At first this really annoyed me. Not being an owner of any such technology, I couldn’t understand why on Earth these people more absorbed by their gadgets (let’s just call them all, collectively, “gadgets”) than the destination they are at. Why weren’t their eyes lifting from the screens to see where they were?!
It turns out that they probably weren’t being as ignorant as I had impulsively thought. Each one of their gadgets offer countless apps that are designed to help globetrotters, adventure seekers, and even casual or business travelers through every step of their trip.
For instance: I am the worst navigator. If I were to have bought the Google Maps app, I would never have to give bad directions or wander aimlessly lost again! Paper maps may be helpful, but when you are going the wrong way, it is nice to have something tell you to “turn around!”
Sascha Sagen works as an analyst for PCmag, and spends his time reviewing new technologies and the apps they use. He likes to use the TripIt app to help manage his flights and reservations. This app keeps track of his confirmations and itineraries.
There is another app Sagen uses, TripCase, that helps to manage his entire itinerary and notify him of gate changes and flight delays. In his review of travel apps, he recommends using both TripIt and TripCase together, just to keep things from getting to overwhelming.
Once manage to get a location, there are apps to help travelers even more. The most basic being those that keep tabs on the weather. Weather channel apps, WeatherBug, or Accuweather, all know the local weather and can provide forecasts.
Yelp, Foursquare, and Zagat apps help travelers find places to go. While Zagat is famous for its restaurant reviews, Yelp and Foursquare review restaurants as well as local businesses. An added bonus to these apps is that the reviews are from ordinary people with no affiliation to the businesses.
Some businesses even offer special deals for Foursquare members.
A few apps that a ran across when shopping for apps that I have no devices for made me laugh at first glance. They are completely practical, but I commend those who thought to create them:
TippingTips promotes itself as “Tip like a local, all around the globe.” This app takes into account that not all cultures tip the same and will help users act appropriately.
Mo’s Nose app locates areas around any US town that is dog friendly, including restaurants.
PrimoSpot helps drivers find open and affordable parking in cities. They also help find bike racks.
SitOrSquat. This seemed ridiculous to me at first, but this app helps users find public bathrooms and almost any city. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense as a useful app. If you are not familiar with an area, how are you supposed to know where bathrooms are?!
Even if you are like me, without an iPod or smartphone, you can text a question to 46645 and get the top listings from Google.
This only scratches the surface of apps that have been designed to help travelers have better experiences. There are hosts of other apps to help translate or provide first aid in an emergency.
No matter what travelers are searching for to make their trips more enjoyable (Hotels, better food, or just a place to relieve their bladders), technology has been keeping up to try and make that happen.
I love your voice that comes through in your entries! You have a lot of personal experience, which I think speaks volumes to your credibility (in a “been there, done that” sort of way which is helpful to relate to and makes me trust you because I have not “been there”). Also, your honesty about your experiences and willingness to admit you were wrong (such as your annoyance at people on their gadgets and the discovery that they may have been using them to help them navigate). I think this also establishes a lot of credibility because now I also know that you are willing to admit you were wrong and won’t just claim something is one way just because you say so ;) That being said, you do a good job of backing up your experiences with other sources—keep up that good work!
ReplyDeleteI’m looking forward to hearing more travel stories! I would encourage you to try to incorporate personal experiences as much as possible. You may even want to start out your entries with these stories and then move in to explaining your entry topic.
You’re also doing a wonderful job of incorporating relevant images and your blog has a nice professional look. Adding videos for some entries would be a nice touch (for example, in this entry there could be a demo video on how one of the apps work). The links are also great!
Also, I love your creative title! :)
Can’t wait to read more!
Of all the blog posts I have read thus far, this was my favorite. I can relate directly to it and I feel that you relate to the topic as well. Some of the applications that you mention, I actually use. As for the others, I should check them out!
ReplyDeleteThe design of your blog is great. The pictures break up the text in a way that makes it seem shorter and the reader feels like they are getting somewhere.
The only thing I would add would be a video of some sort. This can give a person who doesn't want to read the entire article a way to still participate with your blog.