Apps to take the strain out of Christmas shopping

The Gadget Show  Friday 25 November 2011

Whether you’ve already scoped out your Christmas shopping targets or are planning (as usual) to leave everything till the last minute – there are ways to use tech to make the holiday season more bearable using apps.

To prove it, here are five apps for Android or iPhone smartphone user that are sure to take the sting out of the Christmas rush.

The latest smartphone tech proves that gadgets are a force for good. Some of the latest and most reliable apps can save you time, money and most importantly your sanity at this busy time of year. Check ‘em out.

AA Parking – find a cheap parking space

Car parks can be a real pain in the nethers. The cheapest ones can be difficult to find, are usually packed when you do get to them, and you always end up at the most expensive one anyway. To avoid such situations ever again, AA Parking helps users locate the nearest and cheapest car parks in the UK and Ireland with the help of directions and the ability to see which car parks have space in real-time. AA Parking has previously been voted as one of the best apps in the world by The Sunday Times, and as an Auto Express Best Buy. So it has credentials.

idealoapp.com

The Idealo app is a price comparison app that takes the hassle out of looking for the best prices for those gadget gifts you’ve been eyeing up. From a massive database of more than one million products, Idealo helps bargain hunters to locate the best prices, and the stores to find them in to save you time hot-footing it from one store to the next, displaying a list of recommended stores and their prices on one page. It makes for a handy tool in any Christmas shopper’s armoury. You can download it free right now for both iOS and Android phones.

Amazon Mobile

Got no time to do the Christmas shop? That’s a shame. But it’s not yet time to give up. Not when you can do all your Christmas shopping from your smartphone. Amazon Mobile lets you search and buy from a choice of millions of products. The well designed app is designed to look as close to the main website as possible so that you don’t have to be at home on a computer to place orders. All the features are there, offers, customer reviews, and ratings to help you decide what to buy on-the-go. No excuses.

eBay



Available for both iOS and Android devices, eBay the world’s most famous auction site is always stacked with gems worthy of hunting down. With thousands of auctions happening at any given time, there is always a bargain to be had, and you won’t need to leave the house to get them. You may have to bid and fight for the bargains on offer, but the satisfaction when you do is almost as good as unwrapping a Christmas day present.

Voucher Codes

Another real money saver this one. The Voucher Codes app works in just the same convenient way as the website. Even when you’re out and about it is now possible to visit voucher codes with a tap of a button to access the latest money-off vouchers on tech. Simply enter the name of a store and Voucher Codes will present you with vouchers and codes to redeem in store. It couldn’t be any easier.