'Smartphones’ are becoming more and more common, and today there are multiple models and brands available.  But what do smartphones have to do with automobiles? A lot, actually.  A smartphone is basically a small computer that fits in the palm of your hand.  Of course you can do all the basic stuff: make phone calls, text, check email, etc., but smartphones take things a step further. You can download applications that are designed to help you save time and money and make you a greener driver, just remember to do this before leaving the curb, and not while driving.  Check out these applications that would be wise to use on your smartphone:

greenMeter:  This program computes your vehicle's power and fuel use characteristics and helps you modify your driving style to increase efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cost, and lower your environmental impact.  However, you’ll have to know (or at least estimate) your car’s drag coefficient, weight and drivetrain loss, not to mention the atmospheric pressure and temperature.

Primo Spot: This maps when and where street parking might free up in metropolitan areas. Information is currently available for New York City, with other cities following soon. It can be accessed via a cell phone Web browser.

GasBuddy: This keeps tabs on current fuel prices in your area. Price information is delivered in four ways: on GasBuddy.com, on mobile browsers at GasBuddyToGo.com, by text message and via a new iPhone app.  The iPhone app offers a few extra features such as an “on fumes” button, which identifies the nearest station, and a list of roadside assistance numbers for most car makes.

Carticipate: This is free and it lets you enter your trips, browse where others are headed and view routes in Google Maps. Find someone headed your way and you can e-mail, text or call him or her from within the program and possibly get a ride or get someone to ride with you.

Ecorio: This program tracks your personal travels and then, depending on your mode of transport, will calculate your carbon footprint. It can also recommend the most efficient routes (burning less fuel means fewer harmful emissions) by accessing Google Transit, and even integrates with Zimride — a Facebook car-pooling network — to locate ride shares.

CarCare: This works with the iPhone and can make maintenance and regular service more manageable .It allows you to track any type of service via your iPhone, and then lets you know when, for example, to change your oil, rotate your tires or even wax your car.

Gas Cubby: This app for the iPhoe tracks fill-ups and maintenance. By entering the number of gallons per fill-up, the cost per gallon and the odometer reading before and after each fill-up, Gas Cubby plots mpg, cost per mile, miles per tank and more.