Location-based travel guides – why should you be using them?

Here at Hummba, we’ve long said that the days of carrying around a bulky travel guide book are numbered. What was once a useful tool (before the advent of the smartphone), is now becoming nothing more than a nuisance when travelling abroad. The travel information contained in guide books is notoriously outdated, and of course they can be quite pricey. Adding to that, unless you buy a ‘pocket version’, they can also be quite heavy and bothersome to lug around from one place to the next.

According to the Pew Research Center in Washington, more than 46% of Americans owned a smartphone in February, 2012. This represents an increase of 11% when compared to the numbers from May, 2011 (source). People are beginning to explore the capabilities of their mobile phones, as well as rely on the devices to carry out everyday tasks, such as check train timetables or read restaurant reviews. The emergence of third party applications is also adding fuel to this fire, showing smartphone owners the sheer amount of information they can easily access at the touch of a few buttons.

Enter Hummba, the intelligent travel guide for your mobile phone. Our intelligent audio guides use mobile GPS technology to provide smartphone users with accurate travel information that is relevant to where they are in the world. For example, you can find up-to-date information about the nearest place to grab a bite for lunch, while you’re standing on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. With Hummba, you’ll have access to an unprecedented amount of audio and text travel content, right there on your mobile phone.

We offer two ways to get the travel information you need. Firstly, you can download the Hummba application to your iPhone or Android, free of charge. You can then search for paid or free guides to your favourite travel destinations and download them through the app itself. Download multiple guides and use the Hummba app to get the most of your travels.

If however you’re looking to download a guide to a single travel destination, then you can visit the iTunes Store or Android Marketplace and search for the Tourism Radio standalone guides as well. Search for the Tourism Radio New York City Guide, for example, if you’re looking to find out more about the Big Apple.

Location-based travel guides for the mobile phone take all the legwork out for getting travel information when you need it most. Visit hummba.com for more information on the Hummba application, or head straight for the Hummba guide store and start searching for guides.

New and improved version of the Hummba mobile travel application available for download

We recently released the latest version of our location-based Hummba mobile travel application (available on iPhone and Android). The app now comes jam-packed with new features, including the ability to find and purchase guides though the app itself, filter points of interest by category, as well as find your way with the innovative ‘go there’ button.

The new category filter allows Hummba users to search through thousands of museums, restaurants, historical attractions, and more, at touch of a button. The partnership between Hummba’s parent company, Tourism Radio®, and Frommer’s® Unlimited, a world-renowned travel guide publisher, has ensured that our guides now contain an unprecedented amount of up-to-date, quality travel information.

The Hummba application also supports in-app purchasing. This means you can search for the guides you want either on the Hummba website or in the app itself, where you can make your purchases directly. Just download a guide to your favourite holiday destination and pay for it through the Hummba app, even while you’re on the move. There’s no need to find a computer and search through the app store for your guides.

On top of these features, Hummba also puts you in the right direction. Need to find the quickest way to get from your hotel in London to Big Ben? Just select the Big Ben point of interest in Hummba and hit the ‘go there’ button in the top right corner. Hummba will use your current location to map out a route. There’s no need for bulky guide books and impossible-to-use city maps, just use Hummba.

For more information about Hummba, the Hummba app, or our comprehensive city guides to popular tourist destinations all over the world, visit hummba.com.

Intelligent audio guide for Paris now available on the Android Marketplace

Paris is one of Europe’s major tourist destinations, and has been for hundreds of years. Millions of people travel from all over the world to experience the city’s many cultural, historic and culinary attractions.

The problem is however, that there’s so much to keep you occupied in the City of Light and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s where Hummba comes in. Our intelligent audio guide to the city, which is available on the Android Marketplace, uses smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near your location.

You’ll be able to plan your trip to Paris, while you’re on the go. Find out about places to see and things to do as you move around the city. Our guides will help you experience the sights of Paris that you might otherwise have missed. It’s like having a personal tour guide, right there on your Android phone.

Some of the points of interest featured in this guide include La Defènse, which is one of Europe’s busiest business districts. You’ll also find information about the historic Palace of Versailles and the picturesque Luxemburg Gardens. Visit the historic Arc de Triomphe monument, which sits on the end of the famous Avenue des Champs-Ėlysées or marvel at the awe-inspiring architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The guide also features offline maps, which means you won’t be running up your data bill while you’re looking for the next exciting place to go.

Hummba’s intelligent audio guide to Paris is available on the Android Marketplace for $5.99 and can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone here. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.

Intelligent audio guide for London now available on the Android Marketplace

Millions of people visit London every year, making the city the one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The thriving metropolis on the River Thames captivates inquisitive travellers with its distinctly British appeal, as well as its numerous attractions and well known landmarks.

While the annual tourist numbers look impressive, they are still expected to go up even more this year, as London will host the 2012 Olympic Games. Tens of thousands of tourists are set to arrive from the rest of the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and even further afield. The city will certainly be gearing up for this surge in visitors in the coming months.

There’s so much to see and do in London, and a trip to the city can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned traveller. That’s why Hummba decided to put together an intelligent audio travel guide to the city, available for download on the Android Marketplace.

The guide uses smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near your location. You can find out all about Buckingham Palace for example, while you watch the changing of the guard. Hummba’s intelligent audio guides will help you discover places to see and things to do that you might otherwise have missed. It’s like having your own personal tour guide.

Some of the attractions featured in the guide include Piccadilly Circus, which is lined with hundreds of restaurants, bars and shops, and has long been a favourite meeting place for locals and tourists alike. London’s famous Hyde Park, which serves as the venue for spectacular outdoor music concerts and festivals is also featured. For the more culturally inclined, this guide offers you all the information you need about London’s many museums and theatres, including a detailed look at the famous West End theatre district.

The intelligent audio guide to London is available on the Android Marketplace for $5.99 and can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone here. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.

Intelligent audio guide for New York now available on the Android Marketplace

A trip to New York City should be at the top of every traveller’s wish list. The city that never sleeps is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and yet still manages to draw in millions of tourists every year. This can partly be attributed to the city’s numerous iconic landmarks, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, but also to the quirky, cosmopolitan atmosphere that the city exudes.

To help you discover more about New York City, Hummba put together an intelligent audio guide to Midtown Manhattan. The guide is available on the Android Marketplace and uses smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near your location. This means you’ll discover places that you might otherwise have missed.

Take a walk down New York’s famous Fifth Avenue or explore the historic Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan in more detail. Visit the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, which once served as a powerful aircraft carrier during World War 2 or experience one of the best views of the city from the Top of the Rock. Use this guide to give you more information about Grand Central Station or to help you find your way to the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.

The guide also features offline maps, which means you won’t be running up your data bill while you’re looking for the next exciting place to go.

The intelligent audio guide to New York is available on the Android Marketplace for $5.99 and can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone here. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.

Hummba launches intelligent audio guides onto the Android Marketplace

London, Paris and New York are three of the most well-known cities in the world, each with its own distinct feel and personality. All three are incredibly popular tourist destinations and play host to millions of visitors every year. The one thing the trio have in common is that a traveller can spend days there and still not get the chance to experience everything on offer.

With Hummba’s intelligent audio guides however, you can now get the most of your visit to London, Paris or New York. The guides are available on the Android Marketplace and contain audio information about numerous tourist attractions in each of the three cities.

Explore Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in London, or take a trip to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in the heart of Paris. You could even use our guide to accompany you on a walking tour of Midtown Manhattan, taking in the sights of the Big Apple.

Our intelligent audio guides use smartphone GPS technology to provide you with information about points of interest near to your location. Discover places to see and things to do that you might otherwise have missed. No more searching through cumbersome guide books. It’s like having your own personal tour guide, right there on your Andoid phone!

The guides also provide offline maps, which mean you won’t be running up your data bill while you’re looking for the next exciting place to visit.

The guides are available for $5.99 each, and can be downloaded directly onto your Android phone: London, Paris and New York. For more information about Hummba or about our intelligent guides that speak to you, visit www.hummba.com.

The convenience of technology has drastically changed the way we travel

There’s no denying that the way we travel has changed. Making holiday arrangements, which used to take days, weeks or even months, can now be done in an instant. The reason for this is quite simple: travellers are embracing the convenience of technology.

The internet has led the charge when it comes to innovations in travel. Booking your flights, accommodation and vehicle hire online are common occurrences. The fact that you can do all this from the comfort of your own home, outside normal working hours, has only added to the method’s popularity.

But now the mobile phone has entered the fray and there’s no need even to have access to a computer. There are hundreds of Android and iPhone applications specifically designed to help travellers and at Hummba, we’re doing just that.

With Hummba, you can download free audio guides directly onto your mobile phone. We’ve got informative guides for hundreds of tourist attractions all over the world. Our location-based technology means you’ll get the information you need, when you need it most.

The Hummba app uses your phone’s GPS location to point out interesting things to see and do nearby. Your mobile phone can be your own personal tour guide as you take a walking tour of New York or Paris, for example.

With Hummba, you can also share your travel experiences, as they happen. Create a travel route and tag pictures along the way. It’s the perfect way to keep your friends and family in the loop while you’re on the move.

Visit Hummba.com to find out more about our free audio travel guides for your mobile phone.