Plan ahead
($1.99; iPhone)
Just how safe is your gated community? Lethal uses your location to determine how likely you are to be mauled, mugged, maimed or injected with flesh-eating bacteria by some otherwise cute ladybug. And you thought suburbia was safe.
Don't be that guy
(free; Android)
The boss has gathered the staff in the boardroom. The news is grim.
Not the best time to sound off your new Van Halen ring tone. Fortunately, Locale allows you to set certain locations-the boardroom or the movie theatre-as places your ringer will automatically be disabled. But it does more than that. Once activated, Locale takes over your phone settings. It will even replace the photo on your smart phone's background, because no one needs to see that picture.
Find your phone
($4.95; BlackBerry)
Now there's no excuse for losing your phone. Berry Locator will send an e-mail to your handset, causing it to vibrate, beep, flash its screen and make as much noise as possible-even if your phone is set on silent. Then, if you still can't find the damned thing, it will e-mail back a GPS map to its location.
Go for the green ($35/year; iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Palm)
It may be pricey, but GreenFinder is also the app world's first big crossover hit. Using GPS data, the program transforms your smart phone into a golf rangefinder. It can calculate the exact distance to anywhere on the green, and tell you just how huge that monster drive was. The subscription fee gives duffers access to more than 10,000 courses (and counting) in the U.S. and Canada.
Open doors (around $400; BlackBerry, iPhone)
Can't remember if you locked the door this morning? (Bet you're second-guessing now.) The Schlage LiNK system eliminates the need for keys entirely. Hook the Schlage lock into your router, and your Internet-connected mobile device will control that door. Open the door remotely for the plumber, or have the Schlage send you a text message when the kids get home.
Feel guilty (free; Android)
These days, it seems like everybody's trying to track their carbon footprint. Ecorio tallies your effect on the planet by tracking how much you're walking, travelling by car or riding a bike. It'll sell you carbon offsets too, because nothing soothes the conscience like burning money.
- Eat better ($2.99; iPhone)
We know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for us, and that eating fruits and vegetables in season is good for the environment. But making up a nutritious and ethical grocery list can be exhausting.
That's where Locavore can help. The app tells you which foods are growing in your region, and when. Want to know when papayas ripen in Canada.
Answer: never.
- Take the walking tour (free; iPhone)Travel guidebooks are great for getting general information on a place. But install GeoPedia on your iPhone if you want to pull up Wikipedia articles about your specific location when you're there.
- Spend less
(free; Android)Most price-matching deals work on the premise that consumers can't be bothered to shop around. ShopSavvy tilts the odds in your favour. Using your phone's camera, take a picture of the product's bar code. Your phone then scans the Net to see if it's available anywhere else-for less.
