I don’t know if there is anything I hate quite as much as listening to traffic reports on the radio. The grating voices, the lightning-fast run down and the annoying background noise make it impossible for me to keep track of what it is they are telling me. Especially if I want to think back to what they said before making a route choice.
Besides, in the world of satellite radio and in-car MP3 players, who listens to the AM/FM format while driving anymore? But I, like most, still love traveling by car, and so traffic jams are always a risk. Checking the net for traffic information isn’t helpful if you can’t do it on the road, with conditions changing through the day and a sudden accident enough to lock up a freeway for hours.
That is why I have turned – as I so often do – to my Android phone and the many apps that have been created to maximize convenience in today’s busy world. It is great that they now have traveling and traffic apps, because this smartphone is in my hand so often that my family probably thinks a prankster has super glued it there.
Here are some of the best apps for avoiding traffic jams to download onto your Android phone:
This can officially be labeled a classic choice. Google is the single largest web company around, and they are famous for their many products. One of their most used is their Google Maps, which you can now get on your phone.
You get the usual features of looking up any area on a map grid, but there is also a navigation aspect that they have on the program itself, which will give you good directions. It will also let you know of any traffic problems in the area so you can find and follow an alternative route.
A handy GPS unit, Waze is socially based, just like all of the biggest Internet products. It works by allowing you and other drivers to build interactive maps based on the on-board GPS unit in your Android phone.
They have a navigation tool to plan rroutes for walking, running and driving, as well as real time traffic updates to avoid trouble spots. But it tends to have more information than some other apps, such as information on local areas and a social networking feature.
Where is like an all-in-one travel app. Not only does it give you current traffic conditions updated in real time, but you can find local restaurants, events, places of interest, deals and offers from nearby businesses and more.
You can save personalized ”favorites” that keep track of spots you visit often to target results when accessed, such as any accidents or slowdowns on the way there.
There’s a similar app for iPhone coming later this year from Cheaphotels.org.
Conclusion
Don’t get stuck in traffic, or stuck listening for a quickly-spoke traffic report on the radio. If you have an Android phone, the details are just a few clicks away. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
When it comes to entertaining or taking care of pets, nothing is too much, not even the craziest iPhone apps for animal lovers! So if you have a cat or dog and want to get familiar with some of the most popular tools and apps used for improving their health and mood and for immortalizing the best moments of your animal, take a look at the list below!
By installing this app on your iPhone you get a professional veterinarian’s opinion on any concern and doubt you may have regarding your pets. The answers are provided by a team of specialists from the Caldas Veterinary Hospital in Brazil, one of the oldest vet centers in the world with more than 73 years of experience. Although you don’t have to pay for the consultation itself, you are charged a variable fee depending on the number of questions you ask.
Whenever you need some emergency information regarding your kittens or puppies, this app is the perfect tool to use! Providing valuable pieces of advice, pictures and detailed videos that explain you, step by step, how to give your dog or cat the first aid when dealing with cuts, bleeding, bruises, choking or shock. Very useful for anyone who wants to be always ready to help their pet, this iPhone app is definitely worth the money!
As crazy as it sounds, this app does exactly what it claims to: It translates your dog’s “words” and helps you learn the doggish language for free! All you have to do is record your dog or puppy’s bark and then let the app do its job and analyze the recorded sounds. In the end, the Dog Translator gives you the English translation of your pet’s barks.
Somehow similar to the previous app, Pet Acoustics gives you the perfect sounds and music for your pets’ entertainment. Whether you want your cat to fall asleep listening to a calming and relaxing music or you want your dog to get rid of all the stress caused by thunderstorms and loud noises, this app is the best tool you can use.
One of the best camera apps for taking snapshots of your cats, dogs, horses or parrots, PetSnap is very easy to use and features more than 30 different sounds specially created to attract your pet’s attention for the coolest pictures possible! From meows and woofs to bell rings, this app provides all you need for creating wonderful photos of your animals:
Last on the list of fun iPhone apps for animal lovers is Petcentric, a tool that helps you identify pet friendly locales in your area, whether you look for hotels, bars or restaurants. You can also locate pet stores and sitters, animal shelters, parks for dogs and cats, groomers and vets or you can add new locations that aren’t registered in the app already. Besides these features, the app also allows you to take pictures, read articles or watch videos with useful information on your pets.
There are, of course, lots of other apps you can use for keeping track of your pets so it’s up to you to find the ones that suit your taste and needs the best!
Sonia Tracy is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Printing and Design Blog. PsPrint is an online printing company, which you can follow on Twitter and Facebook.
I love using my iPad for watching YouTube videos, but its impossible to watch YouTube playlists on the standard YouTube iPad app.
YTPlayer is a new iPad application that is compatible for iPad and iPhones and is completely free. YTPlayer lets you watch YouTube playlists in “gapless” mode just as you do on the desktop.
Kazaa has actually just got their new iPhone music streaming app into the App Store.
With Kazaa you can use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to listen to unlimited, on-demand music everywhere. Play any of our millions of songs as much as you like, make your own playlists, listen to artist stations and discover new music that you love. Sync songs, albums and playlists to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and listen even when you’re offline. Search and find any song, album or artist, and start listening immediately.
Access millions and millions of songs
All the music you love – and new music to be discovered – at your fingertips
Sync and play music even when you are offline
Build and save playlists
New music added every week
The app is US only at the moment and free to download. You will need to pay a subscription charge of $9.99 a month.
It seems like HTC are now shopping around for their own mobile operating system. HTC has made a huge amount of money from Android based smartphones, but they feel that this is just simply not enough. After all, Google’s free operating system is getting expensive.
“We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse,” Wang said in an interview with the Economic Observer of China, noting that HTC’s Sense UI would allow the company to offer distinctive products using any operating system. HP’s webOS is an obvious candidate, and although Wang did not refer to the platform specifically, the report notes that HTC and Samsung have both been in talks with HP. ”We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform,” Wang said. “Our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS.”
Foreca.st is a new iPhone application that seems to be very similar to Foursquare. However, the key difference between the two products is that Foursquare is about ‘where you are now’ and Foreca.st is about ‘where you are going’.
Apart from that everything seems to be very similar. All of the basics are exactly the same and even the check-in idea hasnt changed at all.
LG will be holding a special press event on the 24th of August in London. The event will showcase LGs new LG Optimus 3D, which has glasses-free gaming!
At the event LG will showcase some evening tournaments on Real Football 2011 3D, Assassin’s Creed 3D, Avatar 3D, Fishing Kings 3D, Shrek Kart 3D and Spiderman Total Mayhem 3D. It will be interesting to see how good the 3D gaming is on the LG Optimus 3D!
It seems like there are an ever growing range of Free Music Downloading applications for iOS and the iPhone.
Free Music Downloader is yet another music downloading application that allows users to browser the most popular music sites on the web and then download mp3 files from those sites. Free Music Downloader allows users to download 10 tracks at the same time.
Im quite surprised that these applications are only hitting iOS at the moment, as they are very basic applications.
When you bought an iPad I bet one of the first things you starting thinking about was ways of changing the desktop. Probably one of the first things you started looking into changing was the browser.
While I like Safari, it just doesn’t have the same kick to it that other programs boast; however, not all browsers have a device compatible option that you can download. With Apple especially, it is slim pickings if you want to change it up without jailbreaking the system. This is due to their rather intense opposition to all things third-party, even after being told by the courts that jailbreaking is fair game as long as it isn’t used for piracy.
Luckily, that doesn’t mean that there is nothing out there you can use. There are at least four great options for iPad browsers that are easy to download, simple to use, and best of all 100 per cent free.
Most users hate constantly having to log in their accounts information every time they use my Safari web browser. This is a standard security feature that almost all mobile devices with web capability maintain. But it is also one of the most useless safeguards you can have, as people are less likely to share hand held devices as they are actual computers.
LastPass works by saving all of your passwords and keeping you logged in through the browser itself. You can then find everything signed in at once, and surf each website through the main page. You just have to sign them on to the free service. Easy, functional and very convenient.
Have you ever been showing someone something online when a URL or search history pops up that you would rather wasn’t seen? It can be so embarrassing, whether it was an adult site or a search on the latest release by Justin Bieber. That is what makes the feature on Google Chrome that allows for incognito Internet use so popular. Terra has that same incognito option for your iPad. But they also have a full screen mode that takes advantage of the tablets large screen.
Everything is run through toggles in the corner of the screen, which also allows you to enjoy the touch function. The settings are large enough that it provides ample fingertip space, which is a bonus if you don’t have an available stylus.
Like many other people, you probably like to read in bed at night. If you prefer to read in bed, you know that even a small reading lamp is enough to keep your spouse awake. Therefore you’ll be excited to discover Night Browser, the one that has a good dimming option.
It allows you enough light to see by, but it is low enough that it would be very difficult to disturb anyone. It takes advantage of the way the iPad screen glows to create a shade that is non-disruptive but readable without straining your eyes.
The best feature of this browser is that it allows you to manually adjust the brightness, so you don’t have to rely on the dimmer. You can change it to whatever is comfortable for you and those around you.
Social networking addicts who love to share will adore this browser, as it uses media integration right in the application. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, YouTube…they can all be customized to allow easy access. It is like putting it all on one page to give you a clear path while you surf the web.
It is more settings-based than many other sites, which makes it perfect for tailoring to your own needs or tastes. If you have trouble reading some font sizes you will love it, as you can adjust that easily without distorting the picture.
Jennifer Moline writes about freelancing, small business and design for the PsPrint Blog. PsPrint is a web company providing high-quality online printing services.
