Otago Maps helps you find "your place in the world" - or, at least, your place on the Dunedin campus.
Whether you're new to the campus or visiting, Otago Maps will help you pinpoint that elusive building or lecture theatre.
By navigating through categories to find the location you're after, or by typing the location into the search field, you can select it, then view your own location (determined by the GPS within your iPhone or iPod Touch) and work out exactly how to get from A to B. Otago Maps can also help you find Wireless Access points, eStops or other facilities.
And, because this is an offline application, you don't even need internet access to use it.
Otago Maps
Written by Philip Roy
May 03, 2009
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4.3 (1) |
Software
| Version | 1.0 |
| Cost | $0.00 FREE |
| Suitable For | iPod Touch • iPhone 3G |
| Company/Developer | Otago University |
| Company/Product Website | |
| New Zealand Developer | |
Support NZiPhone.com - Purchase via this iTunes link |
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User reviews
Average user rating from: 1 user(s)
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| Overall rating: | 4.3 | |
| Ease of Use: | 5.0 | |
| Help/Support Material: | 3.0 | |
| Graphics and Sound: | 4.0 | |
| Value for Money: | 5.0 |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
This week I was flown down to Otago University to give a presentation and attend some meetings. Working for another University (Massey University) it's always nice to visit other institutions, look at their environment and discuss their approach to various activities. At one point, one of their IT people proudly showed me their Maps app for the iPhone and iPod Touch...so I had to download it and give it a try.
Built in-house by the University, the app features a database of all significant areas within the University. The maps are stored within the app, meaning that net access is not required. However, a nice feature in it, is that it will prompt you and make use of your location, to offer an idea to you of where you are in comparison to where you need to be (I of course can't test this as I am writing this back in Palmerston North).
What I really like about the app (besides its simplicity) is the way in which the locations have been categorised for navigation. Looking for computer rooms? Libraries? The simple navigation provided on the first default "Browse" option is excellent. Move to the search screen and you can not only search all locations, but refine your search in subsets, such as searching through all exam locations.
The map image itself that is used in the app is of very reasonable quality and you can easily zoom into the map using standard iPhone and iPod Touch gestures. If there is a pin placed in a location to indicate something, you can click on it to see a name pop up to tell you what it is, very reminiscent of the maps tool within the OS.
This is just an example of a really nice, simple, free and useful app. Of course, its target audience is students enrolled at or intending to enrol at the University...but even for my visit, with my uncanny ability to arrive at the wrong place (even though I was dropped off by a shuttle) having this on my iPhone would have been handy. I imagine the same could be said when organising conferences etc for people spending time on campus.
I can easily see ways in which this app might be further enhanced (images of each location available when you click on a pin for example) but I'm not entirely convinced it needs it...or that you would want to maintain that level of detail. It's obvious that a lot of work has already gone into this, but I'm not sure if Otago would want to do more. That said, congrats on a great and useful app!
