iTunes Links:
11. ZIPCodes
10. Where
9. Nearby
8. Shazam
7. Travelocity
6. Urbanspoon
5. Restaurant
4. VNC lite
3. BoxOffice
2. Weatherbug
1. roadtrippr
11. ZIPCodes
10. Where
9. Nearby
8. Shazam
7. Travelocity
6. Urbanspoon
5. Restaurant
4. VNC lite
3. BoxOffice
2. Weatherbug
1. roadtrippr
Top 11 iPhone Apps to bring on a road trip
Heading on a road trip, or just heading out for fun? These 11 iPhone applications will help you make the most of your vacation, weekend or afternoon out on the road. The best part of all? They are all free!
Number 11: ZIPCodes
ZIPCodes is a simple application, but has the potential to be very useful on a road trip. If your even in an area where you have little to no GPS reception, you can still get a good idea of where you are. While this application does little else besides provide you with a zipcode, it’s a tool that will only benefit you on the road.
Number 10: Where
Where is an application that’s whole purpose is to tell you where things are. Looking for a starbucks? Where has it. Looking for a gas station? Where has it. It’s a cool application, but I think in some rural area’s it’s functionality would be limited. But, it’s gas station finder works great, allowing you to see the cheapest gas in your area.
Number 9: Nearby
Nearby is another application dedicated to letting you know what’s around you. This one focuses more on food than anything else, but was very quick at showing me the local restaurants. It relines on Microsoft Visual Earth instead of Google Maps. If your in an unknown area, just fire up Nearby, and see what’s nearby!
Number 8: Shazam
Shazam is just an awesome application. It “listens” to music and identifies it for you. I’m not sure how many of you have experienced this, but when driving in different regions, the music can be pretty diverse. Sure the big hits are played everywhere, but odds are you already know the title and artist. This is perfect to figure some new music to listen to when passing through.
Number 7: Travelocity
This application has a limited use on a road trip, but it would be very beneficial. Obviously the flight search has no impact on a road trip, but it’s Hotel search is another matter. Part of the fun of a road trip is not knowing where you are going to stay tonight. Travelocity can help you make that decision once you reach your destination. The Hotel’s Near Me function works great, listing every hotel nearby.
Number 6: Urbanspoon
Urbanspoon is a great application if you want to find a place to eat, as long as you are near a major city. I’ve found it doesn’t have much of anything in the real rural areas, but if your passing through a City, give it a shake and find someplace to eat!
Number 5: Restaurant
Fast food can quickly become the staple of the road trip. It’s cheap, easy and fast. Healthy is not the first thing that comes to mind however. Restaurants has the nutritional value of most fast food joints, everything from Drinks to Sandwiches to Burgers. If you’re trying to stay healthy, this can help you make the right decisions.
Number 4: VNC lite
If you’re looking to remain productive while on the road, look no further than VNC lite. This free application allows you to VNC back to your home computer right from your phone. I used it this morning to send myself an email from home, and it was surprisingly fast over the 3G network.
Number 3: BoxOffice
Soon to be released under a new name, BoxOffice is a wonderful application if you want to catch a movie on the road. Using the iPhone’s location aware services, you can check movies times for any movie playing in your area, purchase tickets if the theater supports it, and even get directions from where your standing. It’s a great application, and the next version will be even better.
Number 2: Weatherbug
Weatherbug is a simple application that any iPhone owning roadtrippr should not be caught without. Besides giving you the current temperature and a forecast, you can view the current wind speed and direction, any active alerts in your area, even Radar maps. It’s an incredible useful application and could save the day if a storm is coming.
Number 1: roadtrippr
If you have iPhone or an iPod Touch, you may already know that here at roadtrippr there is a dedicated iPhone Web App, located at iphone.roadtrippr.com. You will have full access to the entire roadtrippr database, helping you located cool places to visit around you. (what, did you think we’d give the number 1 spot to anyone else?)
