6 useful iPhone apps for road trips – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Try these six useful apps on your next road trip. All are available on the App Store (warning: links open iTunes):

  1. MapsBuddy ($1.99) finds nearby gas stations and restaurants.
  2. SimulTravelGPS (Free) locates hotels with details of prices and amenities.
  3. UrbanSpoon (Free) suggests restaurants based on your cravings.
  4. RoadTripFun ($0.99) contains a menu of traditional road trip games for you to play with your friends and family.
  5. The Weather Channel (Free) provides weather conditions for your exact location with radar maps and forecasts.
  6. Flashlight (Free) turns your phone into a flashlight, if you need to find something in your car at night. App includes SOS signal.

The Gadling gift guide for the iPhone and iPod

by Scott Carmichael on

The iPhone and iPod touch are popular. So popular in fact, that they have created an entire universe of accessories and products made to enhance their use. No other gadget in the world has this kind of assortment of great extras.

In this list, you’ll find ten products that will be well received by any iPhone or iPod Touch owner. Best of all, there is something for every budget.

Don’t forget to check out our other gift guides:

Gift guide for the lightweight traveler
Gift guide for famlily travel and kids
The top ten travel products of 2009
Macally PowerLink

The Macally PowerLink made it to the Gadling top ten travel products of 2009, which means it really does offer something special. The small device has two connectors – one for the iPod/iPhone and one USB plug for your computer. The PowerLink replaces your USB cable, but it also incorporates a Lithium-Ion backup battery pack, capable of charging your device. And to top it off, it even includes a 2GB flash drive. With this one product you can charge and sync your device and carry 2GB of your most important files.

Price: $49.99
Product page: Macally PowerLink

In Your Face Viewbase

The In Your Face Viewbase has quickly become one of my personal favorites this year. The product consists of a clamp to hold your device, and a flexible arm that can be attached to most parts of your airplane seat (or bus seat). Simply attach it to your tray table, and enjoy your movie. Of all the gadgets I carry, this is the one that gets the most attention, and every flight attendant that sees it, asks where they can order one for themselves.

Price: $24.95
Product page: In Your Face USA

Otterbox Commuter and Commuter TL case

The Otterbox Commuter and Commuter TL cases provide good looking protection for your iPhone. The Commuter case consists of two parts – one silicone jacket, and a polycarbonate shell to protect the back. The Commuter TL case ups the ante with a special honeycomb structure to cushion drops.

Price: From $29.95
Product page: Otterbox Commuter cases

Ultimate Ears MetroFi 700

The headphones included with your iPhone may be better than most standard headphones, but if you love your music, you may want to consider investing in something with a little more “oopmh”. The Ultimate Ears 700 come from the same brand that provides earphones for many of the world’s best musicians.

Yes – at just under $200, they may so be ludicrously priced, but one listen to them will show why they deserve such a pricetag.

Price: $199.99
Product page: Ultimate Ears

idox Traveler Series iPhone case/view dock

The idox hard case is as brilliant as it is simplistic. When closed, it is a really sturdy hard case for your device, and when you open it, it turns into an angled viewing base. This is of course perfect for watching a movie, or using your iPhone as an alarm clock. It provides the kind of protection you need for your iPhone or iPod touch when you pop it in your bag.

Price: From $24.95
Product page: idox traveler series cases

PowerMat

2009 was the year that finally made wireless charging available to the masses. PowerMat combines an inductive charging pad with special device cases. The iPhone and iPod Touch versions slide onto your device, and allow you to charge your device by simply placing them on top of the charging pad. Sadly, the combination of a PowerMat and iPhone/iPod Touch case will cost just under $150, which is quite steep for wireless charging. Their travel mat folds into a compact device, and packs easily.

Price: $99.95 for basic PowerMat kit
Product page: PowerMat

Kensington travel battery pack and charger for iPhone and iPod Touch

This is another of those super simple yet brilliant products. The Kensington travel battery pack and charger is a battery booster for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but the cap on this thing doubles as a stand. Plug it into your device, and sit back to watch a movie. The product features a folding USB plug for easy recharging and 5 LED lights show the charge level.

Price: $69.99
Product page: Kensington

Altec Lansing inMotion CLASSIC

Altec Lansing was one of the first companies to produce a battery powered portable speaker for the iPhone. Their original inMotion was a huge success, and they are revisiting that success with the new inMotion CLASSIC. This speaker features a cool retro look, full remote control and internal battery pack. As can be expected from Altec Lansing, the sound from this speaker is just plain fantastic. Highly recommended for some quiet entertainment in your hotel room, or massive audio at a beach party.

Price: $149.95
Product page: Altec Lansing inMotion CLASSIC.

Altec Lansing Orbit MP3

If the previous speaker doesn’t fit your bag, or you’d like something in a lower price range, then check out the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3. This small speaker is powered off three AAA batteries, and produces some mindblowing volume. Best of all, it sounds really good. Sure, you lose the bass and stereo of the larger speakers, but this is perfect for in your hotel room or anywhere else you’d like some tunes.

Price: $39.95
Product page: Altec Lansing Orbit MP3

iTunes gift card

You don’t need to go overboard when trying to find a great gift for an iPhone owner. The Apple iTunes gift card allows people to shop for music, movies and apps. And really, anyone with an iPhone will probably be buying at least one app or song a week, so a decent value gift card can go a long way. It pays to research the best deals on these cards – your local grocery store or warehouse club often sells them at a modest discount.

Price: From $15
Where to buy: Gift card retailers, Apple.com and Apple stores

HearPlanet turns your iPhone into a talking tour guide

by Scott Carmichael on

The iPhone is quickly turning into the most popular mobile phone on the market. The device has shown it is quite capable as a gaming console, as well as a platform for some pretty awesome travel applications.

One of the newest travel apps that seems to be catching a lot of attention is HearPlanet.

This application turns your iPhone into a location based talking tour guide. Based upon your location, you’ll see Wikipedia content for stuff around you, and you’ll be able to let the program read the information aloud for you.

So, next time you are standing next to the Golden Gate Bridge, or one of the thousands of other landmarks present in Wikipedia, you’ll be able to sit back and relax while your iPhone entertains you with useless trivia and other interesting facts.

HearPlanet is currently free in the Apple App Store (this week only), and will work on the iPhone 3G as well as the previous generation iPhone. Of course, only the most recent iPhone comes with GPS, so the previous generation will only be able to make a rough estimate of your current location.

(Via: TUAW)

Daily deal – Apple 80GB iPod Classic for $189

by Scott Carmichael on

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas this year? If you opened all your gifts and only ended up with a new sweater and a gift card to a bankrupt store, then now is the time to treat yourself to something shiny and new.

Newegg.com currently has the Apple 80GB iPod classic on sale for just $189.

This low price is quite unheard of in the world of the iPod, and usually only happens with refurbished or “last year” models of the popular player. To make things even better, Newegg will also ship it to you for free.

There are other players out there, but the iPod is still the undisputed winner, and at this price you really won’t find anything better. Included in the box is of course the iPod itself, as well as a USB cable, a docking adapter and a pair of headphones.

Public service announcement: stop using your iPhone 3G charger!

by Scott Carmichael on

Our friends at Engadget are reporting on a potentially dangerous situation with the charger included with the iPhone 3G. Apparently the prongs on the tiny Apple USB charger are prone to staying in your outlet when you unplug it, creating the kind of situation you’d rather avoid.

Apple.com has all the information you need, including where you can order a new charger. The replacements will be shipped out starting October 10th, which is also the date you’ll be able to walk into the local Apple store and leave with the new version. The defective charger was only included with the iPhone sold in the US, Mexico, Canada, Japan and various Latin American countries.

Apple strongly suggests that you cease using the charger, and simply use the included USB cable to charge your phone using your computer. Alternatively, you can use the previous generation charger (with the folding prongs) or almost any other generic USB charger.

Stay safe, and if you do happen to run into the problem described, be sure to disconnect the power before even thinking of trying to recover the broken prong from your outlet!