iPhone Travel Apps Ranked By Actual Usage

iPhone Travel apps have been coming at us rapidly for quite some time now. Everyone seems to have their favorites, based on a variety of factors. Some iPhone travel apps are easy to use, quick to load and produce good results. Others, not so much. Knowing which one is most effective can be difficult but a new infographic takes a stab at sorting it all out.

Onavo is a data compression tech company that helps iPhone users get more from their data plan. How apps load and run is a topic they know all about. To feed this infographic, Onavo ranked travel search and booking apps by the percentage of U.S. iPhone users who activated them at least once during June 2012.

Onavo generated these infographic statistics using a sample of 100,000 U.S. iPhone users of their free iOS data-saving app that helps avoid overage fees.

“Acting as a proxy server, the Onavo Extend iOS version compresses data sent to your device from apps and websites, which means less bandwidth consumption,” reports Toonz.

[Flickr photo by mastrobiggo]

Motor Club Membership Has Pets Wagging More, Paying Less

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is a not-for-profit motor club that has been helping travelers since 1902. Formed mainly in response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles, AAA membership has evolved to serve the changing needs of more than 50 million members. Tackling everything from emergency roadside assistance to road maps, travel guides and travel services along the way, AAA is relevant today too. Advice and discounts cover everything from saving money buying a car to caring for and traveling with pets.

“Owning a pet, whether it’s a dog, a cat, a hamster or a bird, can be pricey,” says AAA in its monthly newsletter. “In this sluggish economy, everyone is on the lookout for ways to shed unnecessary expenses, and spoiling our pets may not make the budget.”

AAA directs members looking to save on spay/neuter services, discount pet food and medication to partners such as Pets Warehouse, PetFoodDirect and large retailers like Costco, PETCO and PetSmart.

On the road, AAA’s hotel search engine will help travelers locate a AAA Diamond-Rated hotel fit for them and their pet. A copy of AAA’s “Traveling With Your Pet” ($9.99 digital edition available at the iTunes Store, Amazon.com and bn.com), details pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, attractions and more.The AAA website has free information on traveling with pets too, including:

AAA also offers discounts on vacation packages, cruise vacations and more. A lot has changed at AAA since 1902, including up-to-date mobile apps and a YouTube channel that can be a great help to the travelers of today.

AAA online guidebooks, launched last year, let members download free digital guides for their Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader or smartphones equipped with an e-reader application. Site visitors to AAA.com/ebooks can view the available eTourBook titles, but only AAA members can initiate a download. To complete the process, members login to download titles to their personal computer and then sync the files to their portable device.

This video about safe summer travel is typical of what AAA has for motorists.



[Flickr photo by TheGiantVermin]

Photo Of The Day: Bending Creek

This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member `James Wheeler who captured this image titled “Bending Creek” at Squamish-Lillooet, British Columbia, CA, using a Nikon D5000.

James was on a three-week road trip through British Columbia out of Vancouver, exploring Penticton, Champion Lakes, Moyie Lake, Waterton lakes, Kootenay National Park, Banff, Jasper, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park and Sun peaks.

Camping most of the way, James planned on staying at a hotel every five days or so to gain Internet access so he could upload photos.

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account, check “Privacy and Permissions,” and check “yes” on “Allow others to share your stuff.” Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.

15 North American City Skylines Reflected On Water

One of my favorite moments of any trip to a new city is to find a great lookout point, and take in a flawless skyline view.
While all skyline photos are iconic and usually beautiful, it’s also nice to get a different perspective of the outline of a destination. To change it up and make the sight more interesting, looking at city skylines reflected on water can be a serene and sublime experience.

In the gallery below, photographers captured city skylines as they’re reflected on water. You’ll see colorful flickering lights and perfect mirror images from some of your favorite urban travel destinations around North America.

For a more visual idea, check out the gallery below.

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[photos via Big Stock]

Photo Of The Day: All The Way To The Islands

This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member James Wheeler who captured this image titled “All The Way To The Islands” in North Vancouver, British Columbia, CA, using a Nikon D5000.

James describes the image: “Lynn peak is a short hike from North Vancouver and offers a great view of Burnaby from the end. This morning I was able to see all the way to the Islands to the West of Vancouver.”

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account, check “Privacy and Permissions,” and check “yes” on “Allow others to share your stuff.” Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.