Monday, April 29, 2013

10 Excellent Apps to Improve Your Commute

 1. Waze

 

Community-based traffic and navigation app Waze has more than 30 million users, all of whom help generate up-to-date information on traffic and road alerts. With Waze installed, you can keep on top of road conditions in real time, utilize voice-guided navigation and even join or create groups to share your commute information with others.

Price: Free

2. Pocket


 

Pocket lets you save stories you want to read on the web for later. The app syncs to your phone, tablet or computer so you can view it whenever you want -- even without an Internet connection, which is especially useful if you ride the subway.

Price: Free

3. Songza




What eases a stressful commute better than your favorite music? Through its "music concierge" system, Songza lets you choose from a bevy of playlists based on different factors, such as your mood or the time of day, and it's all free of charge.

Price: Free

4. Inrix Traffic



 

Inrix Traffic provides maps showing live traffic, predicted traffic, comparing current conditions to normal conditions and an incidents tab. The app uses its Smart Driver Network, which collects information from road sensors and partnerships with traffic providers, among other sources.

Price: Free

5. Smartpark



 

How often do you forget where you park your car? Smartpark ensures you never have to remember again by documenting location and altitude (good for parking garages), and then it guides you back to your car with a compass.

Price: Free

6. GasBuddy



 

Gas is expensive and prices can vary a lot, so you need all the help you can get to find the cheapest options. GasBuddy simplifies the process by finding the cheapest gas stations near you, and you can also earn points and awards. Who knew finding gas could be fun?

Price: Free

7. Hopstop





For urban dwellers and eco-minded folks, public transportation is the way to go. You don't necessarily need GPS, but it does help to plan your route ahead of time. Hopstop lets you pick the best route to your destination via subway, rail, bus, taxi, bicycle or even walking. It accounts for service changes and other obstacles, so you can be sure you can get where you need to go, when you need to get there. Hopstop is available in hundreds of cities in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Price: Free

8. Car Minder


 
 

Like Smartpark, Car Minder lets you find where you left your car, but it has even more useful tools built into the app. You can track your car's miles, see when you next need an oil change, log mileage and fuel economy and email your records to others.

Price: Free

9. iNextBus Realtime Bus Tracker



 

If you ride -- and inevitably wait impatiently for -- the bus, the iNextBus app comes in handy. You can see where every bus is in your city, as well as track its movement in real time. Not only that, you can evaluate the best routes to take and save the information for later.

Price: Free

10. Textecution


 

Textecution is the only paid app on this list, but it can be worth it if it saves your life or someone else's. To help curb texting and driving, Textecution is advanced enough to tell how fast you're driving and prevents you from using certain functions if you're above 15 miles per hour. It's designed for teenagers, but it helps you fight the temptation to text -- at any age.

Price: $29.99

Commuting can be an extremely stressful and frustrating experience. No matter how many times you travel to the same destination, there are often unexpected obstacles. Road delays, train traffic — even a crying baby in an overcrowded subway car can disrupt your trip.

But it's nothing a few handy apps can't handle, right? A recent study shows that commuters who use connected apps tend to have a better time getting from point A to point B. Don't you deserve the same?


Source: Mashable

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