Let’s face it; today’s economy is unstable, stress-inducing, and scary. So, saving a little money here and there is always a welcome opportunity. One of the commodities that we all seem to be spending most of our money on these days is gas, and while we try to go green like everyone else, sometimes you just gotta fill up that tank.

Of course there are plenty of ways that you can save on gas – you’ve probably learned them from the news, reading online, and other sources. Just avoid traffic, so don’t drive at rush hour. Keep your car well maintained. Try to carpool with your coworkers. These are all great ideas, but did you know that there are actually iPhone applications that can help you save on gas?

There is a wide selection of applications that you can download for your iPhone that will help you save at the pump. In fact, some of these apps will even help you save energy and time as well. Here are some of the best (and coolest) options when it comes to gas-saving iPhone apps. They’ll help you find not only the cheapest gas but also determine how fuel efficient your car actually is.

One of the hot topics on the Internet and on the news these days is the iPhone. People are talking about how great they are and how wonderful the applications are. But what is it that makes one iPhone application better than another? There are four things that makes an iPhone app be the one that everyone wants.

Look and Feel

The first two things that someone looks for in an iPhone app are its look and its feel. Two of the top applications for the iPhone are Pandora and Tap Tap Revolution. The reason that these two applications are in the top applications for the iPhone is that they are sleek and they are attractive to users. The applications for the iPhone have to look good to be something that people are going to be interested in adding to their iPhone.

Functionality

Okay, so your application looks good. But if it just looks good and doesn’t do much else, it’s not something that people are going to be interested in. aesthetics are nothing without a working ability. Make sure that the application is something that works well and it looks good, and chances are that it’s going to be something that will make people sit up and take notice. If it catches their eyes, it’s something that they will recommend to their friends and family.

Originality

Another thing that makes a iPhone application one of the top ones to have is that it is giving the consumer something new and different to try. After all, if one application does the same thing that the new one is doing, why spend the money to download the new one? It just doesn’t make sense. An application needs to have something that is new and exciting to make people want to purchase or download the application. If it’s something that isn’t new or isn’t an improvement on something that they already have, it’s not going to interest them.

User Friendliness

The last thing that a good iPhone application should be is user friendly. People like to be able to start using an application as soon as possible and not want to have to be a rocket scientist in order to figure it out. So a good iPhone application should be one that people are going to find easy to use.

These are just some of the things that make a good iPhone application and why some of the ones that are on the market now are so popular. Applications are something that enhance the already wonderful iPhones and make them more enjoyable for the users. They just need to be things that are going to pique the interest of the users and make them want to use them and tell others about them. A good application for the iPhone is going to be something that stands out from all the others and speak for itself.

Mixed Messages about Texting and Driving

While many states will fine you for even messing around with your smartphone- some are more than happy to send you tweets regarding current traffic conditions. This is very disconcerting for safety experts who claim this sends a mixed message to driving smartphone users…

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Twitter- having recently changed some design elements on their site -switched the default avatars from a bland “meh” character face to a new more appealing bird icon. In this process they also blew away many users’ hand picked avatars – replacing them with the new bird. This created a bit of an uproar in the community because many veterans view this new avatar as a newbie branding of sorts – while others just view it as a sign of instability in the twittershpere…

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Facebook gained a whopping 50 million plus users since July 2009, when they proudly announced their following had reached 250 million users. This marks a major milestone for any business considering this small timeframe…

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Facebook agreed to shut down the invasive beacon service, that tracks users actions through out the net via facebook. This occurs after a settlement was reached from a class action suit filed in August of 2008…

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Jonathan G. Parker, 19 of Fort Loudoun, Pa., decided to logon to his facebook account while robbing a house in Martinsburg, WV. In the robbery Parker stole some jewelry valued at $3,500 and Googled “best escape routes” in the process. When leaving the premises Parker left his facebook account logged in…

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The saga continues as more evidence points out that Apple may have lied to the FCC and did in fact reject the Google Voice App for the iPhone. While Apples stands firm stating they did not reject the app and they are still studying it. Google fired back releasing the previously secret document to the FCC- accounting for all interactions between Google and Apple (pdf here)…

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Google’s Massive Book Scanning project was handed another setback on Friday Sept 18, 2009, when the Department of Justice pressured a district court to reassess Google’s class action settlement in fear on a Monopoly …

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Since computers first became smaller and geared toward individual users, debates have raged about which computers were better, Macs or PCs. While many designers preferred Macs, PCs found their way into most homes and schools.

While a generation has been raised on computers, the debate still is not settled and there are numerous sites dedicated to each side of the argument.

According to several of those sites, here are the top ten reasons why a Mac is better than a PC:

1. Macs are Ready to Use
Getting a new computer is exciting, but taking hours to get them set up and working can drain the enthusiasm. Macs are ready to go as soon as you unpack.

2. Mac has Reliable Sleep Mode and Fast Boot Ups
Macs have a reliable sleep mode, allowing users to suspend and then resume. They also have a much shorter boot time than PCs, with some claiming that the MacBook Pro can be started from a cold boot and ready to go in twenty-five seconds.

3. Macs Come with More Software and Applications
Macs have the software you need and applications like iPhoto and iTunes. There is also a community of quality freeware and shareware for Macs that are available as downloads.

4. Mac Supports Software Used on PCs
People who learned on PCs want the software they know, and Mac can support just about any software used on a PC including Word and Excel.

5. Macs Have No Viruses
This is a big selling point, as it seems PCs users are forever being warned about a new virus.

6. Macs Do Not Require Extra Security
Macs come with built in security screening, so there is no need to run additional security software. This saves time and money, as you’re not paying an annual subscription. And security software can slow down a system and cause other problems.

7. Macs are Quality Made
Macs are made from quality materials. Users noted especially the notebook screens and keyboards.

8. Macs are easy to troubleshoot
If your Mac is acting up, it is fairly easy to figure out what is wrong. Troubleshooting applications are kept in one folder in a Mac, while in a PC they can be scattered and difficult for the average user to find.

9. Macs Have Better Customer Support
If you need help or assistance, Mac users are more satisfied with the customer support they get than what is offered for PC users.

10. Macs Are More Stylish
Although not a hardware or system feature, many Mac users cited the stylishness of the computer as an asset. Macs are considered cool and constantly at the forefront of new trends and technology.

There were several other reasons why a Mac is better than a PC, including the various operating systems available and the fact that it is easier to share files with the Mac interface. And no doubt many users can list other reasons that they like using Macs better than PCs.
For the record I am not an Apple fanboy nor do I condone all the craziness that happens at Apple.

Thanks to the state of the economy, there are a lot of people who have decided that they were going to take a road trip this year for vacation instead of spending money on plane fare. If this is something that you are planning, here are five iPhone applications that you may find useful on your road trip.

SimulTravel GPS – This is an application that is a must have if you are going to be traveling by car. This is something that is going to locate a hotel that is near your current location and gives you the details that you are looking for. This will help you to make an educated decision.

MapsBuddy – For people who love using Google Maps, this application for the iPhone is something that they won’t be able to live without. It gives the user shortcuts to restaurants, post offices, gas stations, and anything else that you can imagine needing while you are out on the road.

Urbanspoon – This is especially a good application for people who are traveling with children who are always claiming that they are hungry. It tells you where the restaurants are based on what type of food you want. Do the kids want hamburgers and fries? It will tell you where to go to get the best.

Yelp – Say you are on the road and you are thinking about stopping for something to eat for the night. If you have this application on your iPhone, you are going to find that there are reviews of the hotels and restaurants nearby. This way you won’t have any surprises, and you will know what to expect from the establishment.

Where To? – GPS point of Interest – Even though this application costs $2.99, you are going to find that it’s a great application for when you are on the road and want to find places that you and your passengers might be interested in. It will help you find things like shopping centers, spas, zoos, anything your heart might desire. And if you want to have a surprise, then use the feature that says Surprise Me!

Years ago when you were driving someplace, you had no idea of where things were or what other people thought of them. But these days with the above applications from iPhone, you are going to be able to get an idea of where things are and have less of a surprise than you may have in the past.

The iPhone is one thing that has really made traveling a lot easier for people, especially those who are traveling by car and who are unfamiliar with the area. All you have to do is to click on one of the applications and get information that you can use about the place where you are.

It’s amazing how technology has changed in the past decade. It has made things much more easy on everyone, but especially on travelers who can find the places that they are looking for with very little effort or trouble.