The iPhone is the phenomenon for the 21st century. Arguably the daddy of all the smartphones, its’ gone on to become a must-have for those with a drive to be at the technological forefront. It’s sleek, durable and capable enabling the user to conduct almost every aspect of their life with the swipe of a screen. Of course we wouldn’t go anywhere without our trusted Apple product so here we take a look at some of the best car and travel apps available to facilitate our every need.

1. Car Care

With money a little tight these days and fuel prices steadily on the up-and-up, motorists have to pay a little bit more attention to the costs of running their vehicles. With this app, you can keep track of your next service interval as well as monitoring your fuel consumption.

2. Trapster

We all are aware of the plethora of speed cameras out there these days. It seems that law enforcement has in recent times been focussing more on revenue than road safety. This device is ideal f you want to improve your chances of remaining fine- and points- free. It detects all speed cameras and reports them in real time. It also advises of any road hazards which may lie ahead.

3. iGasUp

Image from Macworld.com

As motorists we are constantly feeling the pinch at the pumps, caught between high basic fuel prices and crippling government duties. Nothing much can be done about that, but at least with this app you can ease the burden. IGasUp provides up to the minute prices for unleaded, diesel and super unleaded fuels. The app allows you to save by locating the cheapest pence per litre prices in your area. It’ll also show you the distance to each of those petrol stations and navigate you to them!

4. Take Me to My Car

Most people are sensible enough to know where they left their cars when parking, but sometimes it’s easy to forget, especially when parking in a huge lot or an unfamiliar part of town. This device utilises GPS to help you back to your vehicle in one single tap. The app stores your last position and provides you with walking directions back to the original destination. It can’t help you if you lose your iphone though.

5. Pocket Parking Meter

Parking wardens are the bane of most drivers’ existence, and most will doubtless welcome this tool for avoiding more of those punishing parking fines. Just set the meter running when you leave your car and it’ll keep track, in real time, of how much parking is costing you and how long you have until the hovering wardens slap a ticket on the windscreen.

6. ViperSmart

Image from thecoolgadgets.com

This one is for the seriously committed techies out there. The app takes smartphone technology one step further as it allows you to control your vehicle remotely from your device. Sadly, you can’t actually drive your car with it, but you can start it and turn your heating on and off at the touch of a button. It can even find your car by beeping the horn if need be. This is clearly a very clever app which promises to become more and more popular in the coming months.

7. NextFlight

Image from boardingarea.com

You’ll never miss a flight with this app. It really is supreme. Based on the information boards of the major airport terminals, displays are shown for arrivals and departures in real time. All of the major UK airports are covered and the status is refreshed almost instantaneously. It’s a reliable app which does what it says on the tin.

8. Kayak

Kayak provides the user with all the travel information they could possibly require. From the convenience of your iPhone you can book flights, hotels and car hire as well as view an array of helpful travel tips. The user interface is first class and it won’t break the bank when you download it!

“8 Top iPhone Apps for the Keen Driver” was brought to you by the motoring fanatics at Vroomvroomvroom.co.uk, providing quality car rental from Gatwick airport and elsewhere around the UK.

Driving just isn’t the same without music to set the mood, but how we get that music has changed leaps and bounds over the decades. First came the radio, then the 8-Track player. Twenty-five years ago, anyone who anyone had a tape deck in their car. Ten years ago it was a CD player, and now it’s all about the iPod. The fantastic thing about portable MP3 players the ability to easily carry thousands of albums worth of music with you, and this couldn’t be more useful than in your car. Whether on your daily commute to work, or an epic road trip, the music and how you interact with it can make or break the driving experience. If you’re in the market for a new iPod system for your vehicle, you can’t go wrong with one of these three wicked options.

1. Alpine iXA-W407 Digital Media Station

The Alpine takes the less is more approach to audio systems. The interface is easy to navigate, offers a quick response time, and the lack of support for physical media frees up real estate for the touch screen. The unit includes iPod and iPhone AV playback out of box, and Bluetooth connectivity for your iPhone, enabling hands free calling and media navigation. The audio quality is superb and it can also render video to be displayed on its 7-inch QVGA screen. This system is an excellent mid-range option for those who prefer a sleek, minimalistic interface.

2. Alpine iDA-X305

In keeping with the Alpine product line, this unit has also opted to forgo support for any physical media, meaning it doesn’t include a disc or tape player, in favour of digital options, but still includes a radio tuner. Navigation-wise, it doesn’t include a touch screen, but the interface design is excellent. Navigation buttons on the left side of the faceplate which you can answer your from, in addition to the usual navigational options. Perhaps the unit’s greatest strength is its two-way encoder control scheme and QuickSearch, which is enables of lightening-fast media library searches. Car owners who are on a budget can’t do better than this unit would look great in a nice hot hatch like a used vauxhall Astra VXR or an sold school Golf GTI very clean sound to pump put your favorite tunes

3. Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT

This system stands head and shoulders above almost every option currently on the market, thanks to it being packed to the brim with features. It comes with a built-in GPS navigation system, CD-DVD player, HD radio receiver, Bluetooth compatibility for cellular pairing, and voice recognition. You can access your music, not only from your iPod, but an SD card, CD or DVD, USB storage drive, or stream directly from your phone via Bluetooth. You can navigate your iPod, or any other digital media, using the voice recognition system, making finding your media safe and easy

One of the advantages of current car stereo and entertainment systems is that you can easily connect your iPod and iPhone devices to them, enabling you to stream music and take calls while driving. Various products are available, and provide an alternative to radio, CD and DVD players, which are typically embedded within a car’s head unit. Integration with iPhones similarly allows for Internet streaming of music through programs like Spotify.

iPod car kits and docking stations typically work through FM and Bluetooth transmitters, or through direct jacks into a head unit, as well as through iPod cassette adapters. Of these, the most flexible tend to be those that require no wiring, and can be easily streamed through an FM radio station.

Depending on whether you want to keep an iPod docked every day, or less frequently, you will need to consider which type is the most economical and suitable for your particular car. Moreover, it is important to remember that most dealers will provide options for installing these kits at the time of purchase. The following kits and docking stations represent some of the best options for drivers.

1 – Potato TuneLink Auto

Flexible and excellent at reducing noise, this FM transmitter also has options for Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs, and provides additional charging for iPods. It also produces a stereo display, and can be adjusted to different FM features. The Potato TuneLink is particularly strong at locating the right FM band for an iPod signal.

2 – Griffin iTrip Auto

A cheap option, the Griffin iTrip Auto is easy to use, and contains wireless and auxiliary jack options. As with other models, the iTrip will charge your iPod while using a SmartScan function to search for the best FM frequency. It can also be programmed to your settings, and is compatible with iPhones. Perhaps the best budget option available at the present time.

3 – Dension Gateway Five iPod/USB/Bluetooth Car Kit

Dension branded kits are very reliable, and bring together multiple music playing, charging, and mobile phone integration features. They can be integrated with steering wheel controls, and are attached in place of a CD changing device at the back of a car. The trunk mounting does, however, need to be compatible with your car, so make sure that you check before trying to install the Dension.

4 – LUPO 5 in 1 Car Kit for iPhone
One of the best docking stations, the LUPO is compatible with iPhones, iPods, FM radio, while providing charging and an easy tweaking of sound quality. As a docking station it provides a cheap way to mount your iPod and phone, and is particularly strong at offering high quality padding.

5 – Sony DSX-S300BT

A CD mech-less Bluetooth unit with an iPod dock, Sony have recent upgraded the model, making it one of the best portable players and docking stations. Multiple digital players enable you to switch between a large selection of music, while also providing optimisation features for individual tracks and browsing. The DSX-S300BT also offers advanced levels of audio quality, and is worth an additional investment in cost.

Guest Post – Helena Malawi – I consider myself to be an audio enthusiast; an ipod car kit is a must in any car. When I get a car through PCP deals I always look out for the audio options.

The explosion of the ‘app’ unto and into our lives has transformed the sacred relationship between man and technology, while causing a plethora of people to scatter around in search of the best iPhone deals. In fact, as evidence of the app sensation that has gripped human beings worldwide, Google Play alone, generates 1bn app downloads a month and boasts a library of over 450,000 apps. But of all the hundreds of thousands of apps, let us attempt to go where no man has gone, and seek to list the top five. Ok, five out of 450,000’s a bit of a hard task, so let us then increase that number to six.

6) ESPN GOALS

When I was first told of this app, I probably said what every other football fan thought, when they were first introduced: ‘the app won’t be able to show goal highlights from every Premier League game’. Well actually it does. Unless you have an iPod Touch – which due to rights is restricted from such perks – ESPN Goals show video highlights of every Premier League goal, and to top it all off, its completely free. Definitely worth checking out some iPhone deals for this!

5) Deezer

Deezer’s awesome simply because it allows us to download or stream music from a library that’s 15,000 million licensed songs strong and 30,000 radio channels deep. Furthermore, for those stuck between using Deezer and Spotify, a free 15 days trial period generously allows users to make their minds up for themselves.

4) Fitness Appz

Ok, maybe I’m being a bit selfish now, by only including the apps that tailor specifically to my lifestyle. I like music, football and working out, what can I say? But for those likeminded fitness freaks, Fitness Appz really is a joy to behold. The app shouts tailored instructions at you while you work out, making it awesome for exercising: unless you strangely don’t like being shouted at.

3) Vyke

Here’s one for everyone! Vyke allows us to make home and international calls and texts at cheap rates. In fact, landline calls are at 2p a minute to 22 countries. Cheers!

2) Kobo eBooks

Did I tell you I also like reading? Offering over 1 million books to read, Kobo is basically an alternative to Kindle. So why then is it 2^nd in the sanctified list of greatest apps on earth? Well for starters Kobo is significantly cheaper. For enders Kobo is significantly cheaper. Enough said on that matter.

1) Live Score Addicts

Here we go again, back to football. Simply on the premise that if the ESPN goal app has a right on this list, then Live Score Addicts, deserves to be number one. Why? Because Live Score Addicts, shows the goals available on ESPN’s app, but also includes 299 other leagues. I’ll repeat for clarification: Live Score Addicts, shows goal highlights from a whooping 300 leagues!

If you have an iPhone & a Car, Dension have developed the perfect product for you. The Dension iPhone Car Dock allows you to use your iPhone comfortably and safely while you drive.

Its designed specifically to allow all the functions of the iPhone to remain usable when driving, so if you want music you can play music, if you need navigation apps you can run them. If the other half wants to watch a video or do some shopping you still can. Of course the main purpose is the handsfree calls. The device is connected into the vehicle speakers system so you get great audio quality for music and handsfree conversations and it keeps your iPhone charged.

Best of all is the device works with Siri, (Although not all of the functions of Siri are available here yet) So you can read and send messages without touching the phone or taking your hands off the steering wheel.

Its a great gift idea for Xmas & one which will keep your loved ones safe as well as functional.

Click Through to product here

http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/Dension_iPhone_Car_Dock

The New Dension Car Dock and Go iPhone car Dock is part of a new wave of products coming out of the Dension factory in Hungary. The direction inspired by the insurgence of the iPhone (overshadowing the iPod to a certain extent) brings a new need for the customer. Firstly to make and receive calls as well as listen to music and secondly to allow other app’s to function when in use.

The iPhone in its most simple form is a phone, however in its most complex form it also offers the ability to be as complicated as most computers (Possibly more so). Its for many, a central hub of information, especially now for business users. Its email, Communication, Calendar and now Siri help plan and organise the day to day activity for the average business man. Combined with other helpful apps and navigation functions the iPhone represents an all in one product reducing the need for other gadgets.

With this in mind, its important for new and emerging products to embrace the iPhone and all its functions not hinder them. Dension have tried to do just that with the Car Dock and Go. Rather than try to mash the iPhones complex operations to a vehicles (very different, more simple) control system and plug a few gaps in-between. Dension have allowed the device to fully respect the iPhones brilliance. There’s no need to over complicate things when the iPhone is perfectly suited to do what’s its designed for, be a mobile device with easy and intuitive control.

So when you make a call, the car dock and go may not be able to navigate through the menus via the steering wheel controls like the gateway five, but simply press a button and go to contact, or if you have 4s, simply ask it. Music is just as simple, in fact what could be easier than using an iPhone (iPod) to play music. Its the device that revolutionised the whole industry. In many ways this is the brilliance of the Car Dock and Go, Its not over complicated, it doesn’t have to try and merge two different systems, but it does let the iPhone do what the iPhone does best & you cant ask for more than that.

The iPhone Car Dock can be purchased from http://www.iPodcarkitdirect.co.uk : Current price £84.99

Dension have been market leaders in the ipod car kit market for quite a while, offering by far the best integration & text display into the majority of vehicles. One new area they are looking to crack is the iPhone car market. Making a product that offers both music and handsfree integration.

The concept has been attacked in three different ways, the fully integrated system, partially integrated system and the universal system. Although producing more than one product can often confuse customers, Densions method is born more out of necessity than a desire to do so. The problem being compatibility with vehicles & their systems. Some cars are capable of displaying text info and some just aren’t. Dension (or Dension users) found it too difficult to use a fully integrated system with out text display. It made navigating through menus and phonebook’s impossible. Thus the need for the partially integrated product.

The Gateway five is the fully integrated offering, connecting your Phone and iPod or iPhone into the cars system, pretty much control your whole phone from the menu structure & control music in the same way. In fact its a very easy system to use when you spend a little time learning it. For those of us without text compatible cars the gateway blue will be available. Offering a similar style integration (or quality) the Gateway Blue is still controlled via the phone / iPhone or iPod. Music selection and phone book control is done through the device, however partial controls are retained through the steering wheel making the system much easier than navigating “blind”

The third method however is a fully universal option. The Dension iphone Car Dock will connect to the vast majority of cars (some cars may need an aerial adapter), The device gets its charge from the cigarette lighter and can be connected into the aerial or AUX input if you have one. Keeping the quality as close to digital as possible. The other advantage of the Car Dock is that the controls are entirely through the iPhone, music selection, phonebook, messages etc however this actually serves as an advantage in our opinion. Why change the intuitive layout of the iPhone for partially integrated mash up with which ever car you have control systems.

We actually found the device very easy to use & was a little surprised by the handsfree quality. Each conversation we held via the system gave very positive feedback. Needless to say the music functionality was to the usual high standard. Dension have even developed an App to use with the system. However the best part of the system is that the iPhone still operates as an iPhone when in use. So you can still use google Navigation rather than your sat nav, cycle through your music library or play the latest videos & TV programs If you choose to (Although its more than likely illegal to watch tv when your driving where you live)

All in all we can see the Dension iPhone Dock becoming the iPhone car kit to beat in the coming months and years & sets a new standard for universal iPhone input.

New article regarding iPhone car kits.

iPhone car kits – May help you understand a little more about iPhone car kits and their functions.

iPod Car Kit Direct are soon to launch a slightly revamped and revised version of the popular website. The new feature called the car kit wizard allows the users to get to the product they need much quicker and limit the amount of time spent trying to decide which product is most suitable for them.

The problem we face is two fold,  first is that everybody has different expectations and functions they want or expect from the kit. The second is that each kit isn’t necessarily available or doesn’t offer the same functions for each vehicle as they do others. So finding a product for each customer and vehicle can be quite challenging.

With the new system the customer can find a product via four different methods.  Firstly via their vehicle, secondly via the product function, thirdly via a brand and finally via a brand and part number for the customer who know what product they need.