Archive for the ‘iPhone’ Category

There are lots of ways to enjoy music from portable devices in your car. Many new vehicles come with built-in iPhone/iPod docks, but there are a range of other options,  including Belkin's popular TuneBase device. The TuneBase plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, keeping gadgets charged as you listen to music and take hands-free calls. Unfortunately, if you bought one of these devices in the U.S. or Canada, you might want to return it -- and pronto. Seems like a faulty washer can cause the TuneBase to melt your car's dashboard and possibly catch fire if left plugged in overnight. We're guessing that's not the sort of thing you want to...

First, the good news: technologically speaking, the Aha Mobile traffic app is at the front of the pack. It pairs the iPhone's built-in geolocation capabilities with data from INRIX, Yelp, SitOrSquat, and PhotoEnforced, making Aha your one-stop-shop for data on traffic, food, bathrooms, and speed cameras -- without having to deal with itty-bitty maps. Other features allow you to communicate with nearby drivers and post to Twitter and Facebook. Also, it's totally free.

The bad news? Aha works better in some cities than others, its geolocation tools occasionally go off-track, it's a memory hog, and it's somewhat unstable. But as long as Aha is...

Here at TCC, we cover a lot of applications for mobile devices, and at the risk of sounding like shills for Apple, we've stumbled across another one that could come in handy -- especially for mall mavens during the coming holiday season. The app is called "Car Finder", and it's designed to help you, well, find your car in a parking lot. After taking a photo of your vehicle, the app uses GPS and a digital compass to help you find your way back. We haven't given this one a test run yet, but at just $.99, chances are pretty good that'll happen -- as soon as we upgrade to the necessary 3GS handset, of course. [BoingBoing]