Turn Your Phone Into A Subway Card

by Jeremy Kressmann on

If you’ve ever visited one of the more technologically advanced Asian metropolises like Tokyo or Hong Kong, you’re probably already familiar with the easy-to-use technology called RFID. It works like this – instead of paying cash for a bus or subway fare, you hold up a simple plastic card (or a chip embedded in your cellphone) to the ticket gate, and voila! You’ve paid and gotten on your way without pulling a dime out of your wallet.

Wouldn’t it be great if that same technology worked back in the USA, dear reader? Well, now you too can embed an RFID reader inside your fancy iPhone, thanks to a little creative hacking and a DIY company called Adafruit Industries. Using a relatively inexpensive tool kit sold by the company, they’ve put together the nifty video above showing how to install your very own RFID card for use with your iPhone. Not all cities have RFID payment systems, but an increasing number of American cities accept it on their mass transit systems. Care to give it a try? Check out the video above for a tutorial.

Japanese Firm Unveils Bomb-Detecting Departure Gate

by Jessica Festa on




Thanks to a new piece of technology created by Japanese firm Hitachi, airline passengers may soon by scanned for bombs as they swipe their boarding pass.

It is the world’s first explosive detecting departure gate, and works by blowing a puff of air on each passenger’s hand as they swipe their ticket. The air is then sucked back inside the machine along with any small particles from the person’s hand. In one to two seconds, the machine is able to read if the person has recently been in contact with any explosives.

“This allows screening of all passengers and can make air travel safer,” Mr. Minoru Sakairi told news.com.au.

The invention works well for detecting people who have non-metal-based bombs hidden on them. If it passes further testing, the machine will be used in addition to already in-place safety measures.

[Image via Hitachi]

Google Invites Us On A Field Trip With New App

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week, tech giant Google released an interesting new Android app called Field Trip that cleverly combines Internet search and GPS services to deliver location specific information to users. The app, which runs in the background on compatible devices, uses alerts to suggest things to see and do in the immediate vicinity around the person using it. Those suggestions can include such things as places to eat or drink, where to catch a show or event, special deals and a whole lot more.

Field Trip taps into databases maintained by companies such as Thrillist, Zagat, Curbed and Yesterland to help make suggestions that may be of interest to the user. Those suggestions can come as frequently or as seldom as you’d like and appear on the screen in the form of a card that presents relevant information about the location or event.

The potential for this app while wandering around our home cities is great of course, as it is always fun to discover new locations and hidden gems that aren’t far from home. But Field Trip sounds like it could be a fantastic option for travelers who enjoy strolling around a new destination while organically discovering unique venues and other points of interest. While the early version of this app is a bit rough around the edges, it does hold a lot of potential for becoming a virtual tour guide in the future.

Field Trip is absolutely free and available now on Google Play store. An iPhone version is in the works and should be available soon.


10 Smartphone Apps For Business Travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Traveling for business can be stressful. Juggling clients and projects away from your desk with unreliable Wi-Fi, especially in an unfamiliar city, will make you wish you had some serious help. For assistance on the road, check out these 10 apps for business travelers.

TripIt

The first step to getting work done efficiently while traveling is to be organized. TripIt allows you to forward your flight, hotel, car rental, tour confirmations and travel information to one place and creates an easy-to-read trip itinerary for you. You’ll also be able to add maps, travel notes, photos and recommendations.

Evernote

Evernote started as an easy way to take notes, and transformed into a tool for users to always remember their brilliant ideas. Notes can be saved as text, pictures, audio files, websites and more, and is sorted into notebooks, which can be efficiently tagged. And coming in December, the app will be adding new tools for businesses.

Dropbox

One of the biggest hassles when traveling is not having access to your files. Dropbox solves this problem by creating a place where you and your coworkers can save and access shared text, audio and video files. No longer is it necessary to email yourself or attach files.JetSet Expenses

While on the road, it can be difficult to keep track of what you’re spending. JetSet Expenses allows users to track expenses, create expense reports and get paid in a timely manner. It’ll help you save money, and reports can be sent directly to your boss.

Wi-Fi Finder

To do work, you’re often going to need Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Finder uses GPS to find hotspots. Additionally, you can download locations offline if you’re not going to have good cell service.

QuickOffice

QuickOffice‘s mobile app allows users to view, edit and exchange Microsoft Word and Excel documents, as well as PowerPoint Presentations. You’ll also be able to get and send files from the cloud quickly and efficiently.

Asana

Asana, a “shared task list for your team,” allows for you to create and collaborate with coworkers. Make and assign job duties, add due dates, view projects and make edits in real-time.

AwardWallet

Many business travelers have a large reserve of points and miles. AwardWallet keeps track of your loyalty programs, frequent flier miles, hotel and credit card points, allowing you to view and manage them all in one place.

FormMobi

FormMobi is useful for when you want to create personalized forms, film out and sign documents and store data that can be shared with your team. With the option to drag form elements you want, making your own is simple, and photos and voice notes can be added at anytime.

HoursTracker

While traveling, you’ll often be accounting for your own work and hours. HoursTracker allows you to choose between manually inputting your hours or setting a timer. You can track your hours and overtime in the app, as well as send the timesheet to your boss.

[flickr image via Johan Larsson]

Google And Boingo Provide Free Wi-Fi For Travelers, As Long As They’re Not Using An iPhone

by Kraig Becker on

Finding wireless Internet access on the go can be a real challenge at times, particularly if you’re not in the mood to pay an exorbitant fee. But if you’re traveling between now and the end of the month, your search for free access may have just gotten easier thanks to Google Play and Boingo. That is, provided you’re not trying to use an iPad or iPhone.

Yesterday, the two companies announced that they are joining forces to provide free Wi-Fi at more than 4000 Boingo hotspots across the country through the end of September. The locations that will receive this free Internet access include dozens of hotels, restaurants and cafes, as well as malls, subway stations and 15 airports, including JFK and Chicago O’Hare.

This isn’t the first time Google and Boingo have teamed up in this way, but there is a slight difference this go around. It seems that iPhones and iPads, as well as Windows Phones, are being left out of the gratis Internet party. Yesterday’s press release clearly states, “Android phones and tablets, as well as Windows and Macintosh laptops, will be offered complimentary Wi-Fi” as part of the sponsorship program. The specific mention of Android products seems to indicate that the hotspots will be filtering based on device, preventing gadgets from Apple and Microsoft from connecting to the network.

As Android has grown in prominence, Google and Apple have begun to clash more directly in the mobile space. The two companies are now direct competitors with one another and by locking iOS devices out of the free Wi-Fi program, Google is telling users that if they had an Android device they could come to the party too. This short-term promotion isn’t likely to convince mobile users to switch to Android, but it is a subtle jab none the less.

For their part, Apple is being even more aggressive. Later today they’ll announce the next iPhone and the release date of its new operating system. That version of iOS will ship without YouTube, Google Maps or any other kind of built-in Google services as the two companies look to divorce themselves of one another as much as possible.