Smarter transportation: iPhone app combines maps & reviews to find best meeting points

This Smarter Cities post is supported by IBM. Read more about building a smarter planet on IBM’s A Smarter Planet blog. The world of iPhone apps is increasingly crowded. And while there are several that help users to find convenient meeting points, MeetMe is the first one to integrate both Google Maps and Yelp reviews. In order to find an appropriate meeting location, users input Point A and Point B, and the type of venue they’d like to meet at. For instance, users can pinpoint the best sushi restaurant halfway between Boston and Philadelphia, or a romantic hotel between York and Manchester. The USD 1.99 app then provides a list of suitable locations complete with Yelp recommendations. Once a location is selected, MeetMe emails both parties a map complete with driving directions. If users prefer to meet closer to one point or the other, the distances can be adjusted. MeetMe points out that the app can also help plan road trip stopping points. MeetMe works worldwide and, according to reviews, has fewer accuracy problems than most mapping apps. It’s also ad-free, so users can be sure the recommendations they’re receiving aren’t promos in disguise. In theory, the app could help cut down on miles traveled because both parties will be encouraged to drive the shortest possible distance, instead of relying on meeting points that are familiar to both, but might not be most efficient. Mobile applications like MeetMe aren’t just convenient tools for consumers—if widely adopted, smart navigation can reduce miles travelled and hours spent on the road. It can also help prevent congestion by feeding commuters real-time and predictive road data about potential traffic jams. As our everyday tools become ever more sophisticated at navigating cities, opportunities abound for entrepreneurs than can help us unlock location-based data in useful and intuitive ways. Spotted by: Adam Finkle