Android App Analysis: Goby

Price: Free

Producer: Goby Technologies

The Lowdown: Goby is a website dedicated to finding a user things to do, places to go, or interesting events around. The app for Android is no different from the website. Much like Siri for iOS, Goby acts a lot like a personal assistant for the user finding local atteractions based off of categories or a search.

Pros: The app is very un-Android like -- a bubbily interface greets the user when it opens and a few options are given to find nearby things, make weekend plans, or go some place new. The app does find a great collection of nearby places depending what the user searches by -- eateries seem to be a specialty of the app right now. Making plans are as easy as a few simple taps through categories given (such as family fun) -- presto! Goby simply makes finding things around you a breeze.

Cons: Although Goby is a breeze in some aspects, the rest of the app is a work in progress. Finding nearby points of interest is easy; getting there, however, is not. No matter how the user will try, the app features no way of getting directions to the place given. A user could simply copy the address, but the lack of functionality is astounding. Also missing from Goby are reviews in any shape or form. Why stumble into a bad resturant if you don't have to or pay through the nose at a very expensive hotel? Goby's cons bring the app's overall usability way down.

The Verdict: Goby is one of the few apps I've found that actually finds things that are right around me. It might not be as well done as, say, Google Places, but the app shows a lot of promise and offers a lot of local help for a common user. Make sure it finds it's way into your app list.