Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE TWP. -- Cell phones are usually in the purse or pocket of almost everyone.

Most people use their smart phone to text, call, or even Skype.

There are thousands of smartphone applications out there, and some can help when you need it the most.

One that Verizon Wireless workers say is useful in the U.P. is the car locator.

"When you go hiking through the woods for half a mile, and there's lots of trails that go of of there that you can go off and explore, and obviously with a couple of kids that are running off in every direction, who knows what path you're going to take. So, when you're done, and you want to go back to the car, you just hit where it is, and it will point you in the right direction,"

Weather, flashlight, and navigation applications are also popular with Verizon customers, but continual use of these apps could run out your battery.

And if your phone does die, Verizon Wireless sells a power pack that allows you to charge it anywhere you are.

The Michigan State Police also benefit from smart phones, especially when it comes to locating someone who may need help.

"Sometimes when we're trying to locate an individual in need of emergency or medical help, or they're calling for help, but they don't know where they are, or they're just plain old lost. That ability to locate that phone can be very specific and get us very close to where that person is," Michigan State Police Sgt. Kevin Dowling said.

Verizon Wireless also offers a family plan, that allows parents to put a GPS on their kids phones.