iPhone Atlas

USA Today's free AutoPilot app offers flight status, weather, travel blogs, and more.

The App Store is already replete with travel apps, so what's the big deal about USA Today AutoPilot?

For one thing, it's free--despite offering such advanced features as TripIt integration, real-time flight status, and quick access to travel blogs.

Then there's the branding: Last I checked, USA Today was a newspaper (with its own news app). So what's with the travel software?

"USA TODAY is synonymous with travel. Travelers love us and we love being everywhere they need us with innovative new products," said Matt Jones, vice president of mobile strategy and operations for Gannett Digital.

Ooooo-kay. What's next: Dunkin' Donuts Guitar Tuner? Anyway, AutoPilot offers some impressive features for a freebie, including the aforementioned TripIt support (which, to my knowledge, isn't available on any other free travel app except TripIt's own).

In other words, if you use the popular travel-management service, you can access your account (and trip details) within AutoPilot. Of course, you can manually enter trip info for AutoPilot to track as well.

The app provides real-time flight status, allowing you to search by flight number, airport, and route. There's also a flight-delay map that instantly shows you U.S. trouble spots, with specific details available when you tap through.

Other features include a handy directory of airlines, hotels, and car-rental companies; weather reports and radar; city-specific Flickr photo galleries; and an Articles & Experts section that links you to various features and blogs (such as USA Today's Destinations and 10 Great Places). Lots of good travel-related reading material.

In short, it's an impressive travel app, though for the moment it tracks only flights, not hotel or car reservations. But the price is right, so you've got nothing to lose by giving it a try.

In the meantime, check out a related post: Five must-have iPhone apps for your next trip.

iPhone stands come in all shapes and sizes, from $40 luxury models to no-cost hacks you cobble together yourself.

Personally, I want something that goes where I go, that always rides shotgun, that I won't accidentally forget to bring along.

Something like the GoGoStand, which has the credit-card dimensions necessary to fit in a wallet but unfolds to form a solid, adjustable stand for the iPhone or iPod Touch. (It can work with other devices, too, natch.)

As you can see in the video, the GoGoStand is just a specially cut piece of plastic. But the design is quite clever, allowing three different viewing angles depending on which tab-hole you use.

It wouldn't surprise me to see a developer charging $10 or even $15 for a product like this, but the GoGoStand is priced very reasonably at $4.99, shipping included. (Alas, it's currently "sold out until next week." Check back then!)

Of course, this isn't too different from the Crabble stand I wrote about a while back, except that the latter now costs $6.99 (plus $1.50 for shipping) and still has a terrible name.

Until now I've been using the $9.95 Tiko Fold, which is a great travel stand in its own right, but a bit too large to fit in a wallet.

I have to say, the GoGoStand is exactly what I need, and the price is hard to beat.

Agree? Disagree? What do you use to prop up your iPhone/iPod Touch when it's movie time? If you have a favorite DIY solution, be sure to include a link with your comment!

Navigon's MobileNavigator app continues to improve with features like text-to-speech and location sharing.

For the second time in as many months, Navigon has released an update to its MobileNavigator GPS app. The big news this time? Text-to-speech.

Since MobileNavigator debuted in late July, the App Store has grown crowded with competitors, including CoPilot Live, iGo My Way, and TomTom.

But not one of them offers the coveted text-to-speech feature (yet), which announces actual street names instead of just saying "turn right ahead."

MobileNavigator 1.2.0 adds that highly desirable capability--along with a few others. A new integrated iPod control provides one-tap access to your media library. A new location-sharing feature lets you e-mail your location, an address, or a point of interest. (If the recipient is also a MobileNavigator user, the attached link fires up the app with the destination already programmed in.)

Finally, the update includes automatic switching (based on time and location) between day and night modes. In other words, if it starts getting dark out, the app will switch to a less-glaring map view. Nice!

One other noteworthy change: It appears Navigon has settled on $89.99 as the price for MobileNavigator--$10 less than was originally planned. That's nice, but it's still higher than iGo ($79.99) and CoPilot ($34.99).

Also, real-time traffic updates are still MIA. While you're waiting on that, check out the Inrix Traffic app, which I've found to be an excellent road companion.

For the moment, the arrival of text-to-speech gives MobileNavigator an edge over competing GPS apps. If you've tried some or all of them, hit the comments to let me know which navigator you like best--and why.

MobileNavigator offers 3D maps and turn-by-turn directions, but no text-to-speech or real-time traffic.

I don't know which is more disappointing: that it took this long to bring navigation software to the iPhone, or that most vendors are charging monthly fees for it.

That's one reason I was excited to try Navigon's MobileNavigator, which has a flat-rate price of $69.99 (until August 15, at which time it jumps to $99.99).

Steep, yes, but to me that's much more attractive than paying $9.99 per month for AT&T's Navigator or Networks in Motion's Gokivo. (TomTom hasn't yet announced a pricing plan for its forthcoming nav app.)

I took MobileNavigator for a test-drive on a recent trip. Bottom line: It performed like a typical navigation system--a really, really basic navigation system.

Indeed, while the app offers solid voice-guided, turn-by-turn routing, it lacks several obvious features.

For starters, it doesn't support real-time traffic data, so forget about steering clear of construction zones and traffic jams.

Nor does the app let you call phone numbers in its points-of-interest database. In fact, it doesn't even include phone numbers, which is mind-boggling.

Perhaps most disappointing, MobileNavigator doesn't do text-to-speech, meaning you don't hear street names. Instead, it merely says, "Turn right ahead." That's pretty inexcusable; even old closeout GPS models like this one do text-to-speech.

The good news is that all these oversights will be remedied in forthcoming updates. However, only one--POI phone calling--is on tap for the free update that's "coming soon." The others will be added later, and it's not clear if you'll have to pay extra to get them.

(Map updates will definitely cost extra, which is one point in favor of subscription-based GPS, which usually includes frequent map and POI updates.)

MobileNavigator does offer a few amenities, including an admirably simple interface, portrait and landscape map views, and a lane-assist feature coupled with photo-realistic views of expressway ramps and exits.

The app worked quickly and accurately with the routes I gave it, though I did encounter an odd bug: Sometimes the screen would dim and then turn off (with voice prompts still coming through, however), and sometimes it stayed lit. I'm all for power-saving, but give me a choice in the matter.

At this point I honestly can't decide whether to recommend MobileNavigator or not. The flat-rate pricing is a big draw, but even $69.99 seems high for what you get--especially when you can buy a standalone GPS for the same or less. (And the future $99.99 price? Too high, period.)

Meanwhile, the app is missing a few too many features for my liking, though I'm glad to know many of them are in the works. And I think that's the best way to describe MobileNavigator: an app that's in the works. It's good now, but it could be much, much better.

Whether you're watching a movie on an airplane or interacting with your iPhone while it's charging on your desk, some kind of stand is essential. That's why I read David's Mobile Xtand review with great interest.

Pretty cool product--but $40? That's way too rich for my Cheapskate blood. Fortunately, there are iPhone stands that cost significantly less--and some that cost nothing at all. Here's a look at three way-cheaper alternatives:

• The business-card stand Far and away my all-time favorite, this 60-second Instructables project turns any business card (the thicker, the better) into a perfect little stand. It can return to your wallet when not in use, and it has an unbeatable price. Be sure to read the accompanying comments for lots of other DIY ideas.
• The Crabble OK, it has arguably the worst product name since the Sony Clie. But this cool $4.99 stand is essentially a hard-plastic version of the previous one, and it can hold your iPhone for either portrait or landscape viewing. Plus, it folds flat, so it's just as wallet-friendly. See it in action in the above video.
• MovieWedge The bean-bag chair meets the iPhone. This soft-sided, microsuede-covered stand is ideal for uneven surfaces--including your dashboard, for those times when your iPhone is pulling double duty as your GPS. It's $9.95.

OK, your turn: What's your preferred method of propping up your iPhone?

The Energi To Go AP1500 double as an iPhone case. Sort of.

Planning a long trip? iPhone battery not lasting as long as it used to? Want backup power for emergencies? Whatever the situation, you need a battery pack.

Energizer's Energi To Go AP1500, which I tested on a recent trip, promises to double your iPhone battery life. I have a few minor quibbles with it, but I'll never again leave home without it.

Slimmer and sleeker than Energizer's original Energi To Go for iPhone and more case-like than products like the iPWE SuperPack, the AP1500 cradles your iPhone on the bottom and backside, with textured grippers on either side to keep the iPhone secure and, ostensibly, keep the whole kaboodle from slipping out of your hand.

However, the grippers aren't rubberized: they're the same smooth, fingerprint-attracting plastic as the rest of the AP1500, and therefore still a bit slippery. And unlike the similarly priced Mophie's Juick Pack Air, it doesn't provide total protection by enclosing the top.

Stocked with a 1,200mAh battery (like the Mophie), the AP1500 charges via a standard mini-USB port. it's admirably lightweight at just 3.9 ounces, and it has a cool blue gauge that, with the push of a button, shows the charge status of the pack itself. However, as with the Mophie, the LEDs weren't always accurate--I found that the pack had power even when the gauge showed empty.

On the other hand, I used the AP1500 to fully recharge my nearly depleted iPhone 3G, after which it still showed about 25 percemt of its own power remaining. As a supplemental power supply, it should indeed fulfill Energizer's claim of doubling overall battery life.

That fact alone makes this a worthwhile product for power-hungry iPhone owners. However, the $80 price tag, while competitive, strikes me as high. Hopefully, when it's available for sale from Amazon and other vendors later this month, you'll be able to find it for less.

On the other hand, if you're shopping for a battery pack solely because your iPhone battery is old and no longer holding much of a charge, consider replacing the battery yourself--which you can do for as little as $6.

TravelTracker Pro keeps tabs on your entire trip, including real-time flight status.

I'm winging my way to San Francisco in a couple weeks, so I've been rounding up apps that'll make my trip easier and more enjoyable.

Obviously I'll stock up on e-books and movies for the flight (Wondershare's DVD Ripper Platinum is proving a great choice for copying my DVDs to my iPhone), and I've already got old standbys like Urbanspoon and Yelp for finding local grub and businesses.

But there's more to a trip than just food and in-flight movies. Here's a list of the iPhone apps I've decided to pack:

• HazelMail Postcards Sure, you can always e-mail photos of your trip, but doesn't grandma deserve a good old-fashioned postcard? HazelMail turns any iPhone snapshot into the real deal, then mails it (along with your custom wish-you-were-here message) to any address. First one's free; after that, each card costs $1.50 (or get 12 for $12).
• TravelTracker Pro A bit more robust than competitors SplashTravel and Travel Assistant, TravelTracker Pro helps you keep tabs on every aspect of your trip: flights, car/hotel reservations, weather, and even currency exchange rates. Plus, it integrates with the excellent TripIt service to automatically import/update your travel plans, and provides live flight tracking via FlightStats. Only gripe: It's a little pricey at $12.99.
• GadgetTrak A stolen iPhone could put a major damper on your trip. Free app GadgetTrak aims to help you get it back, and while it's not quite as effective as MobileMe, it can't hurt to install it before leaving.
... Read more

If you haven't figured this out already, I'm a serious airline geek. Yes, I'm the kind of person who keeps track of all his flights and I can identify planes as they taxi by at the airport. Want to know which airlines flies nonstop between San Francisco and Sydney? Well, I can tell you (United and Qantas). Some would call it an obsession, but I think that it's just an interest.

Airport Status

If you're like me, you'll be delighted to know that the iPhone App store has quite a few options to indulge your passion. Without ever leaving your iPhone, you can check for delays, find the best seat on your flight, learn facts about your aircraft, and find your departure gate at the airport.

The following is a list of apps that I've used on CNET's iPhone. When I'm not using them just for fun--like I said, it's an interest--they have come in handy quite a few times. The titles that I've highlighted below aren't the only such apps available, but they are the ones that I've used. If you have other picks, be sure to tell me about them below.

Airport Status
99 cents

This app won't show delays for specific flights, but it will show general delays affecting U.S. airports. This is especially useful when your home airport is San Francisco International--due to low clouds it often suffers from "ground stops" where flights are held at their departure airport until the weather improves. Newark Liberty is another airport that's constantly on here. New Yorkers and Jerseyites, take note. ... Read more

WorldMate, the popular travel planning and organizational service, has expanded its mobile reach onto the iPhone. The two different versions of the app, which were released late Tuesday night (one free, and a premium version that costs a hefty $19.99), give travelers tools to create and track travel itineraries including flights, hotel reservations, rental cars, and any appointments along the way.

The two versions of the app offer identical functionality for core parts of WorldMate's service, like a flight search tool, world clock list, currency conversion, and a heads-up display on what's on your schedule. However, the paid "gold" version comes without any kind of advertising. Feature-wise, it also adds niceties like an automatic flight status checker that, with the soon-to-be-released iPhone OS 3.0, will send you an alert if there's a delay or cancellation of your flight. It also plugs into Google Maps to tack together a rich map with all the places you're visiting on your trip.

Until it gets the live notifications, users of both versions will simply have to use the one-click "check flight status" link. This checks information against WorldMate's delay and cancellation tracker. It also lets you know about any last-minute gate changes.

WorldMate can put your entire travel itinerary in one app, and give you a heads-up if there are any delays or cancellations. It even has mini apps built in, like this currency converter (pictured right)

(Credit: CNET)

The app is quite polished and ran smoothly on my phone. You can get more full-featured versions of the productivity tools that are included in the app by using other, standalone iPhone applications, however WorldMate's strength is that it puts all of those things in one package. This may seem like a trivial matter, but since the iPhone does a lousy job at multitasking, it's nice to have a Swiss army app equivalent.

WorldMate faces competition from TripIt, which has had its own iPhone app since mid-April. It does many of these things in a free package. However, it does not yet have its own notification service. Instead, it takes any delay notifications you get from your carrier and updates its own information. It's also tied into third-party services (via its API) that can alert you to potential changes to your travel plans.