The lives and discoveries of Christopher Columbus and Aaron Rolston (of 127 hours fame) would have been something else if they, one, had a smartphone and two, read this article before they set out on their respective journeys. Rama Sreekant tells you how to make your smartphone your travel buddy with these five must-have travel apps when you are on-the-go
1. Fotopedia Heritage: If a picture is worth a thousand words then Fotopedia can probably replace the Oxford Dictionary. This app was recently selected as one of the top 50 apps of all time in Apple’s new Hall of Fame. With 30,000 breathtaking photos, this app is touted as the world’s largest photo book, an inspiring travel guide, an entertaining teaching device and even a bed-time relaxation tool.
Created in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Fotopedia Heritage provides a virtual passport to the hundreds of sites that constitute the world’s collective cultural and natural human legacy. This app is available on the iOS platform and not on Android.
2. Google Translate: Never mess with the law and the language of any land! While we may not be able to help you with the first, there is help at hand for the second one.
So, you are in Cambodia and looking for the marketplace. But Khmer (the local language) is what you are struggling with? Break that language barrier with the Google Translate app. A free app that translates text between more than 70 langauges, the good news is—you don’t need a network connection. Also, it can directly translate speech and is recommended by reviewers as one of the best pronunciation apps, while travelling. The app now provides handwriting support for 48 languages, though Hindi is the only Indian language supported at the moment.
3. Tripadvisor: Advice always comes free. And so does the one at Tripadvisor. With over 70 million reviews, opinions and recommendations by travellers, you’ll find the best places to eat, drink, shop and play here. It gives you access to lots of real travellers' reviews to make informed decisions on the places you're likely to book. You can also use the Trip Advisor forums to check out advice that other travellers have given about the destination you're intending on visiting. There's a built-in flight checker too. So log on and don’t let anyone else take your trip!
4. Free wi-fi finder: 2,000,000 users! That says it all. Why pay for Wi-Fi when there might be a free Wi-Fi spot near you? The Free Wi-Fi locator helps you find free Wi-Fi hotspots where ever you are. Every search result will list the name and address of the establishment where they can be found, whether it is free or paid and who the hotspot provider is. In a number of cases the phone number for the establishment is provided as well. With a simple tap of the icon you can see locations near you.
5. Expensify: It has been on the numero uno spot of every business traveller’s smartphone—an app that logs expenses, captures receipt images and manages your finances on-the-go. You can use this app to sync with your credit cards and bank account to track all your purchases. For any purchases that are made with cash or are not eligible for eReceipts, turn your phone in to a receipt scanner by snapping a picture of the receipt! The app will SmartScan the image and pull out the merchant, date and amount of the transaction.
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