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Friday, March 20, 2009

12 Essential iPhone Applications for Travelers



Traveling has become an increasingly hi-tech affair in the past few years. iPhone applications cover a range of travel-conscious programs, some useful some not. Here is a list of the best apps available for travelers looking to get some help planning and managing a good trip.

Money Matters

There are a lot of currency converter applications on the iTunes store. Here are a couple of them that are simple to use and very handy when you find yourself on foreign soil and need to make some quick calculations.

MoMPF Currency Converter - $0.99
With many free currency converters, why is MoMPF worth the 99 cents? Well, for one thing when you’re abroad, international data roaming can be expensive. This currency converter lets you store downloaded exchange rates for later use on over 30 different kinds of currencies.

ACTCurrency - $0.99
This is a fairly simple currency converter that becomes extremely useful when you are out of the country. More than 190 kinds of world currencies are available on this app. You can also manually enter other exchange rates if you want.

Checking Flight Status

When traveling, flight schedules change constantly. Staying updated on your flight status can help you plan your time better and keep your stress levels down. Here are a few apps that you can help you along.

Flight Status - $4.99
Check the status of your flight and thousands of others throughout the world. Search by flight number, route number, or by airport. Flight Status provides you with estimated times of arrival, take-off and landing, as well as maps for en route U.S. flights, delay information, baggage claim information and flight cancellations.

Flight Update - $4.99
Flight Update has a few unique features. In addition to tracking flight schedules and estimated times of arrival, take-off and landing, this app can retrieve flight details about flights scheduled sever months in the future. It can also give you meal info and allow you to view a plane’s seating charts.

Finding Places

Getting around in a new city can be hard. When you’re looking for the nearest restaurant, bank, or some other point of interest, here are some iPhone apps that might come in handy.

Yelp – Free
Yelp makes it easy to find the nearest restaurant, pub, gas station, or any other businesses of interest, via the iPhone’s built-in location finder. Yelp has quick-links you can tap to find nearby bars, cafés, and more. As you search you can read online reviews before you decide which place to go to.

AroundMe - Free
This free application provides the same benefits as Yelp and other business locators, but it has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces around. Around Me arranges businesses into comprehensive categories. Just tap on one to get started. You can also make a list of your favorites. You can see a listing’s location on a map and the easiest route to it.



LocalEats - $0.99
This is a locator that is specifically for finding local eateries in various U.S. cities. It has over 5,000 restaurant listings that you can search easily via a variety of categories, “Best Of” lists, and alphabetical order. You can also view user photos, read reviews and leave comments, among other things.

Urbanspoon - Free
Urbanspoon has a strange, slot-style interface that can be fun to use. The three “slot reels” show the name of the restaurant, the type of cuisine, and the price tag. Simply shake your iPhone and Urbanspoon will come up with a good restaurant for you to try. You can keep shaking ‘til you find one that suits you. You can also try searching the normal way.

Communicating with the Locals

If you are new to country’s language, having a phrasebook handy is essential to getting around. These two iPhone apps make it possible for you to carry around multiple language phrasebooks without the actual clunky, bound books.

Lonely Planet Phrasebooks - $9.99 (each)
These are downloadable version of Lonely Planet’s phrasebooks. They come in audio form, are easy to use, and have phrases arranged by categories of communication, such as transport and accommodations. Definitely worth the price tag.

Coolgorilla Talking phrasebooks - $0.99 (each)
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Lonely Planet phrasebooks, try iDev Entertainment’s “Talking” phrasebooks. At 99 cents each, these phrasebooks might not be as comprehensive, but they cover the basics: hundreds of phrases arranged by categories, a search feature, and audio so that you know exactly how the words are pronounced.

Finding Things to Do

If you’re away from home, it can take a while to figure out where things are happening. If you find yourself abroad and at a loss for something fun to do, these apps might be able to help.

Eventful – Free
Published by Eventful, Inc, this app lets you find information local events and concert venues. You can also get tour dates, share events with your friends, and petition for your favorite bands to come play at your town.

Near + Now – Free
This app lets you find the nearest clubs, bars and other places where you can grab a drink/be entertained. Read critic and user reviews, find out when happy hour is at a particular place and connect with Facebook. The more you use the app, the better it gets at making personalized suggestions for you.

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