5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

Twitter

While many people still consider Twitter a place to post pictures of their lunch and hear from their favourite celebrities, the site has become an invaluable tool for communicating with large companies who keep a close eye on any negative PR. The best examples are airlines, who are often faster in responding to tweets than via phone or even in person! If your flight gets cancelled or you have problems with online check-in, don't be afraid to voice your complaint.

Facebook

Heading to Cape Town to take in the view from Table Mountain? Did you know you can win free tickets on their Facebook page? How about the Minnesota State Fair, who's page offers giveaways for the nightly concerts? Check out your destinations and events before you go, and even if you can't score free stuff, you'll get the heads up on anything new and exciting and have the chance to ask questions.

Groupon

You've probably used Groupon (or similar group-buying sites) at home, but have you considered using it while you're on vacation? Sign up for email alerts for the cities you plan to visit, and you may come out with a half-price dinner or discounted amusement park ticket. Best to do this a few months in advance, but look carefully at terms and conditions... especially expiration dates!

Skype

Skype has always been a great tool for communicating with people halfway around the world, and with the rise of smartphones and tablets it's become even more convenient. Take advantage of the free wifi offered in many coffeeshops, bars, and other places to say hi to loved ones, or check in at the office.

Apps

We've done several posts on terrific travel apps, but the best ones are often specific to your location. Have a connection Amsterdam Schiphol? Download their free app to check your departure gate and flight status. There are also great nightlife and event apps available for most major cities, and even tour guides for museums and historical sites. It pays to check out the attraction's website (or contact them on Facebook) to find out if they have one... it can be a great freebie!

Cape Town and New York City iPhone Travel Apps

The Word Travels monkeys have been hard at work and now we've got some exciting news:

We've just launched new iPhone travel apps with detailed interactive guides for two of our favourite cities: Cape Town and New York City!

The apps take all the best information from our travel guides and put it in a handy format so you can access it quickly and easily while you're on the go; including visa information, airport guides, attractions, excursions, restaurants and nightlife, and shopping and transportation info.

Interactive maps allow you to navigate the city easily, and pull up information on all the great things to see and do in Cape Town and New York.

The apps are available for download here.

Top 5 Free Android Travel Apps

I just got a tablet that runs Android, and I'm a little obsessed with finding just the right apps to make my life (and computer) run smoothly. There are games, ebook readers, music and video players, chat programs, fart sound generators, and other must-have gadgets to make your phone or tablet pop and sizzle.

But I got this tablet to travel with, and it's the travel-friendly Android apps I'm interested in. And I'm a little cheap, so they have to be free. Here are the top five free Android travel apps I've found so far:

Kindle - I chose not to buy a Kindle because I didn't want to pay so much for a device that only does one thing. Now I have an Android tablet that reads Kindle books, but also plays movies and checks email and everything else I need. One of the advantages of having a tablet is not having to lug around heavy books, so the Kindle app and a few choice best-sellers are a must on any flight or layover.

Poynt - Travel guides are great; very informative and helpful in the planning stages of your trip, but when you get to your destination there are often unexpected needs, like you spill red wine on your best dress and need to know where the nearest dry cleaners is, or your kids are driving you batty and you want to find out how soon the next showing of Kung Fu Panda 2 is. Poynt is great for this, as it figures out where you are and leads you to useful information like phone numbers, showtimes, and evern dinner reservations.

Weatherbug - There are lots of weather apps, but Weatherbug is great for travelling because it not only provides 7-day forecasts and interactive maps, but sends you severe weather alerts and even has a live webcam link to to more than 2,000 weathercams across the US. The only drawback is it's a pretty big app at 12mbs.

TripIt - I've recommended this app for both iPhone and Blackberry, and I'll keep recommending it. The app is invaluable for creating an itinerary from different bits of information like flights, hotel reservations and tours, which you can then share with your family and friends (assuming you want them to know where you are of course!) All you have to do is sign up, then forward your confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com. An enhanced paid app also updates things like gate changes and frequent flier points.

Google Goggles - One of these fancy 'augmented reality' apps, Google Goggles is one of the most powerful out there because it taps into the near-infinite knowledge available from the search engine itself. All you have to do is take a photo of an object, and the app will pull up all kinds of relevant information on it. One of the best features is an automatic translation of text when you take a photo of a sign in a foreign language.

Have a Blackberry or iPhone? Click on the links to find our best travel apps for those platforms!

Image from here.

Top 5 Blackberry Travel Apps

We talked about iPhone travel apps a while back, but in South Africa and the UK, the Blackberry is still king. So here are our top 5 Blackberry travel apps:

The Weather Channel - I've tried a few weather apps, and this one is by far my favourite. It has a clear display that shows you current and predicted weather forecasts up to 10 days in advance or any destination worldwide, so you'll know when to hit the beach and what to pack. (Free)

FlightTrack - One of the most advanced flight tracking apps out there, FlightTrack gives you information on not only your arrival time, but gate updates and realtime flight mapping. It's pretty comprehensive, covering 1,400 airlines in over 4,000 airports worldwide. (US$4.99)

Google Maps - My Blackberry's built-in GPS is pretty crap... so one of my first downloads was Google Maps. It's handy in the car if you don't have a Garmin or TomTom, and even better if you're wandering around an unfamiliar city trying to locate major landmarks! (Free)

Navita Translator - There are a lot of translation apps out there, but Navita keeps coming out tops. This handy app allows you to translate emails, texts, and tweets; you can also type or speak the phrase you want to translate. Navita supports 50 languages, including English, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French, German and Russian. (Free)

TripIt - This travel organiser lets you forward confirmation emails to them, and they'll build your itinerary for you! Keeping all your scheduling info at your fingertips, it syncs with your Blackberry calendar and Google Maps, and will even update people with your trip progress. (Free, or pro subscription for US$49/year)

Top 5 iPhone Travel Apps

There's no denying technology is changing how people travel, and there are new and exciting advances every day that make seeing the world easier... and more fun! Here's our favourite iPhone travel apps to help you on your next trip:

TripIt Travel Organiser – This handy app organises all your itinerary info into one place for easy access throughout your trip. (Free)

Flying Without Fear – Virgin Atlantic’s highly regarded course to help nervous travellers overcome their fear of flying has a 98% success rate. ($5)

FlightTrack – This is the most recommended app out there for keeping track of your flights with real-time updates on gates, delays, and cancellations in more than 5,000 airports worldwide. ($5)

Currency – You’ll always know how much you’re spending when you use this no-frills money calculator. It provides up-to-date exchange rate info at your fingertips. (Free)

Trip Journal – A great way to keep friends and family updated (and jealous) on your holiday activities. You can track your route, tag locations, and insert photos and notes into real-time updates. ($3)

Got a Blackberry or Android phone? Click on the links for their best travel apps!

(photo by Gonzalo Baeza Hernández)