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.

The next version of our Explore Hong Kong app will include a much-requested feature: you’ll be able to choose to see prices with or without an Octopus Card. To keep the interface uncluttered, you’ll be able to select whether you want to see prices with or without a card in the Help tab.

This idea came from our feedback forum: if you haven’t visited yet, do browse the existing suggestions and vote on any you’d like to see in our apps! Popular suggestions include Android versions, bike information and showing the Huangpu River on our Shanghai app.

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

Version 6.0 includes the newly opened Circle Line extension with new stations at Bayfront and Marina Bay.

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

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

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. We’ve even included bus information for every metro station: check Tips to see which buses stop in the vicinity of the metro station.

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

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

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.

And of course we’ve brought Explore Beijing fully up to date for 2012 with the latest lines and stations: find journey times on the new Line 9, Line 8 extension and Line 15 extension.

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

Do you enjoy using our iPhone/iPad metro maps? We’ll soon be launching version 6.0 of our apps, with some great new features:

• A new “tips” feature with handy hints near metro stations, like nearby bus routes and tourist attractions
• Faster loading and lower memory for the map, which should help on older devices.

We’re looking for around 20 people to become beta testers for new versions of our apps! What this means is, before we launch new versions to the public, you’ll get a chance to try out the new version, give your feedback on new features, and let us know about any problems you had.

We’d be really grateful for the help! If you want to take part, it’s simple:

1. Sign up at http://tflig.ht/rLDjxM
2. We’ll contact you next time we have an app we need to test with further instructions.

• Two roads in downtown Shanghai (Qufu Road and Damuqiao Road) close to make way for Line 12 metro construction
• On October 2 you’ll be able to take free rides on Singapore’s expanded Circle Line. The official opening is October 8.
• Read a review of our iPhone apps on SimonBlog

We’re working on a useful new feature for our iPhone apps which we think you’ll find really useful.

When you tap to hear the audio pronunciation for a station, you’ll also see the Pinyin for the station name, complete with tone marks. This is really handy for stations with alternative English names, for example:

People’s Square (Rénmín Guǎngchǎng)

Oriental Sports Center (Dōngfāng Tǐyù Zhōngxīn )

We’ve already added the Pinyin pronunciations to the Shanghai Metropedia pages. We’ll be launching the feature for our Shanghai app soon, followed by our other China metro apps.

Helping you get to your destination faster, and learn some Chinese en route

CNNgo have published a list of their 10 best apps for living in Shanghai, and Explore Shanghai is ranked #1

Read the full article on CNNgo for the full list

We’re delighted to announce that Explore Seoul Subway Map is now available on the iTunes App Store! It’s the seventh ExploreMetro app, and our first in Korea! The Seoul Subway is one of the biggest and busiest metro systems in the world. Now you can have an easy-to-use map with all 15 lines and 463 stations in your pocket, in English and Korean.

Fully up-to-date for 2011
Accurate subway map, includes every station on every line of the Seoul Subway. Free updates for future station openings and timetable changes.

Retina display and iPad support
Gorgeous maps which look great on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch (4th generation) high-resolution display.

Ready for iPad and iPad 2
Specially redesigned interface for the larger iPad screen. Flip the map over to see stations on a Google Map. View the video.

Google Maps for every station
Need to get your bearings at a station? Integrated Google Maps show you metro exits and nearby streets for every station.

Route-planner
A really easy route-planner. Get route, time and price information for any journey with just three taps.

“Find my nearest station”
Using your iPhone’s GPS, see a list of the closest metro stations to your current location.

Works offline
Everything works without an Internet connection. Search stations and plan routes on the go. Yes, even offline street maps!

We’re really keen to hear your feedback and suggestions about how to make Explore Seoul better. If you’re a fan of our other apps, updates to version 5 will be available very soon.