Deebashree Mohanty tells you about some applications that make you travel safe & smart
When it comes to travel, people prefer to be tech comfy — a word coined by technology enthusiasts who suggest the use of technology friendly gadgets while one is on the go. “It’s not possible for us to lug around different gadgets for different purposes. If there is one smart gadget that could solve our problems nothing else could make us happier,” lula Mohanty, vice president, IBM Bangalore, says. She tells you that as a corporate, she needs to travel around the globe and her smartphone with umpteen features is her only saving grace.
Apart from smartphones that could well do the trick, there are many travel friendly applications that could come in handy. Available either on the Apple store or Google play, these travel-based apps are best sellers.
First, there is a Trapster app that alerts you about speed traps, red light and speed cameras, accidents and other roadway hazards. This is useful when you are driving in uncharted territory. Available across all browsers, this app is absolutely for free. “The Trapster saves a lot of your time because you don’t need to stop for directions. Also this app makes you aware of the roads that you are going to meet ahead. The fact that it can give you real time traffic details makes this an awesome find,” Charu Mohan who works for Webshutney.com, tells you.
Then comes the Opera Mini browser that makes Internet surfing and viewing simple and cost effective. “The Opera Mini browser shrinks down data to as little as 10 per cent of its original size, so webpages load super-quick, saving you lots of money. And, Opera Mini does all this without compromising the look and feel of your favorite websites,” Sunil Kamath, vice president, South Asia, Opera, tells you. He adds that very soon they are going to launch an Opera experience for the Android phones.
“We have included a new feature to make it even easier to discover new content, called Discover. We wanted to give people a relaxed way of discovering interesting articles and checking them out without any extra effort. We have also included features such as Off-Road feature, which will get you out of even the most sluggish of sluggishly networks, all over the world and save on data costs,” Kamath says.
There is Packing (+to do) App that is also gaining its popularity among travellers. This helps you keep your packing under control. This app lets you create, edit and share packing lists, as well as providing sample lists, if you don’t want to start from scratch.
For those of you who are uncertain about travel bookings, worry not. With the Room 77 app that finds the lowest rates on more than 130,000 hotels worldwide, your task has just gotten simpler.
Then there is the Skype Wi-Fi app that gets you online with more than one million Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, using Skype credit.
Stay.com lets you create your own travel guide for sights, restaurants, bars and hotels in hundreds of cities worldwide, based on expert suggestions, as well as recommendations from your friends.
All this and much more to make you travel light, smart and tension free. Just log on and get your app!