Title: Google Field Trip
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS and Android (this review is based on the iOS version)
Originally released for Android devices last year, Google Field Trip is designed to help you find fun things to do, no matter where you may be. With the tagline “It’s your world, explore it,†the app takes advantage of the geolocation features on your smartphone to push notifications to you each time you are near a point of interest. This could be a location where a historical event took place, a museum or even a business such as a local restaurant. The content comes from a host of outside sources, from Zagat’s to Atlas Obscura to TimeOut, which means that you will find a very diverse array of points of interest included.
Users have the ability to control the frequency with which they receive notifications by selecting one of three available settings: Explore, Feeling Lucky and Off (see the screenshot above at the right to see how this works). The app lets you mark attractions as favorites to easily find them later and it can even read information about the location to you if it has detected that you are driving or that you have a headset connected to your smartphone. To work, the app requires that you be logged in and that you enable location information on your device; but if you are willing to do so, it is a fun way to uncover things to do at home or when you travel. And, for the first time ever, this summer Google Field Trips is offering users free admission to 13 museums around the country. So if you live near one of them or will be traveling to those cities, now is a great time to check this app out!
For more app recommendations visit the YALSA App of the Week Archive. If you have an app you think we should review, let us know!
