If you're desperately in need of a new pair of shoes and don't know where the closest shoe store is, the location-aware shopping application from Slifter will tell you. It also will tell you exactly where they are in stock, so you don't waste gas driving to three different stores to find the right size.It's happened to me. You're traveling for work, and the unthinkable happens: You have a total shoe blow-out. I had the heel completely separate from a pair of shoes once while on a business trip. There was no faking it. I needed a new pair of shoes, pronto. Unfortunately, that was before the advent of cell phone-based GPS and location-based services. It also was before Slifter. I had to hobble around and ask people where the nearest shoe store was. Slifter could have solved all my problems.

Slifter is a mobile shopping tool that uses LBS technology to search and share products and promotions at local retailers. Slifter has been around for a while, and has been available on many consumer-grade phones. Today, Slifter made its signature product available as a free download to users of BlackBerrys. It lets you search more than 300 million products available at more than 150,000 retail stores across the United States.

But Slifter does more than just let you know where to buy stuff. It also can tell you if what you want is in stock. You can search local store inventory for products, hot deals, and promos (including 40 million circular offers); see product information, images, and maps; save products and promotions into a mobile Shopping List; and share finds with friends.

In other words, if you're a power shopper who's always looking for the best deals, this product is for you.

Lastly, since you'll know exactly where to go to get what you want, you won't have to drive all over the place looking for the right color or size. With gas hovering near $4 per gallon, cutting down on trips with the car is going to save money.