I liked the serendipity aspect of the app. I discovered places around me that I did not know existed. I’ll probably check out some of them the next time I’m looking for something to do.

I do think the issue of look and feel is an important one. Things like misspellings and goofy behavior caused me to ask myself whether the developer did a thorough job and whether the app could be relied on. “If the developer missed those things, what other things, might they not have done correctly?” That’s a big issue because with the amount of competition out there, it’s easy for a user to drop an app like the proverbial hot potato and try something else.

Totally agree about the goofy listing – that’s a problem integrating Eventful; might not be worth fixing, since most of their stuff seems to be “zip code” gps. Not all that useful when it comes to getting directions.

Now, a few wags of the finger. First, big apology out there to all the philatelic folks for that dropped “i”. That’s got to hurt. Stil, I don’t see much use in stopping to run spell check on all partner listings we pass through. Users mostly want results on the screen in under a few minutes.

Another: You move a mile and the lists “changed quite a bit”? You didn’t say where you live. In all urban areas, even suburbs, yeah, things do change in a mile. People want to know when they’re right at an ATM, not when they need to hike backwards, right? Our rule is to scan every 5 minutes if you have moved more than 30 meters. The point you miss is that Earthcomber can discover things even when you least expect them – but the chances go down if you have GPS off. To me, the ideal is being able to glance at that screen like you glance at your watch. That’s mobile technology working for you. That’s real serendipity, and there is no other application that will make that happen for your personal interests. We (Earthcomber) need to bring that out more, and yes, the interface needs help there.

Last wag. If a free WiFi place 165 miles away shows up at the bottom of your list, that’s the reason why. You didn’t mention any closer ones above it, but I’m guessing something was pushing it to the bottom. Your point is just that 165 miles isn’t close. What if you’re crossing the country,Wyoming, Nevada? Might help. We put ‘em in order of closeness, and you decide. BTW, distances are measured in straight lines for list purposes. If you punch up turn-by-turn directions, also free on Earthcomber, you get exact mileage.

Thanks again for the review, and letting us where the bruises show up. I’ll keep on guard for angry philatelicists; and, word for the wise, you might want to watch overhead. Bogies, by definition, *are* unidentified. And you don’t want to rile those Area 51 people – they make philatelicists look like stamp collectors.