Tuesday, May 3, 2011

State Farm app uses iPhone sensors to grade your driving habits, oh joy

Remember when you took your driving test and and had an inspector second-guessing your every stop, turn, signal and lane choice? State Farm's new Driver Feedback app is like having said individual with you all the time. Simply put, it uses your smartphone's accelerometer and GPS to gauge your acceleration, braking and cornering habits (sound familiar?) and spit out a score, letting you brag to your (parents / significant other / stranger / the family dog) just how safe and secure you are. State Farm claims it doesn't collect any information and won't adjust your insurance rates based on your score, which is a bit of a bummer if you ask us -- wouldn't it be nice if you could earn some cash back for perfecting your heel-toe? Either way, you'll find it for free in the iTunes App Store.