CATEGORIES
- NYC COVERAGE
- WEB STARTUPS
- WEB NEWS
- CONFERENCES
- WEB TECH JOBS
- VENTURE CAPITAL
- MICROSOFT
- INTERVIEWS
- ADVERTISING
- VIDEO
- ALL TOPICS
- ALL COMPANIES
CONTRIBUTORS
- ADRIAN CHAN
- ALICIA NAVARRO
- ALLEN STERN
- CORSIN CAMICHEL
- DRAMA 2.0
- DARREN HERMAN
- HANK WILLIAMS
- MARK DAVIS
- RICK TUROCZY
- SANFORD DICKERT
- SHANNON CLARK
Snocator – GPS iPhone App to Help You Never Get Lost on a Ski Trail Again
Whenever I see a snow or ski-related Web site, I think back to my days creating the first snow.com. Today I found a new iPhone application that would have been a welcome addition to snow.com back in the mid-90s. Snocator takes full advantage of the GPS functions in the iPhone to make sure you never get lost when skiing or enjoying the slopes.
Assuming you are carrying your iPhone, you can find out how close the nearest lift, trail, etc. is from your current location. The company says they have mapped most of the major ski areas in North America, and snow reports, trail maps, and mountain cams for most of the world. Snocator also includes photos from resorts (see below) along with coming soon features of checking where your friends are and mapping your actual skiing usage. You can also watch live video cams from a variety of resorts.
The application also features local information including where to eat, shop, etc. I like this application because it combines a fun aspect with a real utility. It is a niche product so the Snocator team will need to market it locally at the resorts to maximize the usage. The app costs $5.99. I assume revenue may also come from either ads or a revshare with the resorts. Snocator was created by Denver-based Useful Networks.
You have to try this out to appreciate it. I went to http://www.snocator.com and did the text message “snow” to 90999. I got a link, and wham I was signed up, download, and install in minutes. Everything was easy. On friday I went to the opening day at Keystone, and was able to check the snow reports, number of trails open, and see a web cam as I drove up with my buddies. Its early season so there is not much open, but I can see myself checking out the five mountains on my pass and deciding on the drive up which mountain to ride. On mountain I tried the GPS Trail Map and it worked every time. Even on the lift I could see myself going up the mountian. If we were mid-season I’d be in the trees and wondering where I would pop out. With Socator I get my location, nearest trail and more. For $6 bucks this is a no-brainer.