Planning A Great Memorial Day Weekend? Sprint Knows What Apps You Should Download

It’s almost that time of the year. At the end of May – besides honoring those who’ve died fighting for our contract – Americans recognize Memorial Day as an unofficial start to the summer cookout season. I’m sure many of you have already started making plans for the weekend leading into Memorial Day, and Sprint’s chiming in to help you get those plans settled.

They’ve offered up a list of 6 apps that would be especially useful for those of you looking to take full advantage of the weekend to have some family and friend fun. Most of these apps have been around for a while, now, and some of them are often repeats in “recommended apps” lists. The list is for those of you who are new to Android, though, so make no haste in checking out Sprint’s top picks to help you out on the holiday weekend.

Kayak – Available for Android phones, such as Sprint’s HTC Hero and Samsung Moment, and for BlackBerry smartphones, the Kayak app connects you to the popular travel search engine to find deals on airfare or get the perfect hotel. If your flight is cancelled, find a new one in a minute, or get on the phone with the airline in seconds.

TripIt Travel Organizer – This free app for Android and BlackBerry puts all your travel plans right on your phone, no matter where your travel was booked. Forward travel confirmation e-mails to [email protected] to build your itinerary, sync your plans with your calendar, and access your travel info any time right on your phone.

WeatherBug – With WeatherBug for Android(TM), you can easily find out the current local weather, plus hourly and seven-day forecasts for your vacation destination. WeatherBug features live neighborhood weather updates from 8,000 weather stations across the country – including National Weather Service weather alerts, such as tornado warnings. By using integrated GPS, the app can change its forecasting location automatically, so there’s no need to manually enter your new location once you arrive.

For local search and discovery while traveling, check out:

WHERE – Available on Android, BlackBerry and Palm smartphones from Sprint, WHERE provides useful information about the local area, places to visit, things to do, and opportunities to save money with offers and coupons. Sprint plans to preload WHERE on select new Sprint phones launching in 2010.
With WHERE, you can search for and discover the best restaurants, bars and events, cheapest gas prices and closest movie theaters, and get directions to any venue. WHERE also provides local coupons and offers that will help you save money at restaurants, events, spas and retail stores. WHERE connects you to all the information you need to feel like a local no matter where you go. You can also sync your WHERE Placebook (address book of your places) on your phone with WHERE on the Web at Where.com.

“WHERE is hands-down one of the best apps on my phone,” said Kate Nixon, a Sprint BlackBerry user. “I use it on a daily basis to check things like weather and news. When I’m traveling, WHERE helps me find everything I’m looking for, such as information about nearby restaurants and stores – complete with reviews and coupons that help me save money! It’s an easy to use mini travel guide that fits right in my pocket.”

To help find your way around an unfamiliar city or area, try:

NY Bus & Subway Maps – This free app delivers quick access to New York MTA subway and bus maps on Android phones. Similar apps are available for public transit options in Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.

Backpacker’s GPS Trails – Available for Android phones, this app doubles as a portable trip database and personal navigation device for your outdoor travels: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, trail running, mountaineering, or basic trail navigation. Search by name or park, or select from trails near your current location to find adventures across North America, and use the compass to follow bearings or go to waypoints on the trail.