As the Apple iPhone seems to be getting more popular in the capital than ever before, there are certain apps that really can help even the most experienced Londoner get around this huge city.
A few of these might also be available on other platforms and we would expect the number of Android apps for London (and further afield) to increase drastically in the coming years, but with the market share Apple has, it seems most developers are sticking with the fruit based version for now.
1) Barclays Bikes app finder does exactly what it says, by pointing you to the nearest Boris Bike station and crucially telling you whether there are currently any bikes available. The data comes from Transport for London and is updated every few minutes so in theory should be relatively accurate.
2) London Taxi Meter app is for those who prefer to let the engine take the strain and gives an approximate calculation for how much a journey from X to Y should cost. We assume it doesn’t include extra costs for going south of the river at night or getting stuck in roadworks, but at least in theory the London cabbie should be able to entertain you en-route around such problems.
3) Nearest Tube app will help you compromise between the eco-friendly bikes and the rather drier taxi by pointing you towards all the nearest tube stations. The display appears via the camera and imprints various arrows onto the screen with distances and line details. Now if only it could tell you that the line between Camden Town and Hampstead was shut due to signalling problems, it would be a god-send for most Londoners.
4) Toiluxe app is one of many apps which aim to tell you where the nearest “public convenience” is although it is a little lacking in directions, but most loos do have information about where to basically find them especially those within department stores and similar. Very handy for the tourist and local to have.
5) National Gallery Love Art app is probably most useful if you’re sitting around either in a hotel room or back of a taxi stuck in traffic as it’ll let you browse over 250 works of art from the National Gallery in London. There is even information about various pieces included, so now you can sit there with your little white earphones and no one will realise you’re being intellectual…perhaps that will be fixed in v2.
All can be downloaded from the iPhone app store or via your phone itself. The Barclay’s Bikes app is also available from the Android Marketplace.
More Links around London:
Thanks to the Evening Standard London Apps.
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