Newsletter
News
| HearPlanet Featured in December’s Cigar Aficionado |
Cigar Aficionado features HearPlanet in a full-page editorial in their December issue. Quotes:
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| Geeksugar: 6 Websites and Apps For Painless Holiday Travels |
This month HearPlanet was named by Geeksugar as one of 6 Websites and Apps For Painless Holiday Travels Kelly Schwarze writes, "HearPlanet — Take the time to discover the cultural side of your holiday destination. This interactive app highlights attractions in over 300,000 locations and uses geolocation features so that you don't miss any of the nearby fun, plus it's a great excuse to get out of the house and move around in fresh air."
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| HearPlanet featured in WavePlay’s “What’s Hot Now” |
WavePlay, selected HearPlanet as the subject of their October 2011 "What's Hot Now" featured company. Peter Seidel and Lyne Noella created a fantastic video and profile page that profiles the company and highlights some exciting new product features. WavePlay writes, "Steve Echtman, Founder and CEO of HearPlanet, provides an exciting and informative approach to securing audio information about thousands of locations worldwide."
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| British Airways Names HearPlanet Best App for Sightseeing |
British Airways' in-flight magazine, High Life, features HearPlanet in its September edition, and crowns HearPlanet the "Best [app] for Sightseeing."
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| MacTech Magazine and TUAW interview HearPlanet CEO at WWDC |
Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Steven Echtman of HearPlanet at WWDC. Watch Video.
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| Mac|Life Features HearPlanet in “How To Plan and Enhance Your Vacation with the iPhone” |
"Whether on vacation or taking an hour between business meetings, managing your time to know where to go in a new town, what to see, when it’s open, and how far it is from your current location can streamline any visit. This app provides a full audio guide for a huge range of locations around the globe. Using the GPS, it can tell you what attractions are nearby, and then tells you core details about that location. That can mean a lot less reading. The maps let you find interesting locations nearby, and then hear details on their background and significance. You can also search for specific locations if you happen to know what you’re looking for. At $4.99 the app covers a lot of locations, and can provide pre-travel information if you simply search by your destination city, so that you can sound smarter when you get there if traveling with friends or a spouse."
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| HearPlanet: Top 5 Travel App on UK’s the Gadget Show |
 HearPlanet servers almost ground to a halt when the UK's Channel 5 featured HearPlanet as one its Top Five Travel Apps on its popular Gadget Show. A huge number of users downloaded and launched their HearPlanet applications during the show and some began to experienced latency while HearPlanet servers scaled to accomodate the new load.The Gadget Show says, "HearPlanet is like having a tour guide with you 24-7. Simply search for a landmark around you. HearPlanet will then locate it from its massive database of sights and locations and find an audio guide to help you learn more about it." See the episode: http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/videos/top-5/travel-apps The Gadget Show's HearPlanet page: http://fwd.channel5.com/gadgets/phones/hearplanet  |
| HearPlanet CEO interviewed for The Home Based Tavel Agent Show |
| This episode, devoted to our interview, looks at how travel professionals can use HearPlanet to promote themselves as destination experts.
The Home Based Travel Agent Show's blog says HearPlanet is "...a sophisticated app for your iPhone or Android powered smart phone. Geolocation along with powerful search features will lead you on a discovery of what’s around you, or what’s interesting at a destination your traveling to." The benefit for the travel professional is that they can add locations they're familiar with and become the destination expert on HearPlanet. Users of the applications can contact contributors directly from the app to book services, using the phone, email, the web and more.  |
| HearPlanet #2 in HotelsFairy.com’s 10 Really Useful Travel Apps for the iPhone |
HotelsFairy.com names HearPlanet #2 in their piece: 10 Really Useful Travel Apps for the iPhoneIn the piece by Jenny Kellett, HotelsFairy says,"HearPlanet is certainly up there as one of the most useful travel apps around. Wherever you are in the world, HearPlanet will act as a travel guide in your pocket – telling you what attractions are nearby. It even plays you the Wikipedia description of each one out loud."  |
| HearPlanet Partners with City of San Francisco on Mobile App |
 HearPlanet has partnered with the City of San Francisco to provide the official mobile application for the City’s "Shop SF – Get More" program. This program is being promoted heavily in the media, with placements throughout the region’s BART and MUNI trains, busses and stations. Look for the Shop SF application in Apple’s iTunes App Store mid-November.
The Shop SF application is aimed at the over 15 million visitors who come to San Francisco each year, and who spend $7.8 billion on local businesses. HearPlanet appreciates Mayor Newsome and the City’s Economic Development Team for promoting cutting edge technology and partnering with HearPlanet in the development of the Shop SF mobile application. Merchants can register at onlyinsanfrancisco.com/shopsfregister to participate in the program and be included in HearPlanet’s official Shop SF mobile application (launching November 15th). Shop SF Merchants are automatically featured in HearPlanet’s family of mobile applications, which can be found on most mobile smart-phone platforms.  |
| HearPlanet Partners With appbackr |
HearPlanet has partnered with appbackr, so you (and the public) can make money while supporting HearPlanet. appbackr is the new digital wholesale marketplace for iPhone applications. People buy applications at wholesale rates and profit when apps sell in Apple's App Store.
HearPlanet is pre-selling an allocated number of apps to buyers on appbackr. appbackr delivers these funds in advance of App Store sales and promotes HearPlanet to the general public using social media tools. Wholesale buyers can also help promote the product and increase retail sales. Now you can make money while supporting HearPlanet's future development and success. Click here to get started: appbackr
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| Information Today (October 2010) |
| IT Spotlight: HearPlanet Set to Guide Itself to a Solid Future (link)
Marji McClure reports on a company that gives travelers the information they need to know on-the-go. 
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| HearPlanet: Official US Representative for World Summit Awards |
HearPlanet is selected as the official United States entry for World Summit Awards(website)
HearPlanet is proud to have been selected as the official United States entry to the prestigious World Summit Awards for Mobile Tourism & Culture for 2010 and 2011.  |
| HearPlanet is Ebbies Award Finalist |
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Press Release
HearPlanet is a 2010 Ebbies Award Finalist for Innovation Through Technology. There are three finalists for this year's award, with HearPlanet receiving this honor along with Zynga and Practice Fusion.  |
| The Globe and Mail |
| Travel apps point the way - Tools recommended by road warriors by Deirdre Kelly (full article)  "HearPlanet ... will even tell you about the cool things surrounding you anywhere in the world." Cristin Fraser, publicist for True North Records and Linus Entertainment in Burlington, Ont., wonders whether HearPlanet might soon render the tour guide obsolete. “I used it on a trip to Nashville, and it was really easy to use,” Ms. Fraser says. “It gave a lot of background on the city and a few of the places of interest we ended up seeing, like the Ryman Auditorium.” “They downloaded really quickly. I’d say it’s worth using.”  |
| InStyle Magazine (June 2010 issue) |
InStyle Magazine (June 2010 issue) says, “HearPlanet: Your personal tour guide provides commentary on more than 300,000 landmarks worldwide, like the Lincoln Memorial or Coney Island.”  |
| IPhone apps for the traveler |
[ full article ] 
As written in the Way To Go Guide section of the Sunday, May 16, 2010 Washington Post: "Using the iPhone's GPS, it locates nearby sights and reads the articles out loud, turning your phone into a talking tour guide."  |
| With my iPhone alone, I’m apped to travel |
by Ross Arbes [ full article ] 
"The iPhone also functioned as an interactive tour guide. One evening, after enjoying a sunset view of the city from the top of nearby Mount Washington, I rode the Monongahela funicular down to the bottom. Curious about the funicular's history, I opened up HearPlanet..." "I learned that the funicular is the oldest continuously operating one in the United States, originally built by German immigrants who modeled it after ones in their homeland."  |
| Travelling made easier with your smartphone Say good-bye to carrying around guides |
by Erin Loxam @ VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) [ full article ] 
"Dustin Bhartu with Rogers says the first one to check out is HearPlanet. "It will actually find landmarks and cool things around you. You just simply select it and then this quite amusing robotic voice will read back to you all the history of that specific site.""  |
| HearPlanet featured on MasterCard website |
[ full article ] 
HearPlanet featured by MasterCard on their website promoting mobile apps.  |
| May/June Issue of Modern Luxury’s Manhattan Magazine: |
[ full article ]  Modern Luxury's Manhattan Magazine covers 5 travel apps in their May/June issue and says, "HearPlanet: This app treats the entire world like a self-guided museum tour."  |
| Six Sizzling iPhone Apps That Will Make Your Travel A Breeze in 2010 |
by Tia Jones [ full article ] 
HearPlanet Are you a lone crusader who is passionate about exploring destinations on your own? Then this application is for you! HearPlanet delivers the history and facts about a specific place that you are visiting and also plays it an audio format like a professional tour guide.  |
| When It’s Okay to Pay For an App |
by Brian Barrett [full article]
Gizmodo recently featured HearPlanet, highlighting the fact that we save users $2-$1,000 (and possibly more, based on their math - but we're not complaining :). We were listed as the app with the second highest savings out of the seven they highlighted. Besides being featured in the savings grid, Gizmodo's Brian Barrett says, "Frequent traveler? Download HearPlanet's collection of over 250,000 audio guides instead of shelling out around $8 for one at each location." Thanks Gizmodo!  |
| Around the World in 10 Apps |
By Paul Zieke [full article]
During a trip to Arizona, Paul & Janice Zieke demonstrated 10 apps that every traveler should consider. "The drive took us past Casa Grande, the site of ancient American Indian ruins. To learn about them, Janice searched HearPlanet. It gave us an instant overview of Casa Grande."  |
| The New York Times: Apps for the iPhone – A Traveler’s Companion, Pocket Size |
As published in the New York Times Sunday Travel Section over Thanksgiving weekend, journalist Michelle Higgins writes: "Billed as an “audio guide to the world,” HearPlanet offers text and recorded commentary for about 250,000 points of interest worldwide including tourist attractions and landmarks around you." Michelle goes on to to talk about her experience listening to content on the New Museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side and how it "identified important figures such as Ana Mendieta, William Kentridge and Andrea Zittel... and how the facility, which opened on 235 Bowery in December 2007 and was designed by the Tokyo-based firm Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA and the New York-based firm Gensler, was named one of the seven architectural wonders by Condé Nast Traveler." [full article]  |
| TechDigest: Top 50 iPhone Apps 2009 |
 HearPlanet makes TechDigest list of top 50 apps for 2009! Reviewer, Paul Lamkin writes: "This app uses the iPhone’s geo-location functionality to provide audio guides for wherever you may be. Its developers say that HearPlanet is like having a professional tour guide with you at all times. The truth is, it's great for popular tourist destinations, particularly American ones like The Grand Canyon where the app will provide a professional sounding guide." [original article]  |
| iPhone: Travel apps picked by an iPhone expert |
by Sean O'Neill @ Budget Travel [full article]
Josh Clark is the author of 'Best iPhone Apps: The Guide for Discriminating Downloaders'. We recently asked him for some travel tips. Which iPhone apps do you recommend highly for domestic travel? "HearPlanet is a travel audio guide. It lets you search for nearby landmarks and notable locations and then broadcasts audio commentary on those buildings and sights. You can choose to read or listen to it and some items feature human voices, but more obscure locations necessarily rely on text-to-speech robot voices. Still, the effect is like having a knowledgeable companion whispering in your ear as you explore a new place."  |
| Vator News |
by Matt Bowman @ Vator.tv [full article]
"HearPlanet, one of Vator's Juice Pitcher Top 10 Winners, collects geographically relevant information and delivers it to your iPhone in an audio format--it's essentially an audio tour guide for any place on the planet. They have over 500,000 downloads and have begun being featured in Apple's advertisements."  |
| HearPlanet Featured in Apple iPhone Ads |
Apple is featuring HearPlanet in their full page iPhone ads in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Alongside our icon on the phone it says:
“HearPlanet: Imagine a guidebook that speaks to you. With iPhone as your audio guide you’ll get the scoop on landmarks, historic sites and more - in countless cities worldwide - without taking your eyes off the sights.”
You can also see HearPlanet's logo in Apple's iPhone commercials.
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| HearPlanet (Best App for Instant Audio Guides) |
O'Reilly, the website for the discriminating downloader, names HearPlanet the best Instant Audio Guide: "HearPlanet is an audio guide that adapts to wherever you go, giving audio commentary on buildings and landmarks around you." "...the effect is like having a knowledgeable companion whispering in your ear as you explore a new place." "HearPlanet tracks 250,000 locations around the globe, giving you a practically never-ending audio guide for the whole world." [full article]  |
| PC Magazine: My Favorite Travel Gadgets and Apps |
By Tim Bajarin (click for original article)
HearPlanet: Great app that tells you what is nearby, and, once you're at a location, it tells you about it and serves as your instant local travel guide. Very cool.  |
| National Geographic Adventure Magazine |
By Steve Casimiro (link to original article) 
National Geographic Adventure Magazine writes: "Looking for the coolest attractions nearby? HearPlanet will find them..." "Like having a tour guide in your pocket, HearPlanet tells you what attractions are nearby..." Thanks National Geographic!  |
| Fox Business News HearPlanet Interview, Live from the Cisco Campus. |
HearPlanet's Steven Echtman was recently interviewed as part of Fox Business News’ special feature “3 Days in the Valley,” broadcast live from the Cisco Campus. Click here to watch the interview.  |
| Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 “Most Likely to Succeed” |
HearPlanet won "Most Likely to Succeed" at SVASE's Launch: Silicon Valley 2009. HearPlanet was also chosen by Fox Business Channel to be featured live on Fox Business’ special feature “3 Days in the Valley” (video) from the Cisco Campus.
Three Days In the Valley: Day Three (Article)  |
| United Airlines’ Hemispheres Magazine: You Can Take It With You |
April's edition of United Airlines' Hemispheres Magazine Please go to Page 20. (cir. 3700 flight/day & up to 7.6 million passengers per month). "HearPlanet: The best kind of travel guide -- one that requires no reading. Once on the ground, fire up HearPlanet, an exhaustive audio guidebook packed into your iPhone. It's not bulky or heavy, and its pages won't get smeared with sunscreen.  |
| Salon: Five Location-Based Apps for the iPhone |
 By Lisa Hoover (link to original article) If you like to go sightseeing when you travel, then you’ll love HearPlanet. It uses geolocation to determine where you are, then feeds you tons of information about the area’s landmarks, famous buildings, historical sites, and more via your headphones. More than just an audio tour guide, listen while you drive around running errands and you just might learn something you never knew about your hometown.  |
| touchtip: Think Global, Go Local with Audio Tours from HearPlanet |
 By Shane Burley (link to original article)"HearPlanet stands out as one of the best of these, focusing on traditional tourism in a non-specific way by providing text and audio tour guides for over 250,000 points-of-interest around the globe. Today, HearPlanet Premium gets a new feature that adds interactive maps to the tour guides along with audio descriptions using human voices."  |
| cnet news: HearPlanet adds map to audio tour guide iPhone app |
By Elinor Mills (link to original article)
"My questions could easily have been answered with the HearPlanet Premium iPhone app. The new version of the "talking tour guide" mobile program, released publicly on Thursday, includes an integrated, interactive map and human voices, in addition to the computer-generated audio..."  |
| Blorge: Top 40 best free iPod Touch Apps |
 By Arnold Zafra (link to original article)HearPlanet - A talking tour guide for you iPod Touch, this applications covers hundreds of thousands places around the globe.  |
| Mobiletech Addicts – HearPlanet for iPhone – Review |
by Edward J R [full article]
"So, you're going to visit some place and would like to learn something about that place, so what can you do if you have an iPhone? You can buy one of the many tourist guides and *read* it. But what about being able to *listen* to text about a given place? Here comes HearPlanet which is kind-of a tourist guide that speaks to you!"  |
| Appcraver |
Appcraver
...The option of reading the information or listening to the audio is very nice. The ability, via the geolocation, to have HearPlanet identify your current location and provide you with points of interests close to you is a handy feature especially if you’re just out exploring and don’t have exact addresses to search. |
| USA Today: Application developers see iPhone as way to get noticed |
By Jefferson Graham (link to original article)
"The iPhone has the largest install base with the highest level of functionality," says Steven Echtman, CEO of HearPlanet, a free travel audio tour service that launched in early January. Other platforms have larger numbers of subscribers, such as Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, but users aren't as likely to add lots of new applications, he says, because Apple makes it easier via its App Store. HearPlanet has been downloaded more than 50,000 times.  |
| Video from HearPlanet Macworld Launch Event |
| Steven Echtman with the now famous HearPlanet Launch Party Tour Bus. Video by Allan Lundell Editorial and graphics by Brian Cibula  |
| 70jozat Blog: HearPlanet Travel App for your iPhone |
70jozat Blog (link to original article)
"HearPlanet is a travel app for the iPhone and iPod touch that allows you by searching for a city, to find the interesting attractions around you, and if text is too boring, the app will read it for you..."  |
| Put a Tour Guide in Your Pocket |
Home Based Travel Agent Podcast - Barry Kantz and Lorene Romero (link to original article)
Would you like a tour guide in your pocket? One that you can use whenever you like and wherever your are. HearPlanet offers such a service. Listen to the podcast and learn how you can have a tour guide for over 250,000 locations on the planet.  |
| iPhone Extras: HearPlanet turns iPhone into a talking tour guide |
| By Justin Time (link to original article) If you are always on the move and you own an iPhone, well, you could surely use the new application HearPlanet which literally transforms your iPhone into a talking tour guide. Released on Christmas Eve in Apple’s iTunes App Store, HearPlanet quickly climbed into the top ten on Apple’s list of paid Travel applications and is available for $3.99...  |
| Camera Town: Turn your iPhone into a Talking Tour Guide – Great for Photowalks |
 (link to original article)Find Great Locations to Photograph Wherever You Go! HearPlanet turns your iPhone into a talking tour guide. Leave those bulky tour books behind and let HearPlanet show you the way. The software makes it easy to find what you're looking for, wherever you are - and fast! You'll be amazed how easy it is to access all the landmarks, historic sites, cultural spots, nature areas, famous buildings, sports venues, recreation areas, and more - all in a way that really 'speaks' to you. Use HearPlanet to learn all about the places you go, as well as what's around you every day. It's a great way to learn about your surroundings and you'll be amazing at what you find.  |
| iPhones Talk: Turn your iPhone into a talking tour guide with HearPlanet for the iPhone |
(link to original article)...HearPlanet is a simple but smart app with a nice look and feel. As some sites have suggested, integration with maps and phone numbers would be a great addition in time. HearPlanet is a free download (for a limited time) from the iTunes App Store, works on both the iPhone and iPod touch, and it illustrates how powerful the Apple devices have grown in a very limited time.  |
| Gadling: HearPlanet turns your iPhone into a talking tour guide |
By Scott Carmichael (link to original article)
The iPhone is quickly turning into the most popular mobile phone on the market. The device has shown it is quite capable as a gaming console, as well as a platform for some pretty awesome travel applications. One of the newest travel apps that seems to be catching a lot of attention is HearPlanet. This application turns your iPhone into a location based talking tour guide...  |
| The Next Web: HearPlanet iPhone App. Death to Tour Buses |
By Zee (link to original article)
I am not a tour bus kind of guy, if I’m going to go on a tour I’ll hire a guide (and a big car) and see the place in comfort. With HearPlanet, an innovative new iPhone app I may not even need to do that. HearPlanet will user your location to give you a good overview of items of interest around you. Similar to previously mentioned “Where to” in some respects, however HearPlanet also seems to offer information about the places rather than just links to locations. The “Hear” in HearPlanet stems from the fact that the application will actually dictate info about your location...  |
