As a busy traveler, you confront challenges daily. Flight schedules change. Traffic backs up, and you want to reassure your client you’ll be at the meeting. About that No. 5 on the foreign restaurant menu -- is that shellfish? Software programs developed for your PC can help in these situations. Not surprisingly, your brainy smartphone can do many of the same tricks.
Orbitz
Find the best prices for airline flights, hotels and car rentals with Orbitz Worldwide Inc.’s Orbitz website. The site automatically updates for price changes as they become available. Orbitz supports both standard-sized Web browsers for PC and notebook computers and custom-formatted mobile sites for any Web-enabled phone, making Orbitz accessible for Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry users. In addition to the website, Orbitz produces apps for mobile devices running Android and iOS operating systems; these mobile apps are available as free downloads.
Microsoft Streets and Trips
Microsoft’s Streets and Trips is an interactive PC-based trip-planning program. Streets and Trips includes a built-in map database, so an Internet connection is not necessary for trip planning, although the software occasionally downloads updates for construction and other route changes. The software includes estimated travel times, scenery and road types, so you can customize your experience for efficiency or pleasure. Streets and Trips costs $40; download a free 60-day trial from Microsoft’s website. An optional $70 version includes a GPS locater that plugs into your computer’s USB port. Streets and Trips runs only on Windows 7 and other recent Windows editions.
FlightTrack
Mobiata’s FlightTrack mobile app displays flight information, updating in real time. The main display shows a map of the flight’s departure and destination points, its current location and estimated time of arrival. The software tracks international as well as domestic flights and sports a database of over 5,000 airports and 1,400 airlines. The app costs about $5 and is available for Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7 and iOS devices.
Babylon 9
Babylon Ltd.’s Babylon 9 software translates text in 33 languages, including Russian, Chinese, Italian and Spanish. The translation screen has two text boxes, one for the user's native language and one for the resulting translation. Babylon 9 includes a dictionary for defining words and their grammatical uses. The software supports Windows 7 and Mac OSX. Babylon Ltd. sells the service as a subscription for $10 per month or $110 for a lifetime license. Babylon has free support via email, live chat and telephone. Access Babylon's Live Translation Community for more help with language issues. Babylon also offers free mobile apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android smartphones.
Glympse
The free Glympse mobile app by Glympse Inc. lets you notify others of your current location. You do this by sending your friend or colleague an email or text message containing a Web link. When your friend clicks on the link, she sees a real-time animated map showing where you are and your current speed. Your smartphone continually updates the main Glympse computer of your location. You can set a time limit on each Glympse message, after which it expires, so your location remains private at other times. Glympse is available for iOS devices, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7.
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