It's easy to forget now, with Google Maps all the rage and free turn-by-turn navigation available on Android, but MapQuest is still kicking around. The former king of online mapping announced that it has completely redesigned its mobile web app to run in HTML5 and added a number of new features to match the native apps available on Android and iOS. For starters, MapQuest can use location services to more accurately track your position with live updating, similar to the familiar blue orb that appears on the iOS native Maps app. There's also improved directions that use landmarks to make them more meaningful — for example, MapQuest might now say "turn left on Elm Street" with a note that if you've made it to Maple Street, you've gone too far. It also looks like it can include local shops or other landmarks for you to get your bearings with.

There's a few other improvements on board, but overall we're hard-pressed to find a reason to use this service. Every major smartphone platform comes with some form of native maps app, and if you really want to use MapQuest, there's already apps available for Android and iOS. Giving the web app a quick try on iOS resulted in a buggy experience complete with ad banners and frequent crashes; with performance like that, we can't see any reason to use this web app over a native solution.