The summer of 2008 will go down in iTunes history for the record number of iPhone apps released that addressed the high cost of filling up. Now that fuel prices are lower than Rod Blagojevich's approval rating, the remaining apps must fight for survival.
We predict that App Cubby's Gas Cubby (links fixed!) will outlast competitors. Its cost-tracking features and maintenance reminders are of great importance to those trying to squeeze every last mile out of their cars before trading them in -- not to mention those people who just enjoy keeping track of things. "Our app may have been a bit more popular in July, but overall we're doing quite well," App Cubby founder David Barnard told Wired.com. "It seems as though the high gas prices of this last year have permanently changed the way most people view transportation."
Want to see how much your last oil change cost? It'll be there. Total cost of ownership? It's in a tally at the bottom of the screen. "Since we were already collecting odometer data to calculate MPG, it seemed quite obvious to use that data to trigger the maintenance reminders," Barnard said. We like that feature best, mostly because we'd rather a reminder to have our car inspected come from our iPhone's screen than from a police officer's pen.
This writer's first car came from an obsessed owner who, after signing over the title, ceremoniously passed on an oil-stained three-inch thick folder full of maintenance receipts that detailed the car's history from the first oil change to the most recent tire rotation. Keeping and adding to those records definitely helped that car look more attractive at resale. Even though it had almost 200K on the dash when it headed to its third owner, the records proved the car had been well-cared for and had a track record of reliability.
According to Barnard, meticulous record keeping is a common side effect of car ownership, especially for those who want to calculate their true cost of ownership long after the car is paid for. "Doesn't matter if gas prices are high or low and the environmental impact real or imagined, they just want to know where their money went and have the record to prove it," he said. One user tracked every drop of gas ever put into his Corolla and then entered it into Gas Cubby. The price per gallon chart is below.
Barnard is currently working on an online sync feature that lets people who share cars keep their data in sync. We predict this will gain the app great acceptance among small businesses and split-up couples who can't afford not to share a car and a house.
POST UPDATED / links fixed 6 p.m. PST Dec. 12.
Photos courtesy App Cubby.
From the Corolla owner:
