Weekly review of select 'Free' applications from the iPhone App Store.
This week's review will will focus on a simple but surprisingly effective application named, "Take Me To My Car".
Certainly we have all forgotton where we've parked our car at some point. I often forget where I've parked when I am in a hurry and don't bother to note any landmarks, or simply not familiar with the area. Where this application really shines is when you've had to park for an event with a massive parking lot or on a residential street and walked in to an event.
A simple and yet brilliant concept, Take Me To My Car uses the iPhone 3G's location services to quickly locate your position by way of GPS coordinates. By simply pressing the "Park Here" button, your exact location is stored in memory so you can continue on your merry way.
Finding your way back to your car only requires you to open the application, wait for a GPS lock and then press the "Calculate Route" button and you will receive actual walking directions, with approximate distance to get back to your car. The application uses Google maps that is built in to the iPhone so the maps are as accurate as Google has made them. Your car is represented on the map as a small red BMW 1 series, which is a nice touch, and your position as a red flag. Your position does update in real time as you walk and you can center the screen on your position by pressing the button with the flag on it.
Overall, this program works great and even helped me find my car in a parking garage which surprised me. As I approached my car on the screen it was apparent that I was on the wrong level but right over my car. I went down one level and there it was. I enjoy programs that are simple but very useful and Take Me To My Car is on my short list of favorites. There's nothing to really criticize about the program, though I hope that future updates will add functionality to store more than one vehicle or even customize options like your vehicle or use Google's satellite and hybrid views.
- Program: Take Me To My Car
- Version Tested: 1.2 Released:10/4/08
- Creator: Eldar Sadikov
- Catagory: Navigation
