Clicky

The Over Here iPhone App - by Ed Lea in London

I had a note in the other day from Ed Lea. Ed has knocked up a new iPhone Application, now available in the iTunes store. He wondered if we’d be interested in reviewing it. Of course! In fact, here’s what he wrote:

I’ve been reading the various commentaries you guys have been writing about iPhone experiences and I was just wondering if you were thinking of doing any form of reviews of applications?

As a London-based developer I’m basically being very cheeky and asking for a plug for my app, “Over Here”. I appreciate it falls a bit outside the sort of stuff you normally write about but “if you don’t ask…”, etc

It’s not cheeky, Ed. We’re well up for plugging. To any other developers out there: Do send us details and we’ll do our very best to get a piece up about on the site.

I wrote back to Ed and told him ‘bring it on’ or words to that effect. He sent me back this description:

It’s a pretty basic app, but one that I’ve personally wanted for a while. It uses iPhone’s location services (so works on the original or 3G phones) to locate you, shows you the position on a simple map, allows you to fine tune the position and then email it someone as a Google Maps link. That link opens on an iPhone straight into the Google Maps application so the receiver can see where you are and hopefully come and meet you.

The version on the App Store at the moment is 0.99. I’ve got a more polished version, that allows you to change the default email text from my slightly cheesy one, pending approval from Apple. Hopefully that will get reviewed and released by them soon, but unfortunately there’s no telling how long it might take.

You can download Over Here at this address. (It’ll pop up iTunes on your machine, or, if you’re on the iPhone, it’ll pop you straight into the iTunes App page for Over Here).

It is £0.59.

Here’s how it works.

1. Run the application and tap the pin.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008

2. Give the application permission to access your location.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008-1

3. Let the map briefly load.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008-2

4. The map loads and magically shows where you are. Joy. I’m in Essix.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008-3

5. Then simply click the pin to email your location.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008-4

6. This fires up an email with some default text — including the Google Maps link to your location.

Uploaded - 7 Aug 2008-5

Genius.

I can think of so many uses for this. If your friend is trying to find you. If you want to show someone where the BBQ is. If you want to tell your mates to meet you at this Starbucks or what not. Brilliant.

Good work Ed!