Claire's Articles
Technology
Are you one of the millions of people who own an iPhone or Blackberry and just love to download all the latest applications or "apps" as they are so often called? Well, there are plenty out there made especially for travelers!
Not only are these apps fun - they're so useful! Both iPhone and Blackberry have applications that can do everything from help you keep on time for a flight to keep you calm in the midst of those inevitable delays. Here are just a few that I've discovered...
‘Pocket Express' offers a travel option that gives you the ability to check your flight status and schedule and gives you access to a currency converter and listings of nearby hotels.
‘WorldMate Live' is a free app for Blackberry that acts like your own personal assistant with the ability to organize an itinerary, sync with your calendar and check out weather forecasts. If you pay for the upgrade, you can get flight alerts for more than 175 airlines, as well as alternate flight suggestions should you need to reschedule.
I don't how your eyes would fare trying to read a book on your mobile device, but if you want to you can. There are a few applications out there that allow you to download books right onto your iPhone or Blackberry, including ‘Stanza', ‘Fictionwise' and ‘BooksonBoard'. If you want to buy the latest bestseller but cant make it to the bookstore, it can literally be on your device in seconds!
‘The Urban Spoon' for iPhone is a free application that recommends restaurants in the area you are traveling. It categorized by name or cuisine type and even offers reviews from newspapers and other app users.
If you are looking for language help the ‘Lonely Planet' offers phrasebook apps in 10 languages including Czech, Italian and Vietnamese. In addition to translating phrases in written text, the app also translates it verbally so you can hear the correct pronunciation.
And last but not least a great app for that road trip. ‘Pandora Internet Radio' allows you to select an artist whose songs become the basis of your own radio station, which will then play that artist's music and music from singers and bands with a similar sound. You have the option to rate the songs and eventually craft a streaming play list suited for your very own tastes. I have discovered many new bands this way!
Pandora is also free, but just available for iPhones right now. But Blackberry and iPhone users can add ‘Shazam', an app that allows you to identify music and download it. Basically, you can put your device up to a song playing in a restaurant, store or club and Shazam will tell you what the song is and show you where to download it.
So there you go - lots of ways to keep yourself occupied and organized when you're on the road.
Other Cool Apps to Check Out
· Facebook
· Google Maps
· TwitterBerry and Tweetie
· eBay
· Skype
· Flickr
· AroundMe
· Wikipanion
· NetNewsWire
· ITalk
