Monday 22 February 2021

what3words


Have you heard of the what3words app? It is only made for iPhones and other mobile Apple products as far as I know, but this is roughly how it works.

Somebody has divided the world up into a grid of 1 metre squares. Yes, the entire world.

You stand in a location (pick a location, any location) and using the navigator on your phone, you pinpoint it precisely and feed it into the app. What3words immediately assigns the square metre you are standing in three words. They could be bakery glass candlestick (I wonder where that is).

You can then send the three words to anyone who also has the app and they will see exactly where you are on a map. I mean exactly.

Apparently the emergency services are using it more and more because it does not need a postcode and even works up mountains so long as you can get a signal.

My breakdown recovery app uses satnav technology so all I have to do is report a breakdown and my little dot appears on their screen map. Prior to that you had to walk to the nearest farm and ask them for a postcode.

My phone is so old it will hardly take any modern apps now. 

16 comments:

  1. Yes I have heard of it but have yet to install it on to my iphone.
    It seems like such a good idea.

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  2. It works on android as well. Has proven very handy when out walking, if we get separated.

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    1. Oh does it? That's just Apple lying to us as usual then.

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  3. I have what3words ...... not sure what I would have to do to get someone to find me but I’m sure I would work it out .... there wouldn’t be anything else to do up the side of a mountain !!! XXXX

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  4. As I still can't be bothered to get an iphone (have a very ancient mobile) this all goes right over my head.

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    1. H.I. was reluctant to get a smart phone too, but I bullied her into it.

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  5. Replies
    1. Yes - I wonder how many years it would take to divide up the world into square metres without it.

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  6. I've heard of this, too. It's apparently very big in Mongolia as they often don't use conventional addresses and are nomadic but still get stuff delivered without a hiccough!

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  7. Sounds fascinating. Sadly, my phone, with it's mechanical buttons, doesn't even know what an app is.

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    1. I used to like those old Nokias but the genie is out of the bottle now.

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  8. Are they getting too clever?

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