Take a minute and ask yourself this question: How often exactly do you ask someone for information? I bet you it’s not nearly as often as it used to be. The cliché argument over stopping and asking for directions, or other info, is becoming slowly (but hopefully surely) a thing of the past, in my opinion. Why? You can thank that BlackBerry that’s in your hand right now. From it an immense amount of data can be retrieved, from directions, locations to contact info and pricing. The question is – how easy is it to access?
You may remember Brian Stepanek, playing the know-it-all Dex in the funny Dex One commercials. He consistently offered a plethora of detailed, local results to all who inquired. My favourite commercial was the one where he broke into song in mid-search result - obviously being used on a mobile device (just so happens to be a BlackBerry!). Dex One offers rapid local searches through print, Dex Knows online and through Dex Mobile. At this time, Dex Mobile is only available to users in the United States, but that didn’t stop this Canuck from checking out the app! Well, with some help of course.
About Dex Mobile
Dex Mobile was developed for Dex One by mPortal, which develops applications for various companies over a variety of platforms. Dex Mobile is available for BlackBerrys running 4.6 or higher in the United States. No Touch Screen BlackBerrys are supported; Dex One lists these models as being compatible:
Bold 9650, 9700, Tour 9630, Curve 8520, 8530, 8900 and 9300 If your device is not listed here, you can always point your browser to their mobile site. The current version of Dex Mobile is 3.1.4 and has a file size of 1.2 MB.
Cost: free
BlackBerry App World rating: 3/5
the loading page
As far as sharing search results go, Dex Mobile may give Mr. Stepanek a run for his money. At the top of the main menu, you will see the quickly accessible Search Dex box, where you can quickly type in exactly what you are looking for. Below this box, your search location is displayed. The application makes use of your GPS location as a starting point for your search. This starting point can be altered, by adding one of your own manually, or quickly selecting a location from the Near Me, Favorite or Recent sections.
Main menu
At the bottom of the main menu, you will see six buttons to choose from;
Dex - The basic seek and destroy, I mean, search and discover section. Here, you can search through businesses, people or even perform a reverse lookup. The details from a search result are, well, detailed. Search results will typically include address, phone number (which you can call without leaving the app) and distance away from your location. Additionally, Dex gives you options as to what you want to do with your find. You can read and/or write reviews, get directions, share the info with others (text, email, Twitter, Facebook or add to your contact list), start another search by using this location as the new starting point, or contact Dex One to make an update on its business profile. The main menu will display recent searches and a featured business.
Write your own review!
Events – If you’re itching to find something fun to do, the Events section will deliver the goods. You can check out upcoming concerts, game, seminars and more. Most of the options mentioned above available as well, with an additional option to add the event to your calendar and (if available) view a brief description. From the main menu, Dex will feature an event, followed by an option to view all events.
Movies – Have the urge to watch a movie with a bunch of people, and deal with sticky, spilled pop laden floors? Time to hit the movie theatre! This section, like Events, will show a feature movie and the option to look for more. As you scroll through, basic info includes the movie poster, Title, star rating, film rating and run time. Detailed info includes plot synopsis, the name of the actors, directors and a button allowing you to view theatres and showtimes. After selecting a theatre, the location will show the same information found under the Dex section.
Gas – I recommend using Dex to find some Pepto Bismol. Kidding… I like this section, as it quickly shows you where to find not only the closest gas, but the cheapest gas; you can see prices on REG, MID, SUP and DIS.
If only Dex Mobile would pump the gas as well
Taxi – this section offers the same company details as the previously listed sections. In this case, Dex helps you identify the closest Taxi companies near you.
Categories – this section offers quick access to some of the more popular search types. These include restaurants, pizza, movie theatres, bars, hotels, nightlife, ice cream, coffee, banks, grocery, gas stations, pharmacy and your favourites. Though some of the entries are covered by other sections, it still offers to help you save time searching.
So many options to choose from...
Conclusion
While not as robust as another well-known app called Poynt, Dex pleasantly focuses more on the local search aspect. It goes as far as not only finding gas stations, but tells you which one is cheaper, and what the prices are. You can see ratings and reviews -even write a review of your own. To truly make it local, I would like to see options that Poynt offers, including local weather. Oh and I wouldn’t mind it making its way to the Great White North either. You can pick up Dex for free from BlackBerry App World.
Pros
- Quick local searches
- Read and write reviews
Cons
- Only available in the US
- No Touch Screen support