DayZipping launches Android app, brings fresh trips to fresh places

It wasn’t quite a year ago that an Atlanta-based startup dubbed DayZipping set out to change the way people interacted with new places. But having a growing pool of day trips — journeys that can be completed within one to eight hours by foot, bike, car or train — only does a user so much good on the big screen. At last week’s Google I/O conference, the company launched their first foray into the mobile realm: the DayZipping Android app. All of the daytripping goodness found on the web, packaged into a free, intuitive mobile app. Simply load up the program on your Android phone or tablet, search for a location that you’re heading to, and see a whole host of possible day trip options added by fellow travelers who have already done the hard work for you.

We’re told that an iOS version should bring the same functionality to iPhone users in mid-to-late summer, but given the haste at which an Android build can be injected into the Market, the company’s using Google’s mobile OS as a proving ground. As for planned upgrades? They’re looking to integrate the mobile app with your web account so that you can save trips for offline viewing and get customized suggestions on the go. In other words, you could have rated trips in Atlanta, and the app will generate suggestions in San Francisco even if it’s your first visit to the area. Long-term, the outfit wants to provide in-app reviews, a direct way to receive a deal or purchase agreement (think local deals based on where you’re tripping), and group messaging functions if the code can be hammered out. Hit the Market here to give it a go — who knows what trips you may discover in your backyard?

La Tour Eiffel for Google Android – live webcam views from around the world

Regular readers will know that I’m a bit of a Google Android fan. I recently gave you a quick look at Flightstats for Android, but today I’d like to share another application with you. In fact, despite a marketplace offering over 4500 applications, my absolute favorite does nothing more than show live webcam images as the background on my home screen.

But no matter how simple the app may seem, there is something awesome about going to bed at night and seeing a live sunrise in Paris, or waking up to the sunset from the top of the Sears Tower. Images from the webcam sources can be updated every 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes, and the program supports saving images to your MicroSD memory card.

The application is in the Android marketplace as “La Tour Eiffel” and is free of charge. As for the name? It launched with just one webcam and progressed into the amazing application it is today. In total, the application offers over 30 different views from around the world.