Cartogram – Indoor Maps: Indoor Navigation at its Finest
Ever wished Google Maps could still help you navigate inside of, for instance, a mall or a large supermarket? Google Maps may have an indoor map feature but it requires users to upload floor plans just for it to be used properly. Without a doubt, not a lot of apps are able to automatically map out certain indoor areas properly as well.
For instance, it could prove to be a real hassle to look for a specific store in a very wide and spacious mall, right? Just imagine the time that you’d waste trying to search for it. Most of them may have navigational guides, but they only ever provide information on how you can get there and don’t really support the capability of guiding you every step of the way. This issue, which is undoubtedly very common among travelers and vacationers as well, is what Cartogram seeks to remedy.
It is a map app that focuses on indoor cartography. Upon starting it, you would be give a walkthrough of how to interact with a continuous indoor map. If you’re in a mall, you can expect it to display a layout of what you’d typically see in mall maps, but, of course, it is able to update your location in real-time. Stores, shops, restaurants, and other venues will be displayed based on the floor that you are in.
And, Cartogram doesn’t stop there. It also gives you the opportunity to get a glimpse of what products a specific store offers. Each product can be further filtered according to their price, size, color, and stores that also have them. You can even do a manual search of the product that you want, and once it has located a store that sells it, the app would proceed to pinpoint its location on the map and even provide a navigational guide for you.
Signing into the app has its perks as well, because you can use it to instantly locate your friends and family who are within the vicinity. You can even reveal your location to them if you them to come to you. Of course, they also have to be signed in to Cartogram as well. If the person you are meeting doesn’t use Cartogram, though, you can generate a link of your location using the app and send it to them via email or text, and they only need to open it in an Internet browser to load the map and your intended meeting place. Lastly, Cartogram also has a feature that is perfect for the planning and scheduling of events, as you can use it to give out event maps for your attending guests.
With that said, this app is really a good complimentary tool to Google Maps, or any other map application for that matter. Their features have great synergy with each other, especially if you are already on a trip and are trying to navigate through a locale that you are highly unfamiliar with.
Cartogram doesn’t so many attempts to usurp other map apps as support them, and this is one factor that really makes it stand out from others of its kind. True to its name, it prioritizes on delivering details rather than focusing only on the macro aspects of a place. Its inclusion of features such as the ability to share your location indoors and the shopping aspect make it all the more unique. Truly, an app that many travelers and shoppers would greatly appreciate.
Price: Free
