Dec.
4/09

Mobile Travel Apps

Oh, they’re coming fast and furious these days, apps for your iPhone, BlackBerry, and other mobile

devices that help make travel just a little bit easier.

Some apps scrape info from existing websites or even take the ultra-lazy route and cull the data from an online directory. Others start from scratch and offer pithy comments along with insider knowledge.

Disclaimer: I’m currently creating content for a new iPhone app, Charleston for Foodies, and so my radar is turned towards everything down this road, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why waste your time with the bad? Here are a few of the standouts:

*The Speereo Voice Translator is a 16-language phrasebook with a voice database where native speakers read each phrase out loud. Additional features include detailed guides, maps and more.

*If you’re heading to Boston, an iPhone application called “Walking Cinema: Murder on Beacon Hill” covers a one-mile stretch of the neighborhood and tells the story of the famous 1849 murder of George Parkman, one of Beantown’s wealthiest gentlemen at the time. The app was converted from the PBS documentary “Murder at Harvard.” Download it in the Apple Store or get more information at www.parkmanmurder.com.

*TripCase is a free app for the BlackBerry and iPhone – coming soon via Windows Mobile — that helps users stay organized and connected while traveling. Its location-based push messaging helps travelers by providing them with the following:

One-click access to important trip details and notes;
Automatically importing trip details from thousands of travel partners, or manually adding flights, hotels and rental car information;
Up-to-the-minute notifications about flight delays, cancellations and gate changes, security wait times, and hotel and car rental status alerts
The ability to share travel experiences, information, photos and plans with family, friends and colleagues

*PrimoSpot is an iPhone and Android app that provides real-time guidance on where to find on-street parking in New York and Boston — with more cities on the way — while also comparing garage parking and prices and assistance in locating bike racks. They also provide details on how to decipher local parking regulations.