Getting all those holiday gifts where they need to goon time — can be a major chore. Major shippers have their own smartphone applications to help out. Here are some of their features:
USPS Mobile, from the U.S. Postal Service, is free for Apple, Android and BlackBerry devices. It will map your way to the nearest post office or mailbox — destinations that are becoming increasingly scarce. There’s a ZIP code looker-upper, a postage calculator and a package-pickup scheduler. In addition, you can request delivery of Priority Mail and Express Mail envelopes and boxes, and the built-in scanner will log a package’s bar code and track it through delivery.
UPS Mobile, free for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry, is from United Parcel Service. It uses GPS features of your smartphone to locate a UPS shipping desk and help you estimate what your package will cost to send and how quickly it will get where it needs to go.
FedEx Mobile by FedEx Corp. is free for Android, BlackBerry and Apple units, but provides most of its functions via the FedEx website, not within the app itself. Like its mates from the other services, you can find a shipping site, get a rate quote, and track your package. Philadelphia Inquirer
