January 21st, 2010 by Lookout Mobile
 Yesterday i returned from a nice holiday break overseas. Instead of posting a hundred pictures of me standing in front of various churches (available on request though), I thought it might be useful to post some details on how my iPhone fit into my holiday experience. Firstly, data is crazy expensive overseas > which meant no email > a good start. Apart from the usual games and random entertainment, offline Maps was really the key app for me. Data will cost you a lot overseas so using google maps on your phone is not an option. The various offline maps applications made it a whole lot easier and I can’t imagine how I did it in the past… standing on every corner with an A2 foldout trying to work out where the hell i was. Parlez-vous anglais?
I am sure there a lot of other great apps for travellers, but here are a few of my favourite applications over the last 6 weeks:
- oMaps (link) – ($2.49 AU) - probably my most used application. Using a WiFi connection, you select on a map the region to download. Once done, you can use this map the same way you would use google maps, including GPS, digital compass & adding placemarks etc. The compass made this even better by helping me get my orientation when working out where to next. I found this one extremely useful for all the cities i visited. For the small price, users can download unlimited maps so you can cover all of your destinations with the 1 purchase.
- XE (link) – (FREE) – run of mill currency conversion application. There may be better ones out there, but this was free and served its purpose nicely.
- Cricket Game (link) – ($1.19) – I’m not the biggest cricket fan, but for some reason I am quite addicted to this game, and during those boring airport waits I honed my skills and became extraordinarily good at this game. Expert difficulty level, 300 runs, 20 overs… easy.
- Scrabble (link) – ($5.99) – The old classic. If you are travelling with someone who also has an iPhone, this game is great. Play against each other and get beaten every time like I did. Note that if you play vs computer, it definitely cheats.
- London Tube (link) – ($1.19) – As the name suggests, tube map for london. Also covers busses i think and a journey planner. There are apps like this for most countries and always useful.
- World Nomads French Language guide (link) – (FREE) – For those important times…. No boeuf cru s’il vous plaît (no raw beef please)
I tried a few of the more popular iPhone guide books… Lonely Planet, Wallpaper etc… but to be honest i found them to be pretty average, especially for the hefty price tag. There is a whole travel category in the app store so its certainly worth browsing before your next trip.
Comments (1)
|
|
Lonely Planet’s apps are pretty good, and a lot lighter than a book. I used the Rome app last year, the maps and the basic Italian phrases were great.
Comment by Primrose — May 10, 2010 @ 10:22 pm