Google Maps

When needing to get directions or locate something on a map Google Maps is the place to go for all of your location and destination needs. This application will help you get to any destination, no address needed. Being able to save your places, change the mode of travel and edit your routes are also useful tools when using Google Maps.

The point of Google Maps is to get you to where you need to go. Getting started is easy by just going to http://maps.google.com/. On the home screen you can type in an address, landmark, or destination and by pressing the search button you will be taken to that place on a map. This is useful if you need to find where something is on a map like a national park or a business. To find directions to a place just click the "get direction" button. Here you can type in your desired addresses/destinations in the Point A/Point B boxes to help you find where you need to go. One cool feature of Google Maps is it's ability to find your location for you, so if you want to find out how to get somewhere from where you are and location services are enabled, you only need to type in your destination in the Point B space. Maybe you just wish to roam the landscape of the world? Clicking and dragging on the map will take you anywhere you want. Zooming in and out using the + and - buttons will show more or less on the map.

Clicking on "my places" allows you to create places on a map, lets you star your favorite places, and you can also view places that you have rated or where you have checked in. Google Maps lets you be customize your experience as much as you desire. When finding directions you can change your mode of transportation from car to public transportation, bike, or walking. When driving somewhere you can also choose to avoid highways or tolls by clicking "show options" under your destination. Finding the reverse directions are also easy by clicking the up/down arrow button. There are also buttons that allow you to print your directions (with or without the map) and allow you to email or instant message a link.

Google Maps is a tool for everyone. It's interface is simple and will get anyone from point A to point B. It is one of the multiple applications to come from Google and may just be the most popular. Social interaction and communication is not the primary focus for this application however adding those functions would make the app more appealing and even more user friendly than it already is.

"Dude Wheres My Car"???

How many times have you driven your car to the supermarket? Better yet, a huge shopping mall? From the time you leave your house and enter your vehicle to the time you park it, you are filled with either excitement or determination, which usually leaves you in a good mood. You are either excited to shop, or determined to get the best gift for whatever occassion. Now have finished shopping, bags in hand, you look outside of the shopping mall automatic doors and you ask yourself "where the hell did I park"? You travel all around the parking lot, looking for landmarks and familiar signs of your previous existence, but you find none. During your search, your frustration builds enormously. Your bags begin to weigh a ton, and some of your bags start falling out of your hand. You reach down to pick up the bags, and your purse drops out of your hand, spilling out your money from your change purse, your id, your credit cards, and your keys. You pick up your keys and you think to click the "beep beep" button on your car remote and you realize (1) of two things... (1) "I knew I should have changed my car battery" or (2) "Dammit... I dont have one" ... Your frustration builds and you are stuck in huge parking lot filled with cars, with yours no where to be found. Down and out, looking at all of your bags and belongings on the floor, you whimper out a frustrating "Why Me?" ...

Well guess what, you dont have to ask yourself this question ANYMORE... With Android Market's "Car Locator" you can find your car in an instant. Car Locator uses GPS technology to successfully locate your car. Ok so when I first researched this, I thought to myself "ok so is this the part when they try to tell me to buy this high-tech tracking device that Batman uses in the cartoon?", but to my surprise it doesn't work like that at all. With the click of a button, just like a pic on facebook, you "tag" your cars position and you save it on a database, and it reads your exact distance from your car as you move. It utilizes the satellite and the global positioning system in your mobile device, allowing you to successfully track your car, and never have to be embarrassed, fed up, or frustrated again.

Not only does it help you find your car, it has a very user friendly interface. It is easy to navigate and provides a bunch of assistance to successfully help you find your car. A couple of other cool things about this app is that you can use a split screen function that allows you to see your position on the map as well as a picture of your vehicle or what ever spot you tagged on your GPS. It also has other functions asside from locating your car. It has a parking timer, which helps you keep track of your time at meters. This helps avoid trouble with the law, as well as making sure you dont over or under spend on a meter. You can also save the radar visualization as a live wallpaper on your phone so that you can keep track of your car from the home screen of your phone.

This is a great app to have for anyone with a car. Whether your a college student in a hoopty or a successful adult in a Benz, it happens to all of us. From the supermarket, to the mall parking lot, we can/have all fallen victim to the terros of parking lots. I would highly recommend this app to everyone. This app is $2.99 on the android market... Im actually about to buy it now, and you should too!