More iPhone Apps for Private Investigators

We wrote about some handy apps for private investigators last January. To read about those apps, click here. In addition, below are some more apps we’ve found useful for private investigations (including a few that other PIs recommended).

VM Alert: Video Motion Detector $1.99

Detects motion via the iPhone camera, and can be set to use either the front or back camera. A default setting is for an alert to sound when motion is detected (be sure to turn this off). Program stores images in Camera Roll (you can then forward via email, embedded in a text message, send to YouTube–you can set up a private YouTube account so only those with permissions can view image).

GPS apps

There’s a bunch of them out there, from free to a minimal monthly charge.  Below we list three:

Waze: Free. We wrote about this community-based GPS traffic and navigation app last March (to read that post, click here). Based on other users’ real-time data, you get live traffic reports, speed cams, even the cheapest gas stations on your route. Some users have complained about there being too many road condition reports popping up and that there is no text direction summary.

AmAze: Initial download includes a free license to view maps and search for places of interest around the world. You can then purchase one year license from within the application to use the full navigation capabilities of amAze. Product offers turn-by-turn voice navigation, optional routing for cars and pedestrians, textual routing mode, navigation over satellite imagery.

TeleNav GPS: We’ve read that some users got this for 30 days free before an automatic monthly $2.99 charge starts (as of this writing, TeleNav website doesn’t advertise prices upfront). Spoken turn-by-turn directions, choose up to three different routes, real-time traffic alerts.  Some users have reported that the avatar representing your vehicle is off scale, causing problems recognizing the distant to the next turn while traveling.  Another reported problem: auto rerouting lags (users who have gotten lost needed to pull over to wait for the program to reroute destination).

Translator with Voice $2.99

If you’re like us, we sometimes need a translator (which can get expensive!) when we conduct interviews with people who speak different languages.  This app advertises that it translates several dozen languages, including Slovenian, Spanish, French, Korean and Vietnamese, Italian, Yiddish.  App also offers speech-to-text, translation from your local language (such as English) to another language, and reads/translates written text.

Square (credit card reader device) free app, free credit card reader and free shipping.

There is a 2.75% charge for cards swiped (accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express). Manually entered cards, the charge is slightly higher: 3.5% plus .15 per transaction. Payments can be set up to automatically deposit into your business account (with funds often available next day), no merchant account or monthly fees.  We read about this device/app in Pursuit Magazine (an online magazine for private investigators, security professionals, process servers and others), who rave about the product.

Related articles

• Why You Will Not Do Without Your iPhone (techzulu.com)
• iPhone 360 Degree Panoramic Video Lens (coolest-gadgets.com)
• Private Investigators: News, Resources and Some Fun Stuff (writingpis.wordpress.com)