Smartphone technology has revolutionized the way people use their phones. (Photograph by Chris Camburides, My Shot)

Travel Intelligence: Come On, Get Appy

October 30, 2012
5 min read

Forget the Swiss Army knife.

Equip your smartphone with these eight apps to be the most intelligent traveler around:

WorldMate: The 24/7 travel agent

WorldMate: a travel agent at your fingertips. (Photograph courtesy WorldMate Inc.)

Organize every detail of your trip, from airline schedules to hotel itineraries. Find destination-specific info, enlist the help of its currency converter and tip calculator, and get directions. Bonus: Syncs to your social network. (iPhone and Android, free)

ProCamera: The darkroom

Fine tune your photos and videos with separate focus and exposure controls for each, so you can easily eliminate washed-out backgrounds. It also has a timer and solid lighting choices. Bonus: Comes with a QR code reader, which scans matrix bar codes. (iPhone only, $2.99)

Google Translate: The interpreter

Google Translate: a boon for international understanding. (Photograph courtesy Google)

Translate text between 64 languages with the top-rated translation app. Bonus: Interprets speech fairly accurately for 17 languages, including Arabic, Russian, and German. Remember to speak clearly for best results. (iPhone and Android, free)

Skype: The global phone plan

Turn your Internet connection into a phone or videoconferencing device. Using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, message or call another Skype user for free, or call a phone for a small fee (varies by country). Bonus: Delivers clear voice quality. (iPhone and Android, free)

Tadaa: The photo projector

Apply sophisticated filters and borders, then share them quickly with your friends. This HD app emphasizes photography as art, so that moody shot of the Brooklyn Bridge is sure to get a string of comments. Bonus: It’s faster and easier than Instagram. (iPhone only, free)

Weather Live: The crystal ball

Get a handle on the day ahead with WeatherLive. (Photograph courtesy Apalon)

Stay tuned to the local weather while on the go. This app displays only the information you need and senses when you’ve changed location. Animations illustrate real-time conditions. Bonus: An icon gives the current temp, making wardrobe decisions a snap. (iPhone only, $1.99)

World Clock: The time-zone buster

Monitor the current time in up to eight different places at once. Scroll through a world map that shows day and night (plus sunrise and sunset times). Bonus: With an Internet connection, the time is accurate within less than a second — or the app alerts you if the time is off. (iPhone only, $1.99)

Web MD: The mobile ER

Check symptoms by body parts on ills ranging from dehydration to toe pain, useful when you’re trying to determine if or when to put a hold on sightseeing to seek treatment. You can also identify pills by shape and color, and read up on drug side effects. Bonus: Emergency first aid tips are accessible even while offline. (iPhone and Android, free)

This article appears in the Travel Intelligence manual in the the latest issue of Traveler, on newsstands now. Like what you see? Buy the whole issue for your iPad.

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