If you could spend hours gazing at the World through the eyes of Google Earth then perhaps it's time you installed the app on your iPhone. The application uses the same satellite and aerial photography found in the desktop version, only this time you navigate the globe simply by swishing your fingers across the screen.

It's advisable to have a look at the controls system in the program's Help section before you start using Google Earth on your iPhone, because some of the commands aren't immediately obvious. Once you've mastered them though, it's easy to fly across towns, cities and countryside using your fingers.

You can simply swipe the map in any direction to move around, pinch your fingers to zoom out, tap on a spot to zoom in, or make a circular motion with your fingers to rotate the viewpoint. You can even view the lie of the terrain just by tilting your iPhone.

Location, location, location

Make no mistake, Google Earth for iPhone is great for finding your way around. It can detect your current location and automatically centers the map on this point when you hit the Location icon. You can search for addresses anywhere in the World, as you would with the desktop version, plus there's a facility for perusing Wikipedia articles and geo-tagged Panoramic photos.

Google Earth includes the ability to view maps created on your desktop computer on your iOS device, which is a nice idea. The app also makes it easy to see businesses, shops, restaurants, etc. through some attractive icons.

Google Earth is one of those apps that really enhances the usefulness of your iPhone and as such it's almost criminal not to at least try it.

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If you're one of those characters who couldn't find their way out of a glass of water then you can now save yourself with your iPhone. Instead of having to lug a map around with you all day, the ultra simple-to-use Yahoo! Maps for iPhone will help you find your way through it's crystal clear, zoomable interface.

Specially optimized for the iPhone, Yahoo! Maps for iPhone gives you the power to see a map of the tiniest street in any city in the World within seconds. You can zoom into the level of detail you desire, and navigate out with the touch of a fingertip.

In addition, Yahoo! Maps for iPhone is equipped with an incredibly fast and intuitive search tool to help you find places even quicker. Too bad Yahoo! Maps doesn't include the same satellite view as Google Earth though.

Although there are still a few minor bugs to iron out, Yahoo! Maps for iPhone manages to offer a quick and convenient way of finding places when you're out and about.

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After a hiatus of several months, during which iPhone users were effectively forced to switch to Apple's inferior Maps app, Google returns to the iPhone with an all new native app. The new version, a major improvement on previous versions - and arguably even on Android's Google Maps app - includes nearly all the features you could ask for, such as navigation, satellite, traffic info, street view and public transit modes. It's also faster, better designed and easier to use than before.

But the real reason we were missing Google Maps on iPhone wasn't Street View, even though it's great to have that back. The strength of Google Maps compared to its competitors is the sheer quantity of data it has about the world around us. Shops, bars, restaurants, theaters, landmarks... they're all here and most have a profile page with address, photos and reviews. When compared with the new Apple Maps especially, Google's app is by far the superior choice when it comes to finding a place and getting there.

Speaking of which, the navigation component in Google Maps is well designed and offers clear, easy to follow directions. For journeys by car, Google Maps includes information about tolls and in many locations, traffic info on its suggested routes. Living in a big city, I love the public transit mode which works really well and even lets me pick which forms of public transport I want to use. Street View completes the picture by helping me see what a place will look like when I get there.

Google Maps for iPhone isn't perfect, though. I'd like it even more if it had an offline mode which allowed me to store maps when I leave cellular coverage or visit another country. And while the app runs very well on newer model iPhones, 3GS users may find it a bit laggy. Finally, the voice search mode needs to be tweaked as I couldn't get it to deliver any useful results. But none of these qualms make Google Maps anything less than a 10/10 app.

In terms of design, usability, navigation and data, Google Maps for iPhone is easily the best maps app available for phones today. There are some small improvements that could still be made but this is as good an app as I've seen for a long time.

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The format of HERE Maps is much the same as Google Maps, or the default Apple Maps app included with the latest version of iOS. You peruse the world using your fingers to slide across maps and pinching to zoom in and out.

Different map views

As with Apple Maps, HERE Maps includes standard map view, satellite view, traffic view, and also features a public transport view, which gives you a clear and accurate view of the important train and underground routes of a city.

Unlike Apple Maps, there's no hybrid map/satellite view in HERE Maps, and the 3D maps that feature in the HERE web application, don't appear in this iOS version. There's no street view either, which is a bit disappointing.

Places of interest

HERE Maps displays places of interest such as shops, restaurants and bars, sights and public transport stations. You can view photos and information about these places, call the company with one tap, and share interesting places via email, messaging or social networks.

One neat feature of HERE Maps is the ability to 'collect' places, building up a bank of your favorite locations which is stored on your Nokia account and can be accessed from any device or computer.

At the moment the amount of places - and the level of road detail - listed in HERE Maps is very limited in comparison with Google Maps, or even Apple Maps. Hopefully, this will improve thanks to Nokia's plan to crowdsource locations. Unfortunately, the map creator tool from the web version of HERE Maps isn't present in the app either, though.

Navigation features

Though the presentation isn't as fancy as the turn-by-turn navigation in Apple Maps, getting directions through HERE Maps is a clear and hassle-free process. Click on the 'Route' option and enter your start and destination points. You can get directions based on traveling by car, on foot, or via public transport (the latter isn't supported by default in Apple Maps). An interesting inclusion is step-by-step audio instructions for pedestrians.

Another handy feature of HERE Maps is the ability to save portions of a map to your device. Simply select the area you're interested in and save it. You'll then be able to browse and query this area while offline. This is useful for saving mobile data and accessing info in areas with limited coverage.

HERE Maps offers a simple way to help you get from A to B and covers public transport very well. Unfortunately, it's not as fully featured as the online version of HERE - and it still doesn't perform as well as Apple Maps.

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The app is simple enough to use for directions. It uses your current location and then finds the proper directions. There are also options for points of interest like hotels, gas stations, and theaters. It is a specific-use app though because it does not have the same location search services like Google Local.

MapQuest's directions are easy to understand and it also allows for voice navigation. A lacking part of MapQuest is that it only offers driving or walking directions and does not recognize public transit. If you are in a major city, you may be frustrated that it will ask if you are driving if the distance appears too far for MapQuest.

The interface is easy to use and points of interest have additional information like phone number or the ability to open the website. It is a nice extra touch to the app.

MapQuest is a great app if you need directions, but always plan on driving.

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With AroundMe this is no longer a worry because the program is able to provide me with this information in just a couple of clicks. The iPhone software automatically detects your current location and provides one-click access to lists of the nearest: banks, bars, cafes, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, movie theaters, parking, pharmacies, pubs, restaurants, supermarkets, taxis and theaters.

Click on any of these categories and AroundMe will bring up a list of those type of business in a remarkably quick time. You can then click on one of the suggestions to get the full address and phone number of the business, which you can add to your iPhone's contacts with a single click. Hit 'Show Route' and AroundMe will display the directions from your current location, via Google Maps.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of results returned by AroundMe. Granted, I live in a big city but from anecdotal information I've heard from users in smaller towns I gather that AroundMe provides decent results in these less built-up areas too.

AroundMe is very quick and simple to use but I felt it's usefulness could still be improved upon. For instance, it's not possible to view the results in order of proximity, meaning you often have to flick through a few pages before you find the closest. Also, it would've been great to see more information about each place, such as guides, reviews or even just a link to the company's web site.

All in all though, AroundMe is a very handy thing to have in your pocket when you're out and about.

Download AroundMe 4.2.5 in Softonic

Atlas 2010 is a free iPhone atlas that allows you to explore the World with one finger. You choose a continent to explore from the app's main page then a physical map of that zone is displayed. You can move around the map by holding and dragging your finger, and pinch to zoom in an out.

The maps in Atlas 2010 aren’t very detailed in terms of the places they, but they do mark all capital cities and other important cities and ports. Country borders, rivers and topology are all on display too. Atlas 2010 also boasts a World political map, which, again, can be viewed by holding and dragging, or pinching the screen to zoom.

Atlas 2010 provides a decent enough visual representation of our planet. Essentially, it’s a scanned and scaled-down version of those big maps you used to have on the wall of your geography class.

However, Atlas 2010 comes nowhere close to Google Earth, which is by far the best way to learn geography on an iPhone.

Download Atlas 2011 Free 1.5 in Softonic

One of the most frustrating things about apartment hunting is how often you have to jump from the apartment search engine you're using to Google Maps and back again to get an idea of where the places you find are actually located. PadMapper Apartment Search eliminates the extra step by integrating Google Maps into its interface.

PadMapper Apartment Search pulls information from popular apartment search websites like craigslist and adds it to the familiar interface of Google Maps. You can choose to register or search without logging in at all to PadMapper Apartment Search. There are also quite a few different ways to filter your searches to help narrow down the options shown to you. You can filter by minimum and maximum price you're willing to pay, how many bedrooms and bathrooms you're looking for, and even whether pets are allowed.

Clicking on PadMapper Apartment Search's highlighted link for a specific apartment entry will open a new tab in your browser, directing you to the site where the apartment listing was originally posted. The only downside is that some of PadMapper Apartment Search's listings are no longer available, which you won't discover until after you visit the site where the post originated.

PadMapper Apartment Search fills a much-needed place in apartment searches everywhere with its easy-to-use interface.

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Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras comes but once a year and ushers in a day of wild celebration worldwide. New Orleans is the center of all the fun, and if you happen to be lucky enough to visit this year you'll want to ensure you have a guide to all of the best parades and events.

That's where Experience Mardi Gras comes in. The Experience Mardi Gras app lets you browse through all of the scheduled parades from the week leading up to Fat Tuesday until the big day itself. And with Experience Mardi Gras's detailed maps from one parade to the next, you can even parade hop, so to speak, and find the best ones for you.

In addition to parade listings, Experience Mardi Gras also compiles all of New Orleans local Channel 4 Mardi Gras video clips, so you can watch at your leisure. It's a great way not only to psych yourself up for the various Mardi Gras celebrations found throughout the city, but also to give you some ideas you might not otherwise have thought about.

For a more interactive experience than what Experience Mardi Gras has to offer, and where you can comment on venues you've visited and even add pictures you've taken, you also might want to give the Mardi Gras Party & Parade Guide app a look.

For a complete Mardi Gras parade listing, Experience Mardi Gras is a useful little tool.

Download Experience Mardi Gras 1.1 in Softonic