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Top 10 iPod Applications For Travelers And Expats
2009-11-30
by Sarah Novak
Disclaimer: Sarah is an expat woman living in Manila, The Philippines, who is in love with her iPod. She confirms that she is not connected to Apple whatsoever.
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We
all know that having the right tools is critical for success in any
endeavor. When you travel or live overseas though, having the right
tools becomes essential to completing your daily tasks. While you may
be familiar with more traditional resources like guide books and maps,
I wanted to share with you how to leverage up-and-coming iPod
technology to smooth out those rough points in your overseas
adventures.
I am focusing on Apple's iPod
applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, because I absolutely love
iPod applications and see how iPod applications can make life easier
for so many of us. However, with thousands of applications available to
download, the task of finding the right applications can be daunting,
so after some online research, here is my list of the top ten
applications for travelers and expats...
Background On iTunes Applications
The applications referenced are either free or can be purchased
(typically ranging in price up to US$14.99) from the iTunes store and
uploaded to any iPod Touch or iPhone. (Unfortunately, traditional iPods
like the Basic, Nano or Shuffle do not use applications.)
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The Top 10
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1.
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iMetro
- US$1.99 to upload. This application provides metro maps for 28
cities around the world, ensuring that you do not need to waste your
precious money on taxi fares. The metro maps are scalable, so you can
zoom in or out to find your way. There are quite a few metro apps out
there, but I like this one best because of the large number of maps
that you get for the low cost. Another bonus: The price recently fell
from US$4.99 to US$1.99.
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2.
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Sit or Squat -
Free. This user-maintained database identifies free toilets that you
can use around the world. To date, over 65,000 toilets have been
identified by users. All you need to do is enter the nearest address,
city, zip code or intersection and it will pull up a list of the
nearest toilets. Note: You can check out the great reviews and
comments for each toilet on their website.
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3.
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Gate Maps
- US$0.99 to upload. This app provides airport terminal layouts for
over 30 International Airports. It is an application that runs
offline, which means there will not be any charges for uploading data
overseas. Savvy travelers know to check the map of their arrival
airport in-flight so that they can speed off to their destination upon
landing. There is nothing better than knowing where you are going in
advance.
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4.
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Flight Track Pro
- US$9.99 to upload. This Application integrates withTripIt, saving
your flight itineraries to the app. Flight Track Pro then keeps you
up-to-date on delays, gate changes, cancellations and more. The
offline mode allows you to check your most recent flight details
without the use of Wi-Fi. A bit expensive for an app, but just think
of the headaches it could save you. Well worth it, in my book...
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5.
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Packing Pro
- US$3.99 to upload. This handy packing check-list will make sure that
you do not end up in the Caribbean without a swimsuit! Create your own
list from scratch or work from one of several custom templates.
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6.
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Spend
- US$0.99 to upload. Love, love, love this app! It absolutely solves
the problem of how to keep track of all the daily cash transactions
that occur on vacation or in everyday life overseas. Now you have a
top-notch tool not only for accounting, but for budgeting as well.
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7.
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Wifi Trak - US$0.99 to upload. This handy app locates free Wi-Fi signals nearby. Perfect for the traveler on the move.
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8.
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HiConverter
- US$0.99 to upload. This fantastic conversion tool incorporates all
the usual bells and whistles such as temperature, currency exchange
rates, distance, etc. It also includes the features of the popular app
Tipulater which allows you to calculate the tip on a bill. Oh
wait, did I mention that it also includes a few surprises like clothing
and shoe size conversions?
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9.
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Lingolook Flashcards -
US$4.99 to upload. These fabulous flashcards list 500 translations of
the most common words travelers need to know to get around, all in an
easy-to-use flashcard format (100 actual cards). Bonus: 300 of the
translations come with an audio clip from a native speaker to help you
perfect the pronunciation. The cards are available in 7 languages:
Spanish, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi and German. The
hands-down best part of this app is that it lives in the phone and
requires no data transmissions overseas.
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10.
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Lonely Planet City Guides -
US$15.99 to upload. Just in case you do not feel like lugging the big
guide book anymore... you can download a Lonely Planet CityGuide for
$15.99 and you can access 1 of 20 major cities. Designed as a
stand-alone application, this program does not require a data download,
saving you roaming charges. It is GPS-enabled though so you can find
your location on the application 's city maps. Amazing what innovation
can do!
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Good luck with your new iPod apps!
Sarah Novak, MBA, CPCC is a Certified Professional Coach and founder of Envision Life Coaching.
As a Global Lifestyle Coach, Sarah works with spouses of expats and
diplomats to reclaim their identity after moving to a new country or
repatriating. Sarah authors a blog titled Inspired Overseas Living that
is full of resources, tools and inspiration for expats and diplomats.
Sarah has been an Apple IPod fan since 2007 when she received her
first iPod Touch as a Christmas gift.
http://www.expatwomen.com/tips/top_10_ipod_applications_travelers_expats.php
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