App Idea...

[Wegmans]

Not sure where to post this, but I thought i'd see what you folks thought about this idea...

I would like an application that allows me to view all my addresses/bookmarks on the map AT THE SAME TIME. I know i can add pins to the built-in map app, but it would be great if there was an application that takes it a step further.. When you view a list you can see what is closest to you, etc.

What i would like to do is when you go to the grocery store, hardware store, Best Buy, etc. you can place a bookmark on the map, add your comments, and then view it on the map.. This would be a great way to spatially view places, instead of just on a list.

Ideally this would be combined with AroundMe's features of sorting things by distance..

Does this make sense? I've been searching through the app store for something similar, but i keep coming up with Geocaching apps..

I'd be willing to subsidize this program to bring it to fruition.

[lynch]

whoa...hold on...Geocaching apps? where>?

[NotYou]

whoa...hold on...Geocaching apps? where>?

Just use the search in iTunes. I use this one:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=285258963&mt=8

There are some new ones that look good, but I paid for this one already so I haven't tried them. Geopher works great though

[lynch]

awesome, but that only got my hopes up until i remembered that i only have a 1st gen touch, so unless its by a wifi...i dont think it will work

i like your idea by the way
visual contacts

[Wegmans]

Thanks Lynch! hmm yeah i guess this would only be useful for iPhone users.. but i'm serious about subsidizing this, so pass the word along.. I think it could be a winner

[mek]

to program this
i would retrieve the contact data from the users phone, store it into an array
then parse it into strings that would be load into a UIWebView and google's map api

but to correctly identify each contact, you would either a physical address, or lat/long. coordinates

this can ben done

[mek]

something like this maybe

-(IBAction)openMaps {
// Where is Apple on the map anyway?
NSString* addressText = @"1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014";
// URL encode the spaces
addressText = [addressText stringByAddingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
NSString* urlText = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%@", addressText];
// lets throw this text on the log so we can view the url in the event we have an issue
NSLog(urlText);
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString:urlText]];

[mek]

one thing to consider....is it a violation of the google maps terms of use?
technically all you are doing is embedding a UIWebView to your UIViewController and having the UIWebView load the google maps URL. so its kinda like a browser accessing and loading the maps, by selling an app, or releasing it, which depends upon their services..does it violate the TOS?

just something to look into