There is a new app available that seems to be making a bit of a name for itself. It uses a very simple concept to locate a person’s smart phone anywhere in the word and is accurate to within 3 square meters. This month we are going to look at the app, how you get hold of it and how you use it.
password, flippers, collated
They are the words that will get you to a rather lovely restaurant in Algorfa called the Orange Tree and the app called “What 3 Words” – so how does it work? The app developers have broken the globe (sorry flat earthers!) down into 57 trillion locatable squares. Each 3 meter by 3-meter square has been assigned a three-word address. As you can see the address above is the location of my favourite restaurant in Algorfa.
Of course the app has some rather obvious and potentially lifesaving uses. Imagine wanting to direct someone to you if you’re in trouble and either you can’t adequately explain where you are or you simply don’t know. Fire up the app, find your simple three words address and anyone can find you using the app from anywhere in the world.
You can get the app from the Android Play Store or the Apple App Store using the links below…
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.what3words.android&hl=en
iPhone/iPad – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/what3words/id657878530
Once you’ve installed the app you can use it to either locate where you are and get your three words address or you can type (or use the microphone to speak) the three words address that you want to find, it really is as simple as that.
Once you have the address that you want you have options to share it or navigate to it – or of course simply tell the person that you want to locate you the three words address, it’s really very simple to use and a great concept. It’s so popular that Mongolia has adopted it for its postal system and the Lonely Planet guide now gives what3words addresses for its points of interest.
So, what are you waiting for, go and download the app and have a play, you never know when it will come in useful!