We’re proud to announce that Explore Taipei is the fourth of our award-winning subway maps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to reach version 6.0

Version 6.0 includes the new branch of the Orange Line (Xinzhuang Line) including stations between Taipei Bridge and Fu Jen University.

With version 6.0 we re-wrote the map code from the ground up to be faster. The app now loads quicker, and zooming in and out should be smooth, even on older devices.

The other big new feature is tips. Ever wondered what points of interest are close to a subway stop? Now you can tap on any station, then tap on Tips to see what’s nearby.

Tap the thumbs up button on any tip which you find useful. And if you know a great local restaurant, attraction or a clever shortcut, you can add your own tip:

You can also view a list of the most popular tips for the whole city.

Explore Taipei 6.0 is a free update for existing users. Not got Explore Taipei yet? Download it now from the iTunes App Store.

We’re pleased to announce that version 3.1 of our metro maps for iPhone and iPad, fixing the crashing bug for users with iOS3, is now available on the iTunes App Store. It’s a free update for all users.

The Taipei Metro station at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center now serves both the Neihu Line (brown) and Nangang Line (blue). As of February 27, 2011, riders will no longer need to take a shuttle bus to transfer lines, cutting transfer times between the two lines dramatically.

The brand new Explore Taipei 3.0 includes the new interchange, so you can plan routes, and check times and prices for your journey. Find out more!

Today, we’re launching a major update to our apps! Explore Beijing, Explore Shanghai, Explore Guangzhou, Explore Hong Kong, Explore Taipei and Explore Singapore have all been updated to version 3.0. This includes new native support for iPad and iPad 2!

We’ve taken the best features of the iPhone/iPod touch experience and redesigned them to work on the iPad’s larger screen. Here’s what you’ll see when you start Explore Shanghai.

Of course, the metro map takes centre stage. You can search for a station with the search bar, or tap on any station for timetables and route-planning:

Notice the “flip” button? A great new feature is the ability to “flip” the screen to see a large Google Map of the station and surrounding area:

Other nearby stations are highlighted. You can also tap the “locate” button  to centre the map on your current location.

Because the apps are “Universal” apps, they work both on iPhone/iPod touch (including retina graphics!) and iPad/iPad 2. If you’ve already bought one of our apps for iPhone, you can install it on iPad for free. And of course, updating to version 3.0 is free. Not downloaded yet? Our apps cost just $1.99 on the iTunes App Store: download now!

We’d love to hear your feedback about ways to improve our apps. Do get in touch if you find any bugs or have any suggestions!

Our metro map apps will soon support the iPad! We want to ensure it’s a great experience, so we’ll be optimising the interface to work better on the bigger iPad screen.

Check out the screenshot of the version in development, and look out for an announcement over the next few weeks!

Our Explore Taipei metro map is now available in the iTunes App Store free of charge!

With retina display support, routeplanner, first/last train times, English/Chinese text, Google Maps and more, it’s the easiest way to get around Taiwan’s capital. So what are you waiting for? Download Explore Taipei today!

Every app, every city, just $0.99

From now until December 15th you can buy any ExploreMetro iPhone app for just $0.99! That’s 50% off the regular price. Whether you live in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, Singapore or Hong Kong, or are planning a trip there during 2011, be sure to grab a copy today!

Buy one for you, get one for a friend!

The first 100 people who buy an ExploreMetro app will be eligible for a FREE extra copy to send to a friend! That’s right, just purchase any ExploreMetro iPhone app, and forward your iTunes email receipt to iphone at exploremetro dot com. We’ll send you a promo code which you can give to your friend for a free copy of the same app! Hurry, stocks are limited, we only have 100 free apps to give away!

The small print:

• Promo codes will work in any country, the recipient will require an iTunes account
• Promo code will be for the same app you purchase.
• Limited to one code per person
• Only 100 free apps available, we’ll update this blog post once we’ve sold out

The Taipei Metro’s Orange line received two new additions this week with the opening of the Luzhou branch line from Luzhou to Daqiaotou, and the Xinzhuang line from Daqiaotou to Zhongxiao Xinsheng. As you can see from the map below, this doesn’t yet link up with the existing part of the Orange Line from Nanshijiao to Guting. The gap from Guting to Zhongxiao Xinsheng will be completed in June 2011, with an intermediate station at Dongmen.

We’ve prepared an update for our Taipei Metro iPhone app (including retina display) and it should be available in the next week!

We’ve just released Explore Taipei Metro Map for iPhone, version 2.6. This includes an updated way to select your preferred language for the app: see the video in our previous post! To celebrate, we’re making Explore Taipei absolutely free until 10/10/10!

Download your FREE copy today!

The ExploreMetro iPhone apps auto-detect your iPhone/iPod’s system language and show either English or Chinese labels. That’s useful for most people, but sometimes you’d prefer to be able to choose the language manually.

We’re pleased to announce that by popular demand, the next version of all the ExploreMetro apps will allow you to select your language manually via the Settings.app. See this Youtube video to see how simple it is to change.