Gas prices are rising. Yes, driving can be a pain when you have to deal with all the challenges and injustices of car ownership and commuting. We start with the Waze traffic app pictured above. Just remember not to fidget with these apps while actually driving. Safety first is a Gadget Lab credo. Waze Imagine working with other local drivers to make your commute shorter and easier. You can also join Waze groups and connect with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. The more people who use Waze, the more information it provides to its network of drivers. And, luckily, Waze already has a strong and growing community, making it a truly useful app. You can also use Waze to receive turn-by-turn driving directions on a live map. In fact, the app automatically checks for the latest traffic information and will re-route directions based on traffic conditions to provide the quickest commute. In order for Waze to collect the data, however, the app needs to be active in the foreground of a device. Inrix, however, goes several steps further with options like comparative traffic, predicted traffic, and an incidents report. Inrix gathers all of its traffic information from its Smart Driver Network, which aggregates data from more than 100 million GPS-enabled cars and mobile devices with the Inrix app installed. This network also taps into traditional road sensors, partnerships with regional traffic providers, and hundreds of other sources. Comparative traffic gives you a look at current conditions compared to normal conditions, and predicted traffic provides snapshots of how traffic should be flowing at various times in the future all based on previously collected traffic data; see screenshot above. Inrix also offers premium users access to traffic cameras along certain roads, so you can check live video before heading out. Free; available on the and Car Minder Plus There are plenty of devices and apps to track your health, sleep, and fitness -- so why not be as obsessive about the vehicle you rely on to get from point A to point B? You can manage multiple cars, as well as multiple services for each car. You can also keep gas and repair logs, and more. In addition to providing driving and walking directions on 3D maps, MotionX GPS Drive also grants access to Inrix traffic data, Wikipedia, a magnetic compass, your iPod music, and more. You can even look through your Contacts and place a call from within the app. Once you download the app, you get a free 30-day trial of the turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance features. Because MotionX GPS Drive is so jam-packed with features, most of which are really useful, it does take some time to understand how to navigate the app itself. Free; GasBuddy Gas prices are soaring like crazy, and for those who have to commute, there are few options other than to just suck it up and pay. GasBuddy can show you nearby gas prices, helping ensure you pay the very lowest prices for each fill-up. The app lets you search for gas prices in direct proximity to your current location, or by city. You can view gas stations on a map or list format. In list format, you can go through tabs for Regular, Midgrade, Premium, and Diesel prices. The app updates its prices through user reports. This perk seems to work, as most of the downtown and SOMA-district San Francisco stations had update times within the last half day. The app offers a hodgepodge of features from nearby hotel information to driving directions. What makes Scout stand out is its good-looking and organized interface. Scout uses two-dimensional maps for overviews, and 3D maps for when turn-by-turn directions. You can also access your iPod music from the in-app Music button. The team at Telenav have also made an HTML 5, browser-based navigation system, dubbed. Free; Gas Cubby Taking care of cars is time-consuming and expensive. You have to check your engine oil, inspect tire pressure, replace fuel filters, worry about timing belts, and so much more. Gas Cubby helps you keep track of all your car-related expenses in one streamlined app. You can manage multiple vehicles and easily enter in service dates, costs, locations, and more. To track your gas usage, just enter in the date, odometer reading, and gas cost and amount in the New Fill Up form. You can even include the location where you filled up, gas brand, type of gas -- 87, 89, 90+, or diesel -- and more, depending on how much information you want to track. You can view all of your purchases in a list format, or in a chart that shows your expenses and stats over time. Gas Cubby offers charts for miles per gallon, gas price, gas stats, gas expenses, and service expenses. Gas Cubby is a powerful app to track everything about your car -- as long as you remember that it's only useful if you're diligent about data entry. According to BunsenTech, the app developer, Dynolicious has been track-tested and proven accurate compared to regulation timing equipment. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
