Essential iPhone Apps for the road

I think at this point even I am sick of hearing about the iPhone. Need to waste time, there's an app for that. Need to annoy others, there's an app for that.

It is hard to get around the fact that the rectangular device adored by hipsters, jocks, and people who don't use their phone for phone calls is a versatile little bugger. There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps in the app store, half of them devoted to flatulence maybe, but there are some that are useful to us SOBs.

Fine, twist my arm, I am an Apple fanboy, the company can do no wrong. But I was not the first to line up to buy an iPhone when it came three years ago, and it was not the device it was today. iPhone OS 1.0 was enough to barely get the device launched. It lacked now common place features like cut/paste, map directions, and most importantly, the App Store.

Let's skip forward a bit. There are currently two phone available, the older, cheaper 3G and the new hotness 3GS. The big difference between the two is price and features, go figure. The 3GS starts at $199 and sports a faster processor and a nifty digital compass. The older 3G weighs in at a lighter $99 but lacks the speed and compass. I own the 3G and it is no slouch.

I feel I'm at risk of turning JSOBs into an Apple tech blog so let's examine how this helps you on two wheels. Discussed in a previous JSOB article was how to go about mounting an iPhone to your bike. This article, is all about the Apps.

The following is a list of iPhone applications I own and have used while traveling. That being said, of course it is safer to pull over and stop before operating phone functions. Duh.

In no particular order, all links open in iTunes:

1. TWC: The Weather Channel application is a must have. This app can find you anywhere in the country via GPS and show your location with an overlaid radar image. This app currently costs $3.99 and is well worth the price. It shows you the basic weather forecasts but has a neat additional feature. The map has a prediction function that will show you what cloud and/or rain cover to expect at your location up to 6 hours in the future. There is also a free version that has ads, loses the predictive map and other features. It is well worth the few bucks for the premium version. Plus the premium version has push notifications that will alert you to severe weather even if you don't have the application open. This could give you a crucial heads up while traveling. Price: $3.99

2. Maps: This is a built in app that comes free with every iPhone. The last few months have seen the introduction of several pure GPS programs. For the most part they have one thing in common, they are expensive. For the exhorbitant fee of zero dollars, the built in map app gives you access to Google Maps and the ability to locate you on that map. It can show you the map, a satellite picture view or a hybrid of the two. It has access (with cell coverage) to search Google's database of businesses and points of interest. As an added bonus, major cities will display traffic congestion in easy to read red, yellow, or green overlays. It will not give you turn-by-turn directions or work in an area with no cell coverage. If you need complete turn-by-turn directions or regularly ride into the sticks, I would investigate a true GPS program. Price: Free

3. Urbanspoon: Who doesn't like to eat? Plus, this is a fun App to use. One of the joys of being an SOB is to travel and discover new places to eat. Urbanspoon is an easy to use way to discover new eats in your hometown or across the country. Again, internet required. There is no need to know your location as it can find you via GPS. Once it has located you, just shake the phone and let the slot machine tumblers do their thing. They will select a combination of neighborhood, cuisine, and price. The program includes contact info and reviews. On the downside I find the listings can be outdated. Price: Free

4. TimeLapse: Want to make an M/C version of Wallace and Grommit? Probably not, but this app is useful for compressing time and showing an hour long ride through the twisties into a minute. You can set this guy to take a picture every few seconds and then play them back at normal speed. A really cool effect. Price: $1.99

5. Autostitch: Just arrive at a scenic overlook? Forgot your DSLR and tripod with panoramic attachment? Whip out you iPhone and snap a bunch of pictures of the scene. Autostitch, will, well, automatically stitch them together into on complete panoramic image. It is really pretty simple, select the images you want to include and the computer will do the rest. The picture may still be a little rough around the edges, but Autostitch will allow you to crop the photo back into a pretty rectangle. Once you are done, you can save the picture back to your camera roll. Remember to take lots of photos and to make sure they overlap. Price: $2.99

6. Dropbox: Dropbox has no real purpose for while you are riding, but it could save your bacon if you needed access to legal papers, insurance info, etc. You can upload any electronic file to Dropbox's servers and access it from any computer and now even your iPhone. Keep copies of your bike's manual, insurance papers, even health documents should the unfortunate happen. Price: Free

7. Car Minder This is a very simple application to keep track of the maintenance needs of your steed. You can track the oil change needs of multiple vehicles, their MPGs, and other scheduled maintenance items. There are a few applications like this dedicated to specific vehicle types. I have Car Minder and use it to track my Mazda and Magna. There doesn't seem to be much difference between them except the icon. Price: $3.99

8. FlickTunes Operating a mobile device in a car while moving is dumb and illegal. Operating a mobile device on a motorcycle is illegal and possibly suicidal. Here is an app that makes it easier. Cheers. The built in iPhone jukebox uses small buttons that are not easy to operate at, let's say 60 mph. FlickTunes turns the entire screen into a gesture pad to control your tunes. Flick to the right for the next track. Flick up to pause the tunes. Just be careful not to flick off the cager next to you. Also, it should be noted that the iPhone will not work if you are wearing gloves. Solutions for that in a future article. Price: Free

This is by no means an exhaustive list of applications. Are you an SOB with an iPhone? Have something to add? Leave it in the comments section below.