iPad and iPhone Apps: Weather, Travel, Driving, Eating

Linda on YELP: http://youtu.be/Xapjon3cO-Q

I came across an interesting Inc. article about how YELP really works and why business owners love it, hate it, respect it and fear it: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/youve-been-yelped.html.

There is also this recent Mashable article about CEO Jeremy Stoppelman defending YELP to critics: http://mashable.com/2013/11/08/yelp-jeremy-stoppelman-reddit-ama/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link. (It links to the Inc. article above.)

And here is another one from Mashable: 11 Things you didn't know about Yelp: http://mashable.com/2012/09/03/10-yelp-facts/

Check out these apps I found for maintaining the home. Type 'Gardening' or 'DIY' to find more. Beware of magazine apps: the app is free, but you have to subscribe to the magazine to get the content.

The Family Handyman DIY Tip Genius

Gardening Ideas

Tomato Match from Fine Gardening

• Read Mashable by downloading its free app for iPad or iPhone, OR, follow it on Facebook or Twitter. (I hear there are a lot of ads in its own app, so following via Social Media is preferred.)
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• Read WIRED magazine. Of course you can read this in the library, but if you subscribe, you also get their iPad app that allows you to read all of the magazine's content on your iPad. (I've been aware of Wired for years, but only recently realized its fabulousness--it is not just for techies and does not cover only technology!)
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• Check out Inc. magazine online. You can access a lot of their content online, but with a subscription you can use their iPad app. You can also purchase single copies. Inc. is not just for business-people: I find useful information there that I share with my library colleagues on efficiency, customer service/networking, technology (from the user's perspective), and other topics.
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• Do you have a great source for technology you would like me to add to this list? margaret.montet@bucks.edu

Carol is telling us about her favorite weather apps in this video:

• Weather
• The Weather Channel
• Radar Plus (NOAA) $1.99
• StormTracker 6 (Local)
• Accuweather
• Swackett (she apologizes for spelling it incorrectly in the video)

And there are more! try WeatherBug and Weather Pup for cuteness, NOAA Now and Perfect Weather (@1.99) for officialness, and Weather+ for simplicity.

In the video below, Linda is going to show us FlightBoard. This is a handy app to use while traveling by air because you can look up gate information, flight times, and cancellations. The basic version of FlightBoard is free, but there is a souped-up version for $3.99. Don't forget this kind of app is handy for the traveler as well as the airport picker-upper!

Some other handy travel apps are:

Hipmunk--to plan trips and book hotels and flights

TripIt--email your travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and Tripit creates a detailed itinerary (recommended by Linda's husband)

TripAdvisor--Find flights, hotels, restaurants, things to do, and customer reviews for all.

FlightTrack--Follow specific flights by number

getflyer--is in beta right now, but will be findable in February 2015. It promises to save you money when buying airplane tickets because it can predict when airlines will change their fares. (This got great buzz on the Today Show.)

SEPTA--

• for iPhone, SEPTA has its own free app that shows routes, schedules, and in-service trains/buses (for pick-up purposes)
• for iPad, you'll have to use a third-party app--I chose SEPTA Rail for iPad by Easy Transit which cost $1.99 (way easier than trying to use SEPTA's website!)

NJ Transit--for destinations north (NYC), try the free NJ Transit app called Embark NJ

• Trip Planner, Maps, Advisories, more Info

The video below features Fred telling us about SaferCar.gov, a free app from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that will inform you of recalls and complaints about your vehicle. It also supplies information on child safety seats.

Other apps to help you stay safe and efficient behind the wheel are:

• MapQuest and Google Maps--either will map out your trip for you step-by-step, and some versions speak the directions as you drive. Some recalibrate if you make a wrong turn or encounter a detour. Free.
• TrackMyMileage--keeps track of your mileage for business or diagnostic purposes (recommended by Fred's sister Shirley). Free.
• GasBuddy--Follow this link to see Fred talk about this tool for finding gas prices where we are or where we are going.
• DTC Search--Fred's app for looking up OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) codes, so that you will know what kind of repair your vehicle needs. (If you have trouble finding this one, try searching on 'OBD' instead of the app's name.)

We can find a lot of information about food and eating by using iPad and iPhone apps. Below, Jackie is going to talk about Open Table, a very popular app for looking up restaurants and making reservations right from the app. Open Table also gives you information, reviews, and sometimes menus from the restaurant.

Another popular dining-out app is UrbanSpoon. This app may not cover every city or town, but it gives comprehensive information for those it does cover.

If you prefer to dine at home, there are many cookbook apps. Find them on your iPhone and you can gather your ingredients on the spur of the moment in the grocery store! Type 'cookbook' into the App Store and you will have many to choose from. Epicurious and iCookbook are popular, and iCookbook also makes a Diabetic version with appropriate recipes including nutritional information. Speaking of special diets, WeightWatchers has an app, too.

Whether you prefer to go out and see live entertainment, stay home and watch stuff from your couch, or tell your own story, there are apps for you.

• SeatGeek: search by performer, event or venue, select your seats, and buy them. This app is free and useful for sports and entertainment events.
  
• PeeRun: Tells you the best times in a movie to take a comfort or snack break; also fills you in on the first 20 minutes if you arrive late. (Recommended by Matt Lauer from the Today Show.)
  
• GetGlue contains information, videos, and social media interaction tools for current movies and TV. This free app was selected as a top app by Mashable.
  
• SnagFilms offers full-length independent films on many topics. The app and the movies are free.
• iMDB  (see Fred's video below) is a big, crowdsourced database where you can look up stars, directors, producers, dates, and background information for movies and television shows. Click on a person's name to see what other projects they've worked on. This app is free.
• Netflix requires a subscription, but if you already subscribe to it, you can use the app for free. You can maintain your movie queue and view movies and TV shows from the app.
• iMovie costs $4.99, but you can create your own professional-looking movie or advertising trailer! We use this at Bucks to promote library events with trailers via email and social media.
• Ken Burns has two apps. One is free and one costs $9.99. He has created playlists of documentary clips which show the evolution of various themes (such as "Innovation") through history.