Bona fide biennale attendees have grown accustomed to the frenzied masses and the endless schedules, maps and press material that make getting to the next pavilion a mission of heroic proportions. The iPhone-only Biennale App, launched this week (but won't be downloadable until the week of August 23), seeks to deliver a comprehesive guide for the three-month architecture celebration.

The App's functions include: a detailed map of Venice, highlighting venue locations and directions as well as information regarding nearby museums and restaurants; a constant hit of social media updates, from Flickr photo feeds and Facebook notifications to live-tweets; and a Foursquare-like feature that allows visitors to let others know where they are by snapping a photo of the pavilion or event, rating it and providing a sentence of feedback.

The Venice Architecture Biennale starts August 29 and runs until November 21.

For more on smartphone (and iPad) apps that architects and designers are currently using, pick up our September issue (on stands August 16 in Canada and August 30 in the U.S.).