other users, you do have to sign-up an Yelp account. Anyhow, it just takes you a minute or two to complete the registration.
When you open up the Yelp iPhone app, you’re presented with the different categories that business are listed under. Based on your geo-location via GPS, you get a list of near-by businesses ranked by distance (including a “hot on Yelp nearby” category). When you tap on a business, you are presented with page that gives you all the info you need about the business: photo, address, link to directions using the iPhone map, telephone number and reviews. Also, you have buttons to add tips, add reviews, add to your bookmarks and e-mail a friend.
The developers of the Yelp iPhone app also added a surprise or “Easter egg” called “Monocle”. When you press on the Monocle button it activates the video recorder on the iPhone so you see your “reality”. Monocle is meant to utilize “augmented reality”, which is defined as a “live, direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment that has elements merged with (or augmented by) virtual, computer-generated imagery, creating a mixed reality.”
How does Yelp merge the virtual world? Well, as you move around the restaurants and businesses from your categories start to appear in the direction you should travel to visit those businesses. It is really cool! What you get is a view of your reality and a list of business names on the left and right sides of the screen (with their 1-5 star rating) and an arrow pointing to the direction and distance to the business. Check out the demo video from mashable to see it in action:
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I was already a big fan of the Yelp website. I am even a bigger fan of the iPhone app. I would rate the Yelp iPhone app as one of the top ten most useful and need-to-have apps for the iPhone. Go get it and try it, you will love it especially you’re traveller to US, UK and Canada!
To download Yelp for iPhone, simply click this direct iTunes link.
i use this app all the time
Check out Riff Raters in the app store
Youre the one with the brains here. Im wacitnhg for your posts.
Yelp in iphone really helped for lot of members for their need