Can a smartphone make you a smart driver? Perhaps. Most BlackBerry owners, for example, know they can improve their highway I.Q. by using the navigation function of their smartphones.
People with a Web browser on their phone can check out services like World Traffic Cams to check on conditions at notoriously congested spots.
Indeed, our love affair with mobile phones is increasingly being coupled with our love affair with the automobile, spawning applications — some silly, some sublime — that drivers can download to their handsets for little or no money.
On the practical side, there are programs that help with the more mundane aspects of automobile ownership.
One free application for the iPhone, for example, tries to demystify repair bills. Tap in the make and model of your vehicle along with what ails it (for instance, worn brake pads and rotors) and RepairPal spits out estimated parts and labor costs. It does not include diagnostic fees and taxes, but, for Americans, it does offer a list of nearby repair shops with customer ratings, should you want to comparison shop.
Conversely, on the pure fun side, there’s Dynolicious. Using the same kind of technology that enables a Nintendo Wii game controller to follow your gestures, this application gauges 0-to-60 miles-per- hour times and other performance characteristics, including lateral G-forces. Like competing programs like g-tac pro, Dynolicious will also let you assess your vehicle’s top speed, but to get precise results you’ll need to secure the phone in a cradle.
These programs are designed to be used on closed road courses, of course, but for those who can’t resist the temptation to test posted speed limits on public roadways, there’s the Njection speed trap alert program for the iPhone. The program compiles reports from other drivers to pinpoint speed traps along your route, but the information is…