AboutAtlantaGA: Must Have Apps for the Summer

With the temperatures heating up and the days getting longer, we’re definitely heading into the dog days of summer. And with summer comes travel, entertaining kids, party planning, fitness and family trips.

To help you ease into the summer routine, we’ve rounded up a few apps and gadgets that will keep your summer stress-free and fun whether you’re planning a road trip, organizing a party or trying to get into a healthy fitness routine.

Summer Travel

With more than 750,000 downloads to date, Metrocket LLC’s iExit solves the “Where should we stop?” problem for road trippers. While it’s not a navigation app, iExit helps you decide the best highway or interstate exit to take for fuel, food, lodging, shopping or any other need.

CEO Evan Metrock developed the idea for iExit nearly 5 years ago when he was taking frequent road trips between Atlanta and Nashville during college football season.

“While many business-finder apps help users find businesses by searching around their current location, iExit provides the opportunity for a unique, but useful, contextual search against businesses, nicely grouped by exit, in your direction of travel,” explains Metrock. “When on the highway, this is quite literally how a traveler wants to search, and iExit is the best solution available for providing this type of search experience.”

Targeted to everyone traveling on the highways, iExit recently launched iExit Truckers in April and is slated to launch iExit RV later this year — versions that will feature tractor-trailer or RV-friendly locations.

iExit is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.
Travelers who have checked-in to their hotels or AirBnB location of choice and want something other than pizza or Chinese food delivery, Alpharetta-based Snapfinger makes ordering food quick and easy. Available online or from a mobile phone, Snapfinger allows users to order from more than 38,000 restaurants, like Boston Market, Outback Steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, across 5,000 cities.

Search by location, cuisine or food type to order just want you’re craving or to discover a new restaurant in your neighborhood.

By Yhz1221 licensed under CC 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Those traveling domestically or internationally this summer, TimeOut, which acquired Atlanta-based HUGECity in 2014, is the online destination for finding out what’s happening in major cities across the globe.

From city guides to events focusing on film, music, arts, culture and food and drink offerings, TimeOut offers the most up-to-date listing of what’s happening worldwide. Simply search for your city or destination to see what not-to-be-missed events are on the horizon.

Party Planning

Pool parties and cook-outs are the hallmark activities of the summer season and Fete wants to be your control center for party and event planning.

Whether it’s a date night or a 20-person Fourth of July pool party, Fete offers a streamlined user experience that removes the back-and-forth often involved with event planning making party planning stress free and fun again.

“We’re passionate about using technology to really bring people closer together for real life experiences instead of alienating and distancing ourselves,” says Raj Parikh, co-founder and developer of Atlanta-based Fete.

The free app, allows users to coordinate traditional parties complete with stylish invitations and RSVPs or plan events collaboratively with friends by providing location suggestions and dates, and then solidifying the plans over Fete’s interactive mobile platform.

Fete App Screenshots

Currently, the app is only available for iOS devices, but its robust text-messaging interface allows Fete users to invite non-iOS users who can respond via SMS. An Android version is planned for release later this summer.

Fitness and Active Lifestyles

Russell Green, a partner at Atlanta’s Opera Nightclub, created FIT Radio after numerous club patrons and employees requested workout playlists from the music that was played at the club.

But FIT Radio is more than just a playlist of club music. According to Lexi Bellassai, vice president of the Atlanta-based company, the app’s goal is to give users high-energy workout mixes that maintain a consistent pace and energy to keep them going without having to look at their phone or switch songs, notes

The workout mixes, which are created and curated by professional DJs, play more fast-paced songs in the right places to help users maintain energy and go the extra mile during a workout. With more than 25 genres and stations and new mixes added daily, users can select workout mixes sorted by genre, beats per minute or workout specific to enhance their energy levels and keep their workouts on pace.

Travelers don’t have to disrupt their fitness routine while away as both iOS and Android versions of FIT Radio can be downloaded for free. The app works with a variety of workout apps, like MapMyFitness, Runtastic, Nike+, RunKeeper and more and offers in-app purchase options.

Finally, for the fitness enthusiast or performance athlete, Wahoo Fitness ensures that you won’t miss a beat while on vacation. Wahoo Fitness connects you with workout data via smart phones and other devices to ensure you’re going the distance and reaching your goals wherever your travels take you.

Wahoo With a variety of monitors, trackers, sensors and accessories, Wahoo Fitness offers a device and app that fits just about any fitness routine, include cycling, running and general fitness activities. By syncing data from sensors and monitors with more than 110 training apps, users are able to access workout metrics immediately and effortlessly to enhance performance and track goals.