MapQuest Blog

Webster's defines evolution as: "...any process of formation or growth", and "...a product of such development; something evolved". While "evolution" can mean many things to many people, we at MapQuest® think our newly released MapQuest 4 Mobile on iPhone™ epitomizes the Webster's definition.

After many months of development, we are proud to announce the availability of MapQuest 4 Mobile on the iPhone. Since last September, the MapQuest 4 Mobile mapping and directions product has been available to BlackBerry® Smartphone users as a free application. With the iPhone, our developers saw an opportunity to start from scratch and completely overhaul the MapQuest 4 Mobile experience to take advantage of the iPhone's unique Multi-touch interface and large screen. The end result is truly the next evolution of maps & directions on the iPhone™, offering a set of unique features that simplify your mobile mapping and directions experience.



Here are a few of the innovative features:

1. Save Maps and Routes on MapQuest.com and retrieve them on your iPhone using your My Places account. (Get your MapQuest My Places account here)




2. More useful driving directions featuring an oversized display and landscape mode orientation.



3. New MapQuest® Place Carousel allows you to easily display locations for hotels, movie theatres, gas stations, and more with a single tap.




4. Negotiate difficult turns or sets of turns with the help of orientation arrows when viewing directions in map mode.



5. Create your own "My Position" icon that represents YOU on the map using the iPhone's built-in camera or choose from a variety of existing My Position icons.



6. Easily add multiple points to your route.



So, if you have an iPhone and are looking for a free, full-featured maps and directions application, now you have a choice! Join the evolution and download MapQuest 4 Mobile on iPhone today.



Want more information? Visit: http://wireless.mapquest.com
If you would like to download the feature screenshots, click here. To see the feature-by-feature YouTube video, click here.

My Name is Larry; I use an iPhone

Since getting an iPhone, I've started leaving the laptop at home when I travel. While visiting family in Indiana for the holidays, I discovered that MapQuest Local was in need of a few enhancements when viewed on the iPhone. One of the great things about being a developer for MapQuest is having the ability to do something about this; I wanted to make MapQuest Local a first class citizen on the iPhone. So now, with the support of both the Mobile and Local teams, you can now see MapQuest Local as part of the MapQuest.com experience.

Local, Wherever You Are

Whenever you type http://local.mapquest.com into the address bar on Mobile Safari, you'll find that you can now view MapQuest Local. Additionally, you can also visit http://www.mapquest.com and find Local as a new item listed in the dropdown menu.

With MapQuest Local, you can find a place to eat, a movie to see afterwards, and check current traffic incidents all while on the go. It seamlessly integrates with MapQuest experience on the iPhone, so you can get directions and view maps of where you're going. Also, we've only included the content and links to our content partners with mobile-friendly sites.

Look for additional content and features on MapQuest Local and our Mobile products in the near future.

For many, the end of the year presents an opportunity to reflect on everything that the year has brought. Let's take a moment to see some of our key accomplishments in 2008.

We completed an amazing amount of work behind the scenes, but it's the services we provide to our users that matter most in the end. So, in expedient fashion in order to move straight to planning for 2009, here's our Top 8 in 2008 review:

#8 – Fuel Cost for Trip Calculation

With gas prices spiking over the summer, many people were forced to evaluate just how much a trip might cost them. By entering your vehicle information in the settings for My MapQuest, we can help you estimate the cost of gas for a trip based on your vehicle's miles per gallon and the local gas prices along your route.

#7 – MapQuest on iPhone

No doubt the iPhone is a popular gadget. You've always been able to access MapQuest.com from your iPhone but, we launched an iPhone-optimized site which automatically loads when you visit MapQuest.com from your iPhone. The site offers the iPhone flick and pinch gestures that so many love.

#6 – Real-Time Traffic

In March, we launched our real-time traffic feature. With coverage now in over 100 metro areas, you can view traffic flow, road closures, incidents, and construction to plan your drive. Traffic is even available on MapQuest for mobile web and our iPhone web version.

#5 – Draggable Routes

Our Draggable Routes feature launched in November and lets you drag your route to get you to your destination the way you want. Draggable routes lets you create directions around that stretch of highway you know is under construction, drive that scenic route along the highway, and drive through other parts of the city/state/country on your trip.

#4 – MapQuest 4 Mobile

Getting maps and directions is easy from your computer. But,often times, you need to find places and get directions when you are out and about. MapQuest 4 Mobile, our new, free mobile application, makes that a snap on many BlackBerry devices and carriers.

#3 – Saving Your Maps and Routes with My MapQuest

How often do you plan your trip or route in advance? With the introduction of My MapQuest this November, you can now save your maps and directions and retrieve them anytime. You can even save the directions you've customized with draggable routes (see feature #5) for later use.

#2 – MapQuest Local

MapQuest Local released with accolades in September. With loads of locally relevant content including news, movies, reviews, and much more bundled into a single page for a single location, Local is a great new online destination for finding what's going on in your destination location.

#1 – Brand Refresh

Last but not least, we refreshed the MapQuest identity as a reflection of our site's evolution. The logo was redrawn from scratch, to make it fresh & modern, yet familiar and instantly recognizable. The colors are sharper, the layout of MapQuest.com is cleaner and the brand is more vibrant and proud. It's a design that stays true to what you said MapQuest means to you.

We also re-introduced "Mark the Star," a fun and friendly character who marks the locations you find on MapQuest. He's been with us from the beginning, but he finally got a little polish, personality and an elevated status across the site.

And of course, we can't forget you. You've sent us your stories, your suggestions, your questions and corrections. A small group of you even worked closely with us weekly-sometimes daily- to provide your feedback and direction on our projects and concepts. Your feedback was crucial to the successful launch of all 8 products listed above. A heartfelt "thank you" from all of us at MapQuest.

And now, onward to 2009!

MapQuest users have come to rely on the quality and accuracy of MapQuest results no matter where they are -- which is why we are delighted to introduce MapQuest optimized for the iPhone. We have served millions of requests for MapQuest from iPhone and iPod browsers and now those results will be presented in a fast, easy-to-use way specifically for the iPhone.



Now you can pinch, flick, and tap your way to your destination on MapQuest.com! Our new iPhone interface includes the same features that MapQuest provides on the full-browser experience. Driving Directions, Maps, Local Search, Traffic, Recent Locations, and Cheapest Gas Prices, with more enhancements showing up automatically in the near future. No downloads needed!

How do I get there?

Easy. Just type mapquest.com into your iPhone or iPod Touch Safari Browser. We'll detect that you are coming from an iPhone and know to send you directly to our iPhone web interface.

Once there, you can tap the "+" at the bottom of your screen and select "Add to Home Screen" to place a shortcut icon on your iPhone's main menu screen. You'll then see the MapQuest Star icon on your screen for easy access back to MapQuest.

We hope you enjoy the user experience of MapQuest for iPhone. Remember to look for more features coming soon!