You're on a road trip with the family packed into the car when a tire blows. After limping into the closest garage, a local grease monkey informs you that you need to replace all four tires or you won't get much further without another flat. And wouldn't you know, he just happens to have a special on a full set of new tires for your car.
So now you're stuck in a strange town with a frustrated family, holding an exorbitant quote and deciding whether to blow the family vacation budget on new rubber and just head back home. Or figure out a cheaper alternative -- fast.
With the iLocate - Tires app for iPhone, you can easily compare all local options to get the best price as well as reviews of tire places. All in the time it takes the rest of your family to make their first pass through the nearest McDonald's playground.
iLocate Tires is not a new app, but the latest version makes a search of its comprehensive tire store database effortless, with one-click contact information and directions. After paying the $1.99 and downloading the app, when first launched you're asked to allow your location to be determined.
Next, a stark main menu appears listing all local tire stores. Hit the arrow tab on the right of each listing and you get a Call tab with the number and a Directions tab with the address, and with these you can call or get directions via Google Maps with a single tap. The final tab for each entry is View Maps in Maps App. Hitting this takes you to a Google Places page where you can get extra info on the tire store, including pictures and user reviews. The Place page also has a Browse Nearby feature that lets you find an ATM to pay for that new rubber and restaurants like that Mickey D's for the family, among other things.
Below the tire store listings on the main menu are three tabs: Enter Location, Map and About. The Enter Location tab allows you to type in a zip code and also toggles between a Use GPS tab if you want to just find tire stores on Google Maps and the ones closest to your present location. Your location is marked by Google Maps app's familiar light-blue dot and the surrounding tire stores are marked with purple pins. Or you can skip the latter step and just touch the Maps tab and get the same result. If you're bored while waiting at the tire store, the About tab lets you learn everything you'd want to know about the app's developer.
This app doesn't necessarily need to be reserved for road trips. I recently needed new tires and spent considerable time researching local options and was able to save quite a bit of money. But this app would've saved me precious time as well. -- Gretchen McFarlan, contributor
saturn95 says:
12:20 AM, 08/22/11
Interesting app, but $1.99 seems a bit steep for something that I'm sure you could do with Google Maps.
sniperruff says:
01:44 PM, 08/22/11
A tire app that tells you to go to a Lexus dealership or Boston Market for tires. No thanks!