Scout adds true hands-free voice activation route guidance

It is good to know outside of Google Maps and Apple Maps, there are many capable navigation apps out there that offer more functionalities that deserve our attention.

In the case of Scout [available on both iOS and Android], the ease of use is highly emphasized in the app.

The first thing you will see at launch is a prominent map positioned at your current location with a small search input window on top. A popular POI’s list is located at the bottom of the map.. A meet up button [Android only] to share the location among friends. In the iOS version, the app used the standard Share button from iOS. Lastly, you will see at the very bottom traffic-based estimated time to get home or work from the current location along with the recent destinations.

So far, the GUI just shows a traditional navigation info, anyone should expect from mobile navigation apps. The turn-by-turn directions is provided by Telenav® GPS navigation with voice guidance. The app is powered by over 100 million traffic sources, Scout offers traffic-beating tools, stress-reducing features, and a design tailored especially for daily drivers.

Now, the differentiators worth trying is the voice activation that is lacking in Google Maps and Apple Maps, a feature that is much appreciated for in-car use. With Scout, there is no need to type in the tiny search input window, Scout uses a similar voice search request command of Google Now with “Hey, Scout!” that you can use anytime, even when the app is running in the background.

Examples are

“Hey, Scout!, find gas stations”
“Hey, Scout!, drive home”
“Hey, Scout!, search coffee in San Francisco”
“Hey, Scout!, search Starbucks”

The results are clearly display for you to pick the navigation destination that you are looking for.