Rent-a-car-by-iPhone app launched

If you’re stuck in a strange city and need to rent a car, then there’s an app for that. Vehicle rental firm Zipcar has launched an iPhone application for locating, reserving and even unlocking hire cars using the Apple smartphone.

 Zipcar's iPhone app: handy

The app – which is also compatible with the iPod Touch – plots the location of nearby rental cars using Google Maps.

Each green ‘Z’ represents an individual car, with information about motor’s make, model and hire charges also available.While all that may sound pretty standard, Zipcar’s app also enables you to remotely honk the car’s horn – very handy if your rented yellow Mini is parked beside three similar models or if you’re in a coffee shop across the road and want to scare passing pedestrians.

Zipcar’s app also does away with the need for keys, because a cellular network-connected “black box” inside each car apparently enables you unlock your hire car using the app’s virtual key feature.

Other notable features include the ability to extend or cancel reservations from your iPhone and to sort car availability according to make or model.

The Zip car application is free to download through Apple’s App Store. ®

(By reghardware)