Citysearch has upgraded its mobile applications for Apple?s iPhone and Research In Motion?s BlackBerry Storm, as well as completely redesigned its Android app.

The Android application now features faster access to local information with built-in GPS. In addition, Android users can upload photos from their favorite local businesses, as well as tweet about local restaurants.

?We always want to figure out how to connect mobile users to the businesses they depend on ? restaurants, shopping, bars and spas,? said Bardia Dejban, director of mobile at Citysearch, Los Angeles.

?We also need to make sure we don't overwhelm anybody with too much information on the small screen,? he said. ?We decided to overhaul some core pieces of our applications to allow for us to better serve the user's current and future needs.

?As technology changes, we need to ensure we are leading the way in terms of state-of-the-art capabilities.?

Citysearch lets consumers stay connected with access to neighborhood restaurants, bars, shopping, beauty and professional services information nationwide via its local brands, which include Citysearch.com, Urbanspoon and Insider Pages.

Here is a screen grab of the application's search feature:

Mobile update
The company?s iPhone application features an updated ?find my location? feature that lets a user scroll in a map view and snap back to their current location.

In addition, users can upload a photo for a business listing using their Citysearch profile.

BlackBerry Storm users can access business listings and content, as well as have Outlook and calendar integration.

The new features let users send invites without leaving the mobile application.

Here is a screen grab of the application's map feature:

?The Citysearch Mobile for Android application is very important to us,? Mr. Dejban said. ?We have learned so much from the iPhone, BlackBerry and other mobile platforms and we know the strengths of each platform and their subtle differences.?

?The Android SDK might offer compelling features such as intents and live wallpaper that we would like to leverage,? he said.

Live wallpaper lets the company display animated interactive backgrounds on mobile devices using Citysearch data. 

?I've heard so many people say mobile is the future, but we have a different perspective,? Mr. Dejban said. ?We know mobile is already here and know how fast it can move. 

?We have been proud to deliver value to our loyal users, and can say we are taking very large steps in mobile to create innovative and useful features every few weeks,? he said. ?The most important thing we have learned so far is to listen and work closely with our users so we can take these steps together.?