Airport parking made easier: JFK’s parking app

Want to make airport parking easier? Develop an app for it. JFK Airport‘s parking facility, SmartPark JFK, today announced the launch of their iPhone app for placing parking reservations. An update to the existing app, launched in 2009, now allows customers to not only make their parking reservation but also to earn free days with a Frequent Parking Program.

Also available online, the app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

[Flickr image via Kriston Lewis]

Lonely Planet launches Wenzani travel app for iPhone and iPod touch

Travel guide favorite Lonely Planet has joined the app game with the launch today of Wenzani, a free app for for the iPhone and iPod touch. Wenzani – a Zulu greeting which means “what are you doing?”- brings together recommendations from Lonely Planet and other top travel publishers along with local experts, and users’ social networks.

“It’s creating a personalized guide on-the-go,” said Jenny Fielding, Wenzani’s CEO. “Wenzani is designed for the social generation, allowing users to tap into leading content from multiple expert sources with socially curated recommendations.”

The app contains three main features. The first? Recommendations drawn from Lonely Planet, Frommer’s Travel and DK Eyewitness, along with other expert sources including BBC Travel, Time Out, and Hearst. It’s the first time we’ve seen competitors come together to form one broad-based app, something we’re excited to explore. Wenzani also promises “content according to context and relevancy, taking into consideration the user’s location and their social network, so that the information is constantly updated while on the go.” Soon, Wenzani will filter by other factors such as weather, time of day, and whether the user is a local or visitor, so it becomes even more tailored and relevant to the users’ needs in real time.

This is something we’ve always wanted to see- I don’t want to go on a walking tour by the lake if it’s 30 degrees and rainy! The third portion is the social media integration which allows users to connect with their friends and other travelers in order to share their own personal experiences and recommendations. Users can browse their friends’ entries and recommendations, create their own listing to add into the guide, or ask a question to the community (e.g. “Where should I get sushi in midtown Manhattan?”) to get immediate answers pushed onto their mobile device. Wenzani also has a Facebook web app to allow users to integrate recommendations from Facebook into the guide.This seems like it will be the most or least useful portion of the tool, depending on how connected and active your social network is in the area where you’re traveling.

From what we can tell, this app promises to be a powerful addition to the suite of travel tools we already have handy on our iPhones. Apps for Android and other platforms will launch in early 2012.

Introducing Wenzani from Wenzani on Vimeo.

Explore the world with Trazzler’s new iphone app

Trazzler’s new free iPhone app, called Trazzler, allows people to explore the world through their smartphone.

When the program first opens, users will be asked to take a short quiz that will allow the app to get to know their personality. The test consists of a series of images in which the user will be prompted to click the photos that appeal to them the most. Through the user’s answers, Trazzler can delve deeper into the personality of the user and figure out who they are most compatible to travel with as well as ideal destinations that fit the personality type.

Like a social network, this app makes it easy for you to find your friends who are also using Trazzler and see how well you would fit as traveler partners. Not only that, but users will also be able to read expert recommendations on travel.

The app seems to be getting a lot of attention, as last week more than 30,000 iPhone users downloaded Trazzler. To download the app for yourself, click here. The app is also available on the iPad and iPod Touch.

I (sometimes) love New York. New app invites New Yorkers to complain about their hometown

Tourists wear it, New Yorkers live it. Most Big Apple dwellers will tell you that they love New York – and if the choose to complain, well, it’s their city to complain about. But for the first time, New Yorkers are asked to weigh in on the question, “Does New York Love You Back?”

DOES NY LOVE U BACK? is a website and iPhone app where New Yorkers can submit praises or complaints about life in the Big Apple. These expressions are then plotted onto an interactive map of New York City.

“This app isn’t about namedropping places, like other services,” said creator Erik Trinidad, (no shock here) a Brooklyn resident. “The good or bad experiences of New York don’t always happen in specific places. They happen on the street or on the subway – anywhere. This project is merely an experimental interactive sounding board for New Yorkers wherever they are in the five boroughs.”

“It’s easy to love the city, but it’s also easy to hate this city. Being able to express any emotion at any time is necessary. And that’s what this app does. It’s the voice of NYC,” saids Jon Darren, an East Village resident.

The voice of NYC seems small so far – there are only a few dozen comments posted on the site, ranging from loving to only-in-nyc style moments such as Chris from Midtown who says “Gangstarr blasting at Num Pang and all the suits don’t know what to do,” and E from Brooklyn who “is watching an old man refuse to get out of the shot, as the neighborhood has turned into a film set yet again.” Another favorite comes from Judy from Gramercy who says that “Unattractive guys should not be wearing daisy dukes and flip flops.” We’re with you, Julie. Although we’re pretty sure no guy should ever sport daisy dukes.

The website also links to an on-line store where t-shirts, amongst other things, can be purchased. The t-shirts are modeled in a gallery section, which expresses thoughts from the five boroughs of NYC – the mostly cynical ones.

So feel free – tweet, shout or wear your love and hate with abandon. Or use the app to figure out where the love (or hate) propels you to visit (or not) on your next trip to the city.

National Geographic and Fotopedia launch ‘Above France’ app

National Geographic and Fotopedia have once again joined forces to offer a new app that is sure to be a hit with Francophiles (or anyone else who loves great photos!) everywhere. The just released Above France app offers stunning views of that country from a unique perspective that few ever get the opportunity to see.

As the name implies, this app comes packed with more than 2000 images, all shot from the air, of some of France’s most famous and memorable locations. The images were taken by professional photographer and helicopter pilot Frank Mulliez, who combined his two occupations to capture the beauty and wonder of the French countryside from above. Some of the sites that were photographed from the sky include Mont Blanc, the famous castles in the Loire Valley, the streets of Paris, and of course, the Eiffel Tower.

In addition to the great photos that are centerpiece of this app, Above France also includes a host of navigation features and interactive maps so you can find the sites for yourself. There is also a personal trip builder that can be used to create custom trips of your own, both real and virtual. The app integrates nicely with Facebook, Twitter, and email as well, so you can share your favorite images with friends, while the “instant slideshow” option will automatically create a custom display of stunning photos for you to enjoy on your own.

This app is the second collaboration between Nat Geo and Fotopedia. A month ago they released their Dreams of Burma app, which offered similar features for that country.

Above France is available in the iOS app store now for just $2.99, and runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad. An Internet connection is required for use.