TeleNav Launches Free Location-Based Classifieds iPhone App for College Students

TeleNav Press Releases, 19 August 2010, No comments
Categories: TeleNav

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Aug 19, 2010 – TeleNav, Inc., one of the largest global wireless location-based services providers with more than 16 million subscribers, today announced a free application for the iPhone and iPod Touch* called Jungle!. Jungle! is a convenient way for college students to buy, sell and request products and services in their area, including textbooks, tutoring or even housing, based on their current location.

By posting ads on Jungle!, students create a community marketplace with other nearby students. Jungle! posts and requests are tagged with the approximate location of the item or service, making search results more relevant.

The application has three main categories – housing, products, and services – where students can post detailed descriptions with up to four photos and their approximate location. Jungle! also offers a direct messaging feature that connects users to others while protecting personal privacy by preventing users from accessing the exact location, phone number or e-mail address of other buyers or sellers.

Jungle! lets students post an ad for anything from a textbook to a roommate. For example, when posting a housing ad, students can list rent amounts, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and include other information such as pet and smoking restrictions. Jungle! makes shopping simple by allowing users to search by item, price and location, all while mobile. Since Jungle! uses the phone's location to guide searches, it only returns products and services in a student's surrounding area. In addition to posting items for sale, Jungle allows users to post an ad for a desired product or service that is viewable in the marketplace. The app also includes a feature that searches for keywords and sends a direct message to the user when an item or service matching their request appears in the marketplace.

"Students always need more ways to find affordably priced items," said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products, TeleNav. "For example, college students often buy textbooks from campus bookstores and websites that may not have a good buyback rate. Jungle! helps students buy and sell college textbooks with each other, at a price and convenience that benefits both parties."

College students can use Jungle!'s location-based marketplace functions to:

Search for textbooks using ISBN – Jungle! uses the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to identify books to ensure buyers are viewing the correct textbook edition.
Buy or Sell Products – Jungle! users can buy or sell anything from cell phones to couches to textbooks in new or used condition.
Find or List Housing – College students can easily connect with each other and property management agencies to find, view and inquire about rental units.
Offer or Request Services – Jungle! can be used to promote or find a service, such as tutoring, guitar lessons or a volunteer group.
Ask For What You Want – Jungle! lets students post a request for a product, housing or service. The app will send a direct message to the user when an item or service matching their search request appears in the marketplace.
Searches* Local Classified – Jungle! maps the approximate location of a product or service, making search results relevant to a user's community.
Post to Facebook© – Jungle! allows students to promote their products by sending postings to their Facebook page.
Protect Privacy – Students won't have to worry about exposing their exact location or personal information because others only see approximate locations. Jungle!'s default setting is a half mile radius. Jungle! only displays usernames and profiles instead of phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

iPhone and iPod Touch users at the University of California Berkeley, San Jose State University, San Francisco State University and Stanford University will be the first students to pilot the Jungle! application. On-campus student representatives will be at these universities during the first week of school to demo Jungle! and educate students of its benefits through clubs and campus activities.

Jungle! is a free application and is available immediately on the Apple App Store for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch. To download Jungle! for the iPhone or iPod Touch, please visit the Apple App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jungle/id379124990?mt=8. For more information on Jungle!, go to http://jungle.telenav.com, http://twitter.com/jungle, or follow Jungle! on Facebook.

*Phone must have GPS and Wi-Fi or wireless services enabled.