Schmap IT

IT's always keeping an eye out for new guidebooks, so when Schmap sent us the beta (trial) version of their new product, we were excited and, equally, impressed. A digital collection of interactive guidebooks, Schmap mixes maps with content, virtually allowing users to read about places while simultaneously seeing their locations on a map. Because you download the Schmap Player as a desktop application, you can use the guidebooks without an Internet connection, i.e. putz around the sprawling metropolis of Houston while at cruising altitude. For each destination (by November, the company promises to have a total of 95 international and 82 domestic cities), Schmap includes a thorough introduction, history, and recommended attractions—plotted on the map, of course—like galleries, churches, restaurants, hotels, and parks. The content is somewhat dry and not Schmap's own: they pluck info and reviews from Wcities, maps from Tele Atlas, and photos from Flickr. But, by aggregating community content, Schmap becomes a very useful piece of freeware. For now, the software works only on PCs or Macs equipped with Boot Camp. Come November, Apple-users (like yours truly) will be able to join in the fun.