Travel Apps could definitely be a weekly column so this second article in the series is long overdue, (see my first article from last year- 5 Essential Travel Apps to Make Travel Easier). The plethora of travel apps continues and shows no sign of stopping (nor should it).
Here’s another 5 essential apps to help with some different challenges that comes with travelling:
Protection against theft
Digital security should a concern for everyone (whether travelling overseas or just across town). Prey is a free security system that works with your PC, tablet and mobile phone. Similar to “Find My iPhone”, you can locate your device using GPS but you can also watch what is happening on screen and remotely lock your device to prevent theft of sensitive data. You can even use your device’s camera to snap a photo of the bad guy (and help in device recovery). https://preyproject.com/
Airport security updates
Getting through security in a timely manner can be a problem if you are unsure of the latest federal regulations. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s MY TSA app consolidates all the security details you need to know, along with updates on airport delays. Similarly, the Canadian Government has put out the Travel Smart Mobile Web App, which includes embassy contact info and border wait times.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/my-tsa-mobile-application
Flight information and more
Passbook is a resident app built into your IPhone and IPad device. The app will bring up-to-date flight information to the main screen of your device automatically once you are checked in. One swipe will recall your boarding pass. Passbook also stores account balances and information for movie tickets, retailers and loyalty cards.
Avoid texting fees
Staying in touch with clients, employees and family when out-of-country can be costly due to high text messaging fees. WhatsApp uses Wi-Fi to allow users to send text messages and group chats so that costly messaging fees don’t apply. The app costs $.99.
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/whatsapp-messenger/id310633997?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2
Overcome Language barriers
It’s so quick and easy to use. Google Translate is available as a straight Google web feature page for quick translation. The App itself is free and features more than 50 languages to choose from. While in destination, you can even speak English into your phone and have it spit out a translation in the local language. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/google-translate/id414706506?mt=8
And the travel app list continues…
Mark's Travel Journal 