Hey everybody, this Saturday on my weekly CNN segment I showed a few apps and a device for travel, especially since the travel season is about to kick in. So here is my expanded list of Top 7 apps and gadgets for travel. Why 7? Felt like even numbers are boring. Take a peek, let us know whats on your fav list in the comments.
1. LOST PHONE APPs: Losing your smartphone while on vaca is the worst. I remember when this happened to me at CES 2010 in Las Vegas, I thought for sure I’d never see my phone and any of the data on it again. To help you find your lost phone quick take a look at these apps:
Wavesecure: $19 per yr (android, bberry, windows)
Find My iPhone: Free for iphone
2. WEATHER APPS – An obvious category BUT there are different apps to choose from. My 2 favorites are Weather Channel & Weatherbug both do a great job at extended forecasts and severe weather alerts. I personally feel (especially on the iPad) that the Weather Channel app is much easier to use and has a much cleaner look, easier to find things not to mention some video from the channel. If you are a real weather-watcher like my son then you should take a look at the Weather Channels “Max plan” it costs $3.99 and has add-ons like beach conditions & future radar.
3. FUEL SAVING APP:
The ling-standing leader in this area is GasBuddy: FREE (android, iphone, windows) This app will allow you to search for gas prices near you. Perfect while you are travelling (those gallons add up) or even if you’re just trying to save some bucks while around town. I didn’t realize until I started using this app that gas prices can vary around 20-35 cents per gallon.
4. PHOTO APPS:
A trip wouldn’t be complete without photos, just ask my family they get soooo tired of me always asking them for poses and candid shots, but a few days later the wife is like “awww thanks honey” & I’m like I know, I know – I’m the man right? Anyway back to the apps. If you shoot alot of photos with your phone take a look at Photoshop Express, its Free (Android & iPhone) and offers simple photo editing right on your phone. Crop, Rotate, Filters, Effects etc.. if you want some additional features take a look at their Camera Pack it’s $3.99 and you buy that from within the Photoshop Express app – the Camera Pack will give you things like self-timer so you can sit the phone down and get your self in the shot and some other features that help you clear up the “noise” in the photo.
Pano app: $1.99 – I LOVE this app for panoramic photos, there are many other apps that do this too, but this is the one I tend to like. You take multiple shots and then stitch them together great for those scenic views you want to capture.
5. FIND THINGS TO DO & EAT APPS:
There are wayyyy too many apps that can help you locate places to eat, drink, activities, tours etc… So instead of listing each one I just threw a ton of must-have apps right here for you. Yelp!, Viator – book a helicopter tour :-), Kayak – for hotels etc…, Gate Guru – great app for air travel, Trapster – for car travel–traffic camera alerts, road hazards etc…
TRAVEL GADGETS:
6. Tablet Headrest mounts – $50-$100 several out there to choose from so do some research, this one is by Vogels called Ring-O. Advantages to tablet headrests is that they are easy to setup, no install needed and they are portable from car to car, oh and inexpensive compared to installing a headrest with video.
