Travel Apps that Help

If like me you are the opposite of a techie and can't really see the point of smartphones,(actually, I rarely remember even to carry a standard cell phone,) you may want to rethink that before taking your next trip. A story in Conde Nast Traveler on travel apps to save time and money is certainly making me think twice.
You can read the whole article at http://www.cntraveler.com/technology/2012/09/best-travel-apps-android-iphone-ipad-perrin-report. Among the apps that I found especially appealing were one that offer last minute discounts on luxury hotel rooms, another that helps you locate the nearest gas station, restaurant, or hotel and gives you a map to get there, and one that tells you where to find non-chain restaurants in your vicinity.
Other intriguing apps provide free or cheap WiFi worldwide, information on the best subway routes in a number of cities, and instantaneous conversion of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars. Of course, there is always a downside to many of these apps that are connected to a GPS system--they may make it possible for hackers to know exactly where you are in order to perpetrate fraud of some kind. Similarly, public WiFi is not secure and I would be very reluctant to use it for online banking or that type of thing.
I find the app that tells you about local non-chain restaurants especially interesting, since I enjoy exploring places where the native eat when I travel. Sometimes I resort to chains, but not if there is a good alternative. The difficulty is finding these local restaurants without lugging a guidebook around with you, or walking long distances in search of sustenance. You can always ask your hotel doorman or random strangers, but this app may provide wider choices than they are likely to offer.
Speaking of local restaurants, this is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and I will be trying out a neighbourhood restaurant that is new to me for traditional turkey dinner. The restaruant is called B & M on Somerled, in western Notre Dame de Grace near Cote St. Luc, a mainly anglo section of Montreal. Hope it's good--but then, how bad can turkey dinner be?