The Urbanspoon application for the iPhone is the must-have app for those that eat out a lot. Actually even if you don’t eat out a lot but just want to find someplace new you would love the Urbanspoon.
Urbanspoon is a free application that can either use your current location to build a restaurant database or allows you to choose a city. The database of cities to choose from is quite extensive and certainly covers all major North American and European cities.
Once you choose the city you want, Urbanspoon then allows, depending on the size of the city, for you to further break down the city into sections, i.e. North side, South side, Manhattan, Bronx, etc, etc. You then choose the cuisine you want, i.e. Italian, Japanese, Mexican, etc, etc. Finally, the amount you wish to pay, $, $$, $$$, $$$$. Each of those categories is on a wheel that spins when you shake the iPhone. You can lock any of the categories so that it stays constant when you shake. For instance, if I am only interested in restaurants in the Northeast I would press on the lock button just below that category and it would not move when I shake the iPhone (or just press the “shake” button).
There is a “browse” button that opens up a number of other categories to choose from, like: Popular Restaurants; Talk of the Town; etc. These categories give lists of restaurants that have been reviewed by Urbanspoon users on an “I like it”/”I don’t” basis and provides the phone number and address of the restaurant. Moreover, you can read through users reviews.
There is a “My restaurants” button, but you have to sign up for an Urbanspoon account. This allows you to review and rate restaurants that you visit and share with other users.
Also, you have “Friends” button, which again requires an Urbanspoon account. This allows you to connect using your Facebook™ account. As you write reviews or choose your favorite restaurants your friends will see them on Facebook. Moreover, you will see what your friends have to say about any restaurant your looking at.
There is a “search” button that allows you to simply type in the name of the restaurant your are looking for and then the Urbanspoon™ will provide you a list starting with the restaurant nearest to your location.
Finally, they have added, “scope”. “Scope”utilises “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.”
When you press the “scope” button you get a video feed of your reality with a layover of restaurant bars that includes their name, direction, distance and percentage that “liked it”. It is very cool and very handy. You can just stand in front of place and point your iPhone at an establishment and get an instant review. Very, very handy…and cool!
Urbanspoon is available in App Store for free. You can click this direct iTunes link to download. If you need a great app to help you pick a decent restaurant or browse through the review of a particular restaurant before making the booking, Urbanspoon is definitely the app for you.
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