The best car apps for Android. Applications for motorists Where is the best place to download applications for Android

The most inappropriate and undesirable place where you should least use your cell phone is your personal car, especially if you are driving. Most of us know and have already seen more than once that a mobile phone seriously distracts attention from the road. Fortunately for us, at this point in time there are many applications that were developed specifically so that the driver, while driving a car without distracting his attention, can simultaneously find for himself the specific and necessary information that interests him. As a result, using such applications your safety improves and the risks associated with an accident are reduced. Here are those using Android phones.

Find gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores on the way home

A recent update to the Google Maps app added another new feature to mobile maps - Driving Mode. You can control such a card while driving using voice commands. Now you can use Google maps on your smartphone in the same way as you previously did on a classic satellite navigator. based on your location, regardless of whether you are in navigation mode, or on a route, or not. For example, while driving along the route, you can search for restaurants, shops, gas stations and other typical facilities that are located near you.

As a bonus from, we already mentioned this above, you can use voice commands and control the application while driving. For example, to activate voice control without being distracted from the road, you just have to say, “Okay Google,” and the program will immediately go into standby mode for voice commands. Next, you can use your voice to name the place where you are going to go and the navigation program itself will find this address for you. Then, also with your voice, you can give a command, i.e. say “Directions” and the program just as quickly and automatically activates the navigation mode along the laid route.

Receive warnings about traffic events while driving, and also report your movement

In any major city in our country there is one eternal problem - traffic jams. It would seem that there is nothing better than a warning about traffic jams, which Yandex and Google warn about in their applications. But in fact, the best application in the whole world is considered to be the social navigator Waze, which, unlike the above services, copes much better with navigation while driving throughout our country.

The point is this: information about traffic jams comes from drivers who use these applications while driving. But we all probably know that this technology is not so perfect, because information about the speed of cars is transmitted automatically. The specificity of the algorithms themselves embedded in these navigation services is also imperfect. As a result, it turns out that we often encounter errors on the map and . And if we talk about the case with the Waze application, here information about traffic on the roads is transmitted by other users, which practically eliminates all inaccuracies. Everything happens exactly the same as in social networks, when users share information available to them with each other.

An app that turns your phone into a car infotainment system

Currently, there are a lot of different automotive applications in the Google Play system that are designed in the style of an infotainment system; they are installed on many new modern cars. But not all of them are far from ideal and convenient. But still, out of the huge number of programs on Google Play, the best application today is the AutoMate program. After installing such an application, the interface of your Android smartphone will instantly turn into a full-fledged car.

The interface of the program itself is designed so that the driver can conveniently view the necessary information without being distracted by searching for it. For example, you can read and reply to an incoming message, manage music tracks, or view calendar events. If you're used to connecting your phone to your car's stereo system, the app itself will be able to read received messages for you so as not to distract you from the road.

What is most convenient about this car interface is that you can use Google maps and other necessary applications in it.

Find a place for free or cheap parking

For drivers in Moscow and other large cities, the search for free and inexpensive parking can become a headache. The “Free Parking” application will come to their aid.

This smartphone program will help you find a more profitable place to park your car, which will allow you to save not only time, but also money. In addition, this application will help you identify and find out the place if, for some unknown reason, you forgot it.

Your smartphone will read all notifications that will come to your phone while driving

Certain applications that we described above can read and read aloud messages received on your smartphone. But this function is not implemented perfectly in them. If you want to purchase something more reliable and of higher quality, then install the ReadItToMe application on your Android smartphone

This program will read aloud everything that comes to your . In this program, you can also configure such a function, namely, in which application and for which specific messages received, this program will read the text for you (after all, there will probably be no need for the program to read text that is not necessary for you in the application). You can even configure the program so that the text is spoken aloud only when messages are received not from all subscribers, but only from certain contacts you need.

The paid version of the program provides the ability to control by voice.

Turn your phone into a DVR

Many drivers start buying for themselves immediately after being involved in an accident or any unpleasant road incident. The only problem many drivers have when purchasing a DVR is its cost. It's no secret that high-quality video devices cost a lot of money. If you want or want to try recording video while driving, then you can try installing the CamOnRoad application, which can record video while the car is moving directly from your phone’s camera.

This program can record video into your phone’s memory even when your phone is connected to the Internet, i.e. by recording this video in cloud storage directly to your server. The developer of this application offers you 2GB of storage in the cloud and in normal quality (about 3 hours of video).

For registered users, storing their videos in cloud storage is free.

But in addition to the video recorder function, the application also works as a navigator.

Connect a wireless OBD-II adapter to your car's diagnostic port and receive a large amount of information about your car directly on your phone screen

On the pages of our online publication, we have already said more than once that by connecting a special adapter to the diagnostic port, you can find out about your car, and at the same time diagnose all the electronic systems of the car.

With a simple and cheap wireless OBD-II adapter and your phone, you can find out how fast your car is moving, what its fuel consumption is in real time, and you can also see on your phone screen all the warnings of the sensors that are on and off. car dashboard..

In fact, there are many apps on Google Play that can work with the OBD-II wireless adapter. For example, we would like to highlight the Dash-Drive Smart application from them. This program uses all the information received from the car's computer, it tracks your routes and gives you advice for the future, namely, how you can save fuel, where it is more convenient to go to the store with better efficiency, etc. and so on.

If you really want to get as much information as possible from your car’s computer, then don’t be lazy and download the Torque Lite application

This program will give you tons of diagnostic information about your car.

Gas filling station navigator - Gas Station

Against the backdrop of continuously rising prices for gasoline, the ranks of “gas workers” are actively growing, converting their engines to propane-butane or methane. Among the countless clones of navigation and semi-navigation programs, they should pay attention to “gas navigation” - the Gas Station application is a map navigator for gas stations in the country. Any gas driver knows gas stations within the radius of his residence and daily movement, but when going on a long trip, there is a risk of driving on gasoline, simply driving past gas points. The application is especially useful for those drivers whose cars are equipped with methane rather than propane equipment - there are hundreds of times fewer gas stations with compressed gas than with liquefied gas. The route to the gas station can be plotted directly from the application - Yandex maps are used. For gas stations, you can put comments on the points - works/not works, prices, additional services, etc. You can add new gas stations. Plus there is a built-in consumption/mileage calculator.

Launcher for Android radios – CarWebGuru

Today, head units (or car radios, as every second person still calls them in the old fashioned way) based on the Android operating system and controlled via a touch display are very popular. The possibilities of such devices are almost limitless, but the phone interface with its small icons and not always convenient application menus is dangerous for use while moving on the radio screen. Therefore, advanced car owners do not use pure Android in their head units, but install a shell on top of it - a launcher program. It changes the interface of the radio to the most convenient for use in a car and allows you to choose a design and color scheme that is in harmony with the lighting and interior of your car. CarWebGuru uses large, convenient widgets to control music, communications, GPS, etc., customize the screen view and allow you to safely use multimedia while on the move!

Car insurance without queues and additional services – IngoMobile

Until recently, the full cycle of applying for comprehensive insurance via the Internet was impossible... Mobile applications of insurance companies helped only partially - you still had to complete the story with a personal inspection of the car by an insurance company specialist. But the Ingosstrakh application IngoMobile completely performs the functions of an insurance agent and allows you to issue insurance completely remotely - thanks to the unique function of video inspection of the car. It works simply - you fill out a form in the IngoMobile application, take pictures of your documents (the text on them is recognized by the built-in scanner, and the corresponding fields are filled in automatically, even on smartphones with a weak camera!), take pictures of your car from different angles and uploads the pictures. An Ingosstrakh employee contacts the car owner directly through the mobile application and remotely inspects the car during a video call. After payment (you can link a bank card to IngoMobile), the policy is sent by email and will always be available in the application itself, which is very convenient on the roads. All!

When an insured event occurs, the application provides emergency communication with the insurer, and soon claims under comprehensive insurance will also become available through IngoMobile.

Car alarm from a smartphone - Car Security Alarm

With this application, your old and no longer needed smartphone (worn or with cracked glass will do!) will become a GSM car alarm. The gadget must be left in the car, hidden so that it is out of sight, and connected to a constant power supply (in some cars, voltage remains on the cigarette lighter socket after the ignition is turned off, but more often it’s the other way around). As soon as the G-sensor, found in every smartphone, senses body vibrations or movement, you will immediately receive an alarming SMS message on your everyday smartphone. If a car leaves the parking spot without your knowledge, its coordinates will appear on the map. You can disarm and arm it manually, from an icon on the screen, or automatically! To do this, Bluetooth must be turned on on both your everyday smartphone and your security smartphone. When you leave the car, breaking the blue-tooth connection will give a command to turn the application into security mode.

Where's my car?! - navigator for car search

Is it idiotic to lose your own car? Yes, but anything can happen - I went to pick mushrooms and forgot in which clearing I left my car... I got confused in the parking lot of a large shopping center... I parked on the last day of the golden autumn, and the next morning everything was covered in thick snow... Numerous special auto applications, like “Find my car” and its analogues, they only work with the Internet - they won’t save you in the forest! Therefore, to find a car, you should use the “I’m going home” pedestrian GPS returner. The application, with one click on the screen, records the parking location and just as quickly executes the command to return to the starting point. The smartphone will guide you using voice prompts and does not require an Internet connection to get directions. True, it’s worth remembering that in underground parking lots, especially multi-level ones (where it’s most likely to lose a car!) the return navigator is powerless, because it doesn’t see the GPS signal...

It's okay, I've arrived! - GetHomeSafe

If you do not have an Era-GLONASS unit in your car, then the GetHomeSafe application can to some extent replace it! It will allow the driver, who has safely reached his destination, to automatically notify his family or friends. The application works according to a very simple algorithm - you highlight on the map the place you plan to get to and the time you are expected to need for this. The application tracks your location, and if after a specified time you still have not appeared at a given point, it sends an emergency message to a predetermined list of contacts. A great way to be sure that your family has arrived safely at home or another destination, and also to raise the alarm in time if something happens.

Where is the OBD2 connector located? - Find OBD2

The application is a little “blond”, but on some cars the OBD2 connector is actually detected only by touch – and even then, if you know where to touch... “Find OBD2” will help those who are going to buy a popular budget Bluetooth-OBD adapter for self-diagnosis of the car – with its help you will quickly find the location of the OBD2 connector in your car. It will also be useful for those who already have a diagnostic gadget and are constantly faced with requests from friends to “erase the check”, but who do not know where OBD2 is in their car. And, of course, it will be useful for those who repair cars as a daily job. The application searches for the diagnostic connector by make, model and year of manufacture of the car, showing its location in the cabin with visual photo illustrations. The database contains more than 800 cars: Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Opel, Ford, Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat and other brands, including Chinese and Russian.

Not to be, but to seem – RevHeadz Engine Sounds

Thanks to the RevHeadz Engine Sounds application, you can easily feel like driving a Corvette or Mustang, even in an old Zhiguli... With RevHeadz Engine Sounds, your smartphone generates the engine sounds of cool cars! To do this, you need to connect the headphone output on your phone to the AUX input on your car radio with a cord. Plus, the application connects via Bluetooth to a diagnostic adapter, such as the well-known cheap ELM, and controls the sound of an imaginary engine synchronously with the speed of your real engine. At first glance, the application may seem like fun for a school student, but this is exactly what the manufacturers of many charged versions of ordinary cars do today - instead of installing a noisy forward flow, they output a sound generator to the speakers of the audio system in the cabin... Therefore, do not take RevHeadz seriously and critically - because sometimes you need to turn it off I'm in smart and snob mode in my head, but just have fun!

Mobile Rescuer is an official application from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, which allows you to call for help with one touch, no matter where you are - as long as there is mobile network coverage. When you hold the SOS button for five seconds (to get rid of false alarms), the program automatically determines your location, selects the number of the nearest rescue service from the database and dials it. At the same time, a notification is sent to three pre-selected contacts of your loved ones from the phone book that you are in trouble. In the settings, by the way, you can choose whether the message will be sent to the rescue service and your loved ones, or only to your own.

Accounting for car expenses - Car Expenses

For those who like to scrupulously calculate the costs of refueling and servicing their car, there are applications called car calculators. One of these is Car Expenses. The application is interesting because it is perhaps the only one of many that supports dual-fuel cost calculation - when gas equipment is installed on a gasoline car. Car Expenses keeps calculations for both one and two tanks (combined and separate statistics), calculates the costs of maintenance and repairs, producing results in the form of visual graphs and tables and allowing you to understand when it’s time to shoot this hunted “horse” and sell it. buy a new one!

Thanks to mobile applications, the life of motorists has become real honey - there are no paper maps, no traffic police ambushes, no queues at the car wash, no extra costs for repairs. We'll tell you what these applications are.

On average, a Russian motorist spends about 75,000 rubles a year on maintaining his vehicle. For those who want to optimize their expenses and sort them into categories, there is the “Car Expenses” application. Using the application, you can easily calculate how much you spend on repairs and maintenance of your car, say, in a month: from paying for gasoline to parking costs.

Have you always dreamed of being a navigator? The Second Pilot app can easily replace it! The service not only warns about dangers along the way, but also looks for the shortest and safest route. You will know in advance about the traffic situation, speed cameras or the location of traffic police officers, and thereby be able to avoid possible problems. In addition, Second Pilot is also a community of motorists who help each other, give advice and warn about ambushes.

The application of the Russian AutoMotoClub (RAMK) will prove to be an indispensable assistant in any traffic situation. If your car breaks down or you encounter difficulties on the road, you can quickly call for help using the RAMK application. Calling technical assistance through this application will take no more than 30 seconds. The application will automatically detect your location, operators working around the clock will promptly contact you and send a tow truck or technical assistance vehicle to you, in addition, free remote consultations with auto mechanics are available. Currently, the company provides services in 400 cities in Russia and throughout Europe. For members of the RAMK auto club, all of the above services will be free.

If you need to see what the consequences of this or that traffic violation are, but you simply don’t have time to read Article 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, this application will help you get information in an accessible and understandable form. The application “Traffic fines 2015” gives a short and unambiguous answer: stopping on the sidewalk, crossing or closer than 5 m to them faces a fine of 1000 rubles. (in Moscow and St. Petersburg - 3,000 rubles), and by clicking on the link you can go to the full text of the law and show off your knowledge to the traffic police officer. The application recognizes voice search queries, and as additional functions provides access to a database of issued fines, as well as the ability to “punch” the car’s VIN number to find out if there are any restrictions on car registration imposed by a court, investigation or customs. Access to the fines database only works in the paid version of the program.

An application for those who often park in different places and may forget where they left their vehicle. With this application, you can easily find your car, no matter where you leave it: the application determines and “remembers” the coordinates of the car’s location. So, when you arrive at a three-story parking lot in a shopping center, you won’t need to remember the parking lot number. All you have to do is activate the application and go about your business. And when needed, the application itself will find your car, no matter where you are! Of course, the application will not teleport the car to you, but will indicate the path to your vehicle.

The CamOnRoad application is not just a DVR, as the name suggests. It differs in that it sends video recordings to cloud storage. If a smartphone with a valuable recording is damaged (for example, in a serious accident) or stolen, the video can always be restored. The app also alerts you to speed cameras and serves as a navigator (based on Google maps).

Waze is a social network for motorists. While standing in a traffic jam, you can “honk” the horn at the driver in the car next to you, without pressing the horn and without scaring passers-by. In addition, the application allows you to send a personal message to a neighbor in the stream or create a chat that all users nearby will see. Friends can track your movements wherever you are, and strangers can use your help to find out what prices are at the nearest gas stations or what the best route to avoid traffic jams is to take. You can also send reports about accidents, dangers, police and other events, and receive this information from others.

You have a free half hour and you want to spend it usefully - washing your car, but you don’t want to call car washes looking for a free one, or don’t even know what car washes are in the area? AtoSpa will help you quickly find the nearest car washes and sign up for a spa session for your car. The application will show you all car washes within a 5 km radius, their description and cost of services. All you need to do is select the ones that suit you on the interactive map, indicate the time you would like to arrive, and submit your requests. Within a few minutes, the administrators of the selected car washes will answer you, and you can decide where you will go to wash your car.

Need to drive and have you already consumed alcohol? Using the Breathalyzer, you can easily find out the level of alcohol in your blood and the time after which you can return to the wheel. The calculations take into account the amount of alcohol consumed and its type, a person’s height, weight, age and country of residence. Launch the application, enter all the listed parameters and get a diagnosis.

Application: Breathalyzer Developer: imdev Category: Transport Version: 1.5.1 Price: For free Download:

An article about the 10 most useful mobile applications for drivers, their features and characteristics. At the end of the article there is a video about how mobile applications are created.

The content of the article:

Having the opportunity to use computer developments, it would be foolish to refuse to make your life easier with their help. And auto life as well. But for this it is not necessary to buy highly specialized equipment such as a recorder or navigator. You just need to install the appropriate program on your mobile phone.

10 most useful and popular applications

1. Yandex.Navigator

A long-time and proven assistant to the motorist. A huge and well-developed database allows the program to competently lay out routes not only in Russia, but also in most neighboring countries - Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and others. The application can significantly make a driver’s life easier by promptly notifying about problems on the road and adjusting the route in accordance with incoming data.

Main functions

1. Route planning. To do this, all you need to do is set the coordinates and be within the network coverage area.
2. Monitoring the situation on the road. In the event of an accident, traffic jam or other troubles, Yandex.Navigator, taking into account the received information, plots a new route.
3. Driver alert. If the situation on the road changes (repairs, accidents, etc.), the program notifies the driver.
4. Speed ​​alert. The function will help you avoid traffic violations and fines.
5. Notification about the availability of photo-video recording. If the previous warning did not cool the driver’s ardor, then this will help him not to appear again in the traffic police database.
6. Voice control. The developers have tried to make working with the navigator as convenient as possible. The ability to set coordinates by voice without being distracted from the road is one of the most useful features of the application. After all, to manually enter the street name, house number and city, you would have to look for a parking space.
7. The ability to copy the most popular cards to the device’s memory. This allows you not only to use the navigator in any conditions, but also to save traffic.
8. Parking search function. It will help novice drivers and people who find themselves in an unfamiliar city.
9. Possibility of paying a fine.

2. Google Maps

It works similarly to Yandex.Navigator based on the well-known Google maps. Just like the Yandex navigator, it plots routes, analyzes incoming data about the situation on the roads and, based on them, adjusts the route. A big plus is that the application can be synchronized with Google. For those who are accustomed to working with it, this opportunity will be useful.

3.AroundMe

Provides information about nearby facilities, such as banks, hotels, shopping centers, parking lots, gas stations, etc. Ideal for motorists who find themselves in an unfamiliar city or are constantly traveling/on business trips.

4. MultiGO Fuel

The application displays data about gas stations. It will help you not only find out where the nearest gas station is, but also get acquainted with prices, reviews of other drivers, etc. The information base contains not only popular stations like
Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Surgutneftegaz, but also small little-known gas stations.

The information is constantly updated, using the application you can compare prices for gasoline or diesel fuel at different gas stations, which will save not only money, but also time. Also in the settings you can hide the display of certain gas stations if the driver does not refuel at them.

In addition to basic information, the application provides data on secondary services associated with gas stations - catering establishments, car washes, shops, service stations, etc.

Each registered user can leave reviews and edit data, as well as add new gas stations to the catalog.

The application is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

5. Waze

The program combines a navigator, photo and video tracking, and information about gas stations. That is, several highly targeted applications in one. Waze plans routes, constantly updates road conditions, helps you find nearby gas stations, and more.

Many resources position Waze as an ideal assistant that works without failures or complaints. However, the opinion of users is not so clear. Many argue that, despite a good idea, the program is still quite crude and has significant shortcomings - it does not recognize streets, shows directions to dead ends, has some inconveniences in the settings, etc. However, the idea is really not bad and we can only hope that new versions will become more perfect.

The application is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

6. Roads of Russia

The application is designed in such a way that every driver can participate in creating a road condition map. Users themselves create a so-called road map, leaving in the application information about potholes, potholes and other features of a particular road. In addition to reviews, you can also upload photos.

Plus, using a motion sensor, the phone itself determines the level of unevenness of the road surface and transmits the received data through the application to the database.

7. CamOnRoad

The program allows you to turn your phone into a full-fledged video recorder, and even with additional features.

Main functions

1. Ability to use your phone as a video recorder. The most important thing is that your device has enough space to store data.
2. Saving received records in cloud storage.
3. Warning the driver about radars and photo and video cameras.
4. Warning about an emergency situation on the road.
5. Emergency rescue kit.

The application is compatible with iOS, Android.

8. Yandex.Fines

This application allows you to find out whether the traffic police database contains fines issued to the driver. In order to find out, you need to enter your driver's license number and personal information in the form provided. After which the program will provide a list of available fines.

Main functions

1. Possibility of paying a fine through the application using a bank card or Yandex.Money. A payment receipt is sent by email.
2. SMS notification function. The application can be configured so that when a new fine is received, a notification is sent to your mobile phone. The function is convenient because payment can be made almost immediately after receiving the notification. In many cases, if the fine is paid within 20 days from the date of receipt, the offending motorist is given a discount.

9. Assistance in case of an accident 77

An application that you wouldn’t want anyone to use, but it’s better that every driver has it. The only negative is that the program is valid only in Moscow and the region.

Main functions

1. Providing the user with hints on what and how to do in the event of an accident.
2. Determining the exact location of the incident using geolocation.
3. Availability of a camera. Photos of the vehicle and its damage can be taken immediately in the application.
4. Dialing all necessary emergency service numbers - the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, the tow truck, etc.
5. Availability of information about taxi services.

The application is compatible with Android.

10. GPS radar detector

Determines the location of radars, photo and video cameras and notifies the driver about them. The program begins to operate when the vehicle speed is 20 km/h or higher.
The application is compatible with Android.

Mobile phones have long ceased to be phones in the literal sense of the word. Several necessary programs can turn them into a real assistant for both the average pedestrian and the car owner. There are a huge variety of all kinds of applications for motorists, and all you need is to choose the most suitable ones.

Video about creating mobile applications:

According to the Euroset company, in the first quarter of 2013 alone, 7.3 million smartphones were sold in Russia, which is 44% more than the same period in 2012. Obviously, more and more Russians are acquiring smart phones. This happens for a combination of different reasons. For example, the most affordable smartphones today are already at the price level of regular phones. That is, some Highscreen Spark costs 3,990 rubles - for a 4-inch screen, a powerful 2-core processor and support for two SIM cards. And also GPS, not to mention support for 3G Internet. Therefore, “ordinary” phones like some Nokia X2-02 for 3 thousand rubles are attracting consumers less and less.

For motorists, smartphones are interesting, at least because they can be used as full-fledged navigators. After all, leading providers of navigation solutions have already adapted their programs for the Android system. Not long ago we published a large summary review of navigation applications for smartphones. Now it was decided to push the boundaries and find out how else a smartphone in a car can be useful. At the same time, we did not take into account general-purpose programs. For example, applications for reading text out loud - so that you have something to occupy yourself in traffic jams. Or the best video players to entertain passengers.

Our goal was to select programs that will be of real benefit to the driver. We chose not to focus on the format of presenting the many program options for each category, saving readers time and talking about the best programs from each category, in our opinion.

Our test base was two devices. The Highscreen Omega Prime XL smartphone attracted us with its screen; it is a model with a large 5.3-inch display and a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels versus the 800 x 480 pixels commonly used even in Android navigators. Considering that the display diagonal comes first in a car, we preferred to test programs on this particular model. Also, Highscreen Omega Prime XL is distinguished by the presence of three replaceable panels in the kit, which has not yet been offered by any brand in our memory. For a separate purchase - please, but “out of the box” - the merit of the pioneer goes to Highscreen. That is, when one “back” gets scratched or dirty, it can be easily replaced with a new one.

The second device was the Lexand STA-7.0 navigator. This is a modern Android device that supports Internet access via Wi-Fi or by connecting a 3G modem. The advantages of the model include a sensitive screen with support for several simultaneous touches, as well as a pre-installed Navitel Navigator 7. A contrast to the Highscreen Omega Prime XL in this case is not seen, since motorists often still adhere to the principle of separate “flies and cutlets”, delegating tasks to telephone communications and navigation across different devices.

Arrow - radar warning program, review

FEATURES OF THE WORK

This is the only paid application in our review; the purchase will cost $5. However, its price is still disproportionately lower compared to fines for speeding. Just in case, let us remind you that exceeding the limit by 20-40 km/h is a fine of 1,000-1,500 rubles, and 60-80 km/h is already 2,000-5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for 4-6 months. Let's face it, depending on the road situation, sometimes you have to step on the gas. However, if at the same time the car is vigilantly monitored by a speed camera, a “chain letter” cannot be avoided.

Note that warnings about stationary cameras are present in almost all navigation applications today. Another thing is how to stay “in the know” when the navigator is not needed. “STRELKA” comes to the rescue, it works in the background, but issues warnings on top of any program. The user will find out what type of radar is waiting for him, how much is left to the “meeting point” and what speed limit is in effect on the current section of the route. The size of the warning window, as well as its transparency, can be adjusted separately. Moreover, the settings operate separately for portrait and landscape screen orientations.

The list of displayed types of objects is quite wide: stationary cameras, traffic police posts, Strelka itself (it should be understood, “ST”), red light control cameras - a dozen points in total, right up to warnings about the signs “Move over” or “Caution - children” " Thus, in reality, Strelka becomes a good proactive information assistant.

For each item, it is allowed to set from one to three warnings. So, the first is carried out from a distance of up to 2 km, the second - up to 300 meters, the third - up to 50 meters. Just in case, we hasten to debunk the popular misconception that Strelka ST sees intruders from a great distance, up to 1 km. In fact, all the official documentation of the device states that in ideal daytime conditions the distance is limited to 500 meters, and at night it is completely reduced to 350-200 meters.

Strelka warnings, depending on the settings, are difficult to ignore. You can set a voice message ringtone, beeper or smartphone vibration. There are not too many additional settings, these are parameters like screen brightness or minimum speed for notifications.

The application draws information about cameras and even “ambushes” from several sources at once: the resources rd-forum.ru (the “Forget the Arrow” thread) and speedcamonline.ru. Moreover, with one touch from the user, Strelka independently downloads the latest databases from available sources. At the same time, it is allowed for the user to manually point to a previously downloaded database file.

During our test runs, the application regularly displayed warnings about “dangerous” objects. The advantage of programs like “Strelka” is precisely that, unlike radar detectors, the application will never miss the camera, regardless of any circumstances. After all, not all radar detectors cope well with identifying modern kits like “Strelka ST”. In addition, the operation of a radar detector in urban conditions may be accompanied by frequent false alarms - unlike Strelka, which knows exactly the location of the cameras.

ADVANTAGES

An updated, extensive database of current information about the location of traffic cameras of various types. Warning not only about cameras, but various road signs. Flexible detailed settings. No difficulties in setting up and using.

FLAWS

Paid application status.

OVERALL SCORE

A must-have app for those who intentionally or involuntarily violate the speed limit from time to time. Strelka minimizes the likelihood that you will have to pay in rubles for short-term driving at speeds above the permitted limit, or even lose your driver’s license altogether.

Transport of Moscow - comprehensive information program, overview

FEATURES OF THE WORK

“Moscow Transport” is interesting because the program is one of the official developments of the capital’s government. Note that, unlike a number of neighboring countries, Russia generally has complete order with free mapping and information road services for mobile devices. Remember at least 2GIS or Yandex.Maps.

However, let's return to Transport. The program pleases with its comprehensive approach and solution to a number of problems of owners of personal vehicles. The main application window is divided into four main tabs: “Map”, “Messages”, “Services” and “Information”. First, let's talk about a small limitation - for some reason, only motorists are allowed to use the development: to start work, you need to enter the vehicle number, along with the number and series of the STS.

"Cards". This tab is not intended for navigation at all; its main task is to display information about parking lots. Moreover, it is possible to filter by type: street parking, commercial, tow truck parking, street parking.

"Services". Here we see the “Taxi check” item, which is rather useful for a pedestrian. The user can enter the taxi driver's car number and instantly find out whether the driver has a license to provide passenger transportation services. “My Fines” speaks for itself, displaying a complete list of the driver’s fines. Moreover, all fines are shown, both “covered” and unpaid. Useful when you want to check the results of speeding races and find out whether you should expect chain letters. “Evacuated cars” - this item is useful if you did not find the car in its place. If the car is not listed in the information database, it’s time to call the police and report it stolen.

"Reference". Because of this set of tools, “Moscow Transport” turns into almost a “must have” for any motorist in the capital. “News” is rather a secondary tab, where thematic news feeds about the road life in Moscow are displayed. “Traffic Rules” is a handy set of current rules in electronic form. “Fines and Violations” contain a relevant selection of information about what liability a driver faces for various illegal actions on the road. Among the remaining tabs, we note information about calling emergency services or car evacuation services.

"Messages". The most controversial moment of the program. The development allows you to exchange messages between motorists, and even in a very non-standard way. In order to send a message, you need to enter the license plate number of both the sender and the recipient. The problem is that the recipient must be registered in the Moscow Transport application. What is the likelihood of this? It is unknown, since the developers are in no hurry to disclose the number of current users of the program.

“Moscow Transport” turned out to be a surprisingly high-quality and useful program. Especially when you consider that the application was created by government agencies - from whom you wouldn’t really expect something like this. Therefore, we can safely state that the government is by no means inactive regarding the capital’s motorists and is making serious efforts to make life easier for citizens. All regions of Russia would like to receive a similar product...

ADVANTAGES

A comprehensive program that includes virtually all the information services necessary for the capital’s motorist.

FLAWS

Not suitable for pedestrians, requires entering detailed car data to start using it.

OVERALL SCORE

The Moscow Transport program is a completely free “collection” of utilities and services that has no analogues. If the applications found in the composition can be found on Google Play, then only in a separate form.

eZWay – car diagnostic program, review

FEATURES OF THE WORK

The program developers came up with a creative approach to the name of their project. When heard out loud, the name is pronounced "easy way", which means "easy way" in English. The main purpose of the application is to allow any motorist to quickly receive information about the condition of his car without any diagnostic stations.

To operate eZWay, you must have an OBDII compliant vehicle. If the condition is met, then you should purchase an elm327 bluetooth adapter. The component is sold in online stores; there is also a branded eZWay Bluetooth adapter for 2 thousand rubles. Note that, according to the developers, the eZWay adapter supports any cars manufactured in the USA after 1996, Europe - after 2001, Asia and Russia - after 2005.

To start working, you need to register in the project. This is necessary in order to create a personal page for the car. Then the read information will be transferred online for processing on a remote server. The result is a huge community of people who can compare car parameters. This refers to fuel consumption, which can be said to be one of the most useful properties of the program. The driver is shown the consumption per hundred kilometers, converts the figure into monetary terms and keeps statistics, including monthly. In addition, information about refills is displayed - date, liters, price.

For a given period of time, a graph is displayed for on-board network voltage, coolant temperature, average speed - a total of 18 parameters, up to fuel pressure and engine load.

The diagnostic capabilities of eZWay are also useful in that when the “check engine” light comes on, an error code with an explanation is displayed. This information, like other important data, is duplicated on the machine’s personal page on the Internet. The application can not only read, but also delete errors, extinguishing the problematic notification in the car without visiting a car service center. Among other information, statistics are kept on the maximum speed and total time behind the wheel. Data in a separate window can be seen for the current week, last week or the year before.

EZWay copes with “family” needs without any problems. You can register multiple vehicle profiles for one account. This is especially great for husbands who want to monitor the condition of their wife's car. Let’s remember the same information on the “check engine”; now you don’t need to be near the car to get detailed primary information. It is quite possible that eZWay will be useful even for commercial structures among owners of small fleets. The only thing we would like to improve in the service is the notification system. For example, an automatic alarm message when there is a sudden jump in fuel consumption, an SMS message about the “check engine” of any of the cars connected to the profile, and so on.

Let's note an excellent feature that is extremely rare in Android applications. eZWay has an exit button that completely unloads the program from the system memory. After all, if you press the “home” key on your smartphone and return to the main menu, the program still remains in the background, taking up processor and RAM resources.

In principle, eZWay is suitable even for less experienced drivers; the application will be interesting at least because of its ability to control fuel consumption. The big advantage of the entire project is that it is free; in this case, the developers only offer to spend money on purchasing a branded adapter. The creators of eZWay warn that for now their brainchild is operating in beta version mode, that is, it is being tested. However, in our case, the program worked stably, without any system crashes or slowdowns. Of course, everything may depend on the specific smartphone or tablet.

ADVANTAGES

This project shows how well the ideas of enthusiasts who are sincerely interested in the comfort of using vehicles, diagnostics and prevention of vehicle malfunctions can be implemented.

FLAWS

Online registration required.

OVERALL SCORE

The project is interesting because of how large-scale and complete it looks. The developers have implemented the diagnostic idea 100%, providing a proprietary Bluetooth module for reading car data, as well as organizing a large online resource for remotely storing information about the user’s car.

Tow Truck – tow truck search program, review

FEATURES OF THE WORK

After we have looked at the “large” programs, it would be a good idea to pay attention to small, but also very useful utilities. “Tow Truck” is an interesting project that centers around the idea of ​​tracking the movement of tow trucks in Moscow and the Moscow region in real time. More precisely, apparently, there are no special geographical restrictions - but besides Moscow, we saw the nearest tow truck only in Minsk. In general, it is not entirely clear what exactly “Evacuator” is - either an aggregator of tow trucks from different companies, or a project of one large carrier. The Google Play page indicates that the “ears” of the program grow from the website evakuator-mos.ru. Based on this portal, one gets the impression that, most likely, within the framework of the project there is a certain central coordinator who cooperates only with “high-quality” tow trucks.

It is impossible to get confused in the program. This is a single menu that displays a list of tow trucks closest to you. More precisely, information indicating the name of the carrier and his telephone number. We touch the point - the program transfers us to the call window with the number already dialed. The biggest strange thing is that the developers did not integrate a menu with an online map. For some reason, only a link to the site with it is provided in the “About the application” tab. At the same time, the online map itself is perfectly designed, all tow trucks are represented by large icons - when you click on them, a window of additional information pops up - phone number, photo, features of the loader and “working” areas. However, we note that not all carriers provide a complete list of data; many are limited to the tow truck brand and telephone number.

We had no difficulty in getting the program to determine our location using GPS and show the carriers. However, reviews on Google Play vary: the application helped some, while others could not wait for the information to be displayed.

ADVANTAGES

The concept of working with proven tow trucks, the ability to know that in the event of a breakdown or accident, finding the nearest tow truck will not be difficult.

FLAWS

There is no built-in online map; you have to launch the page in a browser. It does not work correctly on many devices.

OVERALL SCORE

We hope that in the future the application will become widespread not only among tow truck owners in Moscow. The program has a great idea, all that remains is to actively promote the application outside the Moscow Ring Road.

Auto Traffic fines 2013 – program for obtaining information on fines, review

FEATURES OF THE WORK

We have already seen something similar in the “Moscow Transport” application, but that program, frankly speaking, was intimidating because of the need to enter data about the car, and it was focused only on one city. Here, in a truly luxuriously designed and systematized database, everything related to the penal theme is collected.

At the very top of the program, a search line is immediately displayed in which we can enter the topic of the fine or the article of the Code of Administrative Offenses that interests us. Actually, we get exactly the same window when we access the topmost button in the vertical row of the menu. Available topics are displayed directly below the search bar. Moreover, the full list is available only if you “tell” about the program on Facebook or other social networks. All articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses are listed below in turn.

There is a “Traffic rules and signs” button in the menu. In addition to presenting “legal” information, the item “How to preserve your rights” is interesting, which provides eight points of advice on communicating with traffic police representatives. For example: “The inspector, as well as any police officer, has the right to stop you. You must stop, but you have the right not to get out of the car.” Perhaps even experienced drivers will be able to extract useful points from the “lecture”.

The “Regions” tab lists all codes for Russian regions. Additionally, for each item, the telephone number of the duty station and the helpline are provided. “My Fines” is a centralized place to view paid or pending fines. Unfortunately, the feature is only available for an additional $2 fee. In principle, even taking into account this commercial aspect, the application still turned out great. Let’s just say that if “Moscow Transport” is a “must have” in the capital, then “Auto Traffic Fines 2013” ​​will be useful in any part of Russia.

ADVANTAGES

An integrated approach to the program providing all the necessary information on fines.

FLAWS

Paid function for checking whether a car has fines.

OVERALL SCORE

A good alternative to the Moscow Transport program for “other” Russian motorists.

The programs presented in the review were tested on the following devices

Highscreen Omega Prime XL – a smartphone based on the Android operating system, review

DESIGN FEATURES

While almost any smartphone with a price tag of around 10 thousand rubles can boast of a good camera, performance and other advantages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to differentiate their models. In one way or another, Highscreen regularly copes with this task with success. This time the brand focused on appearance, including three color interchangeable panels with its Highscreen Omega Prime XL - just like they used to do with Nokia phones. Perhaps we’ll start with them (in the sense of panels). There are white, bright yellow and black lids to choose from. Moreover, all three options differ in the texture of the plastic. So, the black panel is soft-touch type plastic. The yellow panel differs from the soft touch coating in that it “clings” to the palm better. Finally, the white lid is made glossy and, perhaps, looks the most impressive. And it cannot be said that the white color turned out to be the most distinctive - no tendency to accelerate the accumulation of fingerprints was noticed. All three panels fit tightly, there are no creaks or backlashes.

The design of the smartphone turned out to be attractive - fortunately, since the beginning of 2013, models from B-brands could no longer be “identified” at first glance by their boring appearance. Likewise, Highscreen Omega Prime XL is made in the shape of a neat rectangle with slightly rounded edges. There are no clearly defined ends; the transition between the sides and the lid is also rounded for the sake of aesthetics and better ergonomics. In the Highscreen case, she abandoned the usual “highlighting” of the speech speaker with a noticeable grid. Instead, there is a barely visible row of holes, as if left by a needle. The rear camera, which is barely noticeably raised above the body and framed by a circle with “tracks,” looks good.

Despite the presence of a large 5.3-inch screen, the smartphone does not seem too bulky. Perhaps this is due to the thickness of only 9 mm. The weight of the model is felt, but again, with such dimensions, a heavier body is expected. As for the keys, the Highscreen Omega Prime XL shows the trend of thin elongated buttons - a tribute to the claim to a presentable appearance. The buttons protrude enough above the body to make them easy to feel and press. The volume control key is on the left, and the power button is located on the right. A smart choice, as having the power button at the top would be less ergonomic. The set of connectors is standard - microUSB and 3.5 mm audio output. It’s unusual that both connectors are located at the top end.

Under the cover there are two slots for SIM cards. As is always the case with dual-SIM smartphones, only one slot can accommodate a SIM card with 3G Internet. To install a microSD memory card, a holder is provided that allows you to remove or insert the card without having to remove the battery.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

In terms of hardware, Highscreen Omega Prime XL is close to flagship smartphones. A 4-core processor from the American company Qualcomm, model MSM8225Q with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz, is installed here. The “pair” has 1 GB of RAM. This volume is enough to operate the system itself, as well as run several resource-intensive tasks in parallel. The processor stoically endured gaming tests, showing its ability to cope with the most demanding developments at the Real Racing 3 level.

One of the main advantages of the smartphone is its large 5.3-inch screen. One could say that the resolution of 960 x 640 pixels is not the highest, especially with such a diagonal. However, in reality there is no pixelation observed, the picture looks quite clear. Moreover, if you do not compare the models head-to-head, it is unlikely that the user would immediately determine the screen resolution of the Highscreen Omega Prime XL - HD or qHD. The viewing angles of the display are large; at maximum deviations, the brightness of the image only decreases. With an IPS matrix, colors look rich, but without the excessive contrast inherent in Super AMOLED screens.

We expect a set of supported wireless standards: Bluetooth version 3.0, Wi-Fi with IEEE 802.11 b/g/n specifications, and GPS. In all three cases, there were no problems with signal reception being too weak, be it cellular communications or information from satellites.

The set of cameras is represented by 2 MP and 8 MP modules. But just a year ago, this was found only in the most advanced smartphone models. However, as practice shows, manufacturers often use cheap lenses and matrices, as a result of which the same 8 megapixel image produces a very mediocre image. Fortunately, this does not apply to Highscreen Omega Prime XL. The smartphone has good detail in pictures, both in long-range and macro photography. Sometimes it is better to adjust the white balance manually, but the exposure is in perfect order - during the day the photos are not overexposed, and in the evening the smartphone appropriately “tweaks” the lighting.

SOFTWARE

The smartphone is equipped with Android 4.1.2, now the most popular version among Android smartphones. Highscreen abandoned its “principle of non-interference”, introducing quite serious changes in the appearance of the platform. So, the lock screen has been completely changed. Added quick access not only to the camera, but also to calls and SMS. The standard wallpapers have been completely removed, replaced by a variety of beautiful images. It is striking that almost all standard icons have been redesigned. Among the applications, we note the new interface of the music player, radio and calculator. Highscreen’s interventions did not in any way affect the stability of the system; Android in Highscreen Omega Prime XL functions “vigorously” and without visible difficulties.

ADVANTAGES

Large 5.3-inch screen, powerful 4-core processor, video modified Android, replaceable panels included.

FLAWS

It was possible to install a screen with a higher resolution and make the body a little thinner.

OVERALL SCORE

An extraordinary smartphone for 10,990 rubles, which will appeal to fashionistas due to its ability to often change its appearance. Motorists should also like the model - the large screen turns the Highscreen Omega Prime XL into a navigator, and high-quality optics - into an alternative to a DVR.

Lexand STA-7.0 - navigator based on the Android operating system, review

DESIGN FEATURES

Analysts confidently report that despite the general decline in demand for navigators, an increase is observed among models with large diagonals. Therefore, it is highly likely that Lexand hit the nail on the head by releasing a large navigator, and even on the multifunctional Android platform. The appearance of the navigator matches the corporate style of the brand with a “chrome” rim along the edges of the front side. The front surface itself is made “without frames,” which is also regularly found in Lexand models.

The back side is covered with practical rubberized plastic. This one does not slip in the hand and is not prone to the accumulation of dirt. The main elements are located on the left side: 3.5 mm audio output, microSD card slot and miniUSB connector. On the back cover there is a recess with a forced reset button. This is, in principle, rarely found in Android devices. In particular, Lexand STA-7.0 froze only twice, but both times it came to its senses in less than a minute.

The model's configuration is notable for the presence of an OTG cable. This cable is used to allow you to directly connect USB storage devices such as flash drives to the navigator, as well as a 3G modem (for accessing the Internet, downloading programs and accessing “plug” data) and even peripherals such as mice and keyboards.

The holder for installation on the windshield contains two adjustment units, which is expected - the hinged design is more favored among recorders. A serious advantage of the Lexand STA-7.0 bracket is its high strength - the plastic used and its thickness inspire confidence in its resistance to mechanical damage.

FEATURES OF THE WORK

The navigator is built on the basis of a single-core BoxChip A13 processor with a frequency of 1 GHz, often found in inexpensive tablets. The amount of RAM is 512 MB. The test showed the expected result: the navigator copes well with “single” tasks such as games, web surfing or navigation. Several tasks and half a dozen sites open in the browser lead to noticeable delays in the device’s response to commands.

Android 4.0.4 is installed as the control system. A smart choice that guarantees compatibility with most of the 700 thousand applications of the Google Play online service. The only exceptions are demanding 3D games. In general, Lexand took care of good software for the navigator out of the box. In addition to standard Google applications, there is Dr. Antivirus. Web, Mail.ru clients (Agent, Odnoklassniki, ICQ) and Yandex services (Opera mini, Maps, Metro, Weather, Mail, Yandex.Search).

The navigator is equipped with a 7-inch screen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. It is believed that we will never see higher resolution on navigators. There is no need to be upset, since the pixelation of the picture is not noticeable - after all, most of the time the navigator is located at a distance, being installed on the windshield. But Lexand STA-7.0 reveals one of the main advantages over WinCE-based models. While the latter are equipped exclusively with resistive displays with low touch sensitivity, the Lexand STA-7.0 has a highly sensitive capacitive screen. In addition, multi-touch technology is supported with the ability to respond to simultaneous touches of up to 5 fingers. The sensitivity of the Lexand STA-7.0 screen is really high; we only had to “ask” the navigator a couple of times.

The model supports the FM transmitter function. Unlike ultra-budget navigators, Lexand STA-7.0 does not suffer from serious interference, which in principle prevents the use of this option. The sound transmitted to the radio is quite clear. This is an important parameter given that the navigator can be used to watch movies for passengers. Still, the built-in speaker can only be called loud for voicing navigation program prompts.

The navigator has a capacious 3000 mAh battery. In a mixed load mode such as watching movies, directly navigating and playing games, the device can work for up to four hours, depending on the brightness of the screen.

NAVIGATION

The navigator is equipped with a 48-channel High Vision HV5820 GPS receiver. A “cold” start takes less than a minute, a “warm” start takes about 30 seconds, and a “hot” start takes place almost instantly. Communication losses were observed, as expected, in areas of dense high-rise buildings and in tunnels. For navigation, the Navitel Navigator 7 program with maps of Russia is preinstalled. The convenience of Android lies in the ability to quickly go to Google Play and instantly download an alternative navigation application. Moreover, in almost all cases, developers offer a fully functional version with a test period of 30 days.

Lexand STA-7.0 differs extremely favorably from WinCE navigators in the choice of methods for obtaining traffic data. We are not limited to just GPRS reception, there is none here at all. But there is support for connecting to an Internet source (for example, a smartphone) via Wi-Fi. This is also convenient when you can take the navigator home and, provided you have a home access point, download voluminous applications so as not to go broke on 3G Internet. As already mentioned, the navigator supports a direct connection to a 3G modem, so Lexand STA-7.0 can access the Network even outside the access range of Wi-Fi points.

ADVANTAGES

A large screen with high sensitivity, ample Android system capabilities, an FM transmitter, a capacious battery, a powerful hardware platform, and the ability to connect a 3G modem.

FLAWS

The navigator is not able to cope with the most resource-intensive Android programs. However, this is rather a feature of the hardware platform. However, the model copes well with navigation programs (including 3D maps) and basic entertainment such as viewing websites or movies. The built-in speaker could be louder

OVERALL SCORE

An interesting model that provides a striking example of the capabilities of the latest generation of navigators with the Android system. The price of the device is 5,299 rubles, while “old” devices with WinCE, which are much less presentable in terms of functions, still cost about 3-4 thousand rubles. And a small additional payment in the case of Lexand STA-7.0 is completely justified, even if we consider the comfort of working only with the navigation function of the model.

 

It might be useful to read:

• Trimming a PHP string: easy ways Trim the last characters in a php string;
• How to connect and disconnect a second line on MTS?;
• Android media storage download;
• How to find out your balance on Megafon?;
• Asos discount code August;
• M matlab files. MATLAB file extension. Signal and Image Processing Packages;
• Miniature USB programmer for AVR microcontrollers Software and notes;
• SMS and MMS messages on iPhone;