Lonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Experiences for the iPad – free for three days only!

by Scott Carmichael on

Lonely Planet has been in a really generous mood this year – back in April, they gave away all their European iPhone city guides to help stranded volcanic ash passengers, and now they are giving away their most popular iPad app.

1000 Ultimate Experiences is exactly what the name describes – a guide with 1000 of the best experiences in the world, in an app that takes full advantage of the iPad. With 100’s of photos, full screen video clips and more, there is no better way to sit back and find your next ultimate vacation destination.

Everything is neatly split into sections like strangest museums, ultimate sailing trips or classic campervan routes. You’ll find the app in the app store and the folks at Lonely Planet do ask that you leave a review of the app to help spread the word.

New TripAdvisor iPhone app makes finding reviews on the go a lot easier

by Scott Carmichael on

There is no denying that TripAdvisor has become one of the go-to sources of hotel, restaurant and attraction reviews. So, if you have an iPhone (or iPod), check out the newest TripAdvisor app and get your reviews on the go.

The app is very easy to use, and makes finding reviews a beeze – based upon your location, or a manually entered location.

Best of all – you can write your own reviews right on your device, which means you no longer have to wait till you get home so post some praise (or a complaint).

Another handy feature inside the new app is a flight finder – obviously not the first on the iPhone, but I am always happy to see an app go beyond its main purpose. Flight information comes from a variety of sources – including Travelocity, Expedia and Vayama, best of all, the booking process stays right inside the TripAdvisor app.

You’ll find the new (free) app in the App store. A similar version is also available for the Palm Pre, and an Android version is “coming soon”.

%Gallery-93746%

Google maps adds bicycle navigation feature on Android phones

by Scott Carmichael on

Google Maps with navigation is one of the more powerful selling points of the Android platform. The navigation features within Google Maps are absolutely fantastic – but best of all, they are free.

This afternoon, Google issued a market update that adds bicycle directions to its app. This means you can now get driving, walking, public transit and cycling directions from within Google maps.

To get the new features, just allow Google Maps to download its update and pick your transportation method in the navigation screen. Of course, you may want to invest in a bike mount for your phone. At the moment, bike directions are only available within US based maps, but knowing Google, this may make its way abroad pretty soon.

Other new features include the ability to share your location through email, messaging or Twitter (in addition to Google Latitude) and a new quick-launch navigation icon for your program launcher.

New mobile app helps you find the hippest hotels in town – StayHIP

by Scott Carmichael on

Mobiata (the company behind the excellent TripDeck, HotelPal and FlightTrack Pro) just unleashed their newest creation – StayHIP. This app is the first mobile hotel application designed specifically for booking boutique hotels.

Like HotelPal, StayHIP allows you to search and book rooms without leaving the app or having to phone in your reservation. To start a search, you pick dates, number of guests, location and what kind of hotel you are looking for. The location can be entered manually, or selected based upon your current position.

Since boutique hotels specialize in themes, you can then pick from things like artsy, beach, chic, romantic and intimate.

Hotel results are displayed with a good variety of photos (and videos), a comprehensive description, and a list of available amenities. In the next step, you are presented with all the available room types, as well as their price.

Once you have selected a room, you simply enter your personal information and payment method and the reservation is finalized. Once booked, you can even share your reservation with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

StayHIP is available for the iPod Touch, iPhone and Android devices. To get StayHIP on your Apple device, click this link (iTunes link). Android users can scan the barcode on the right, or search for StayHIP in the Android Market.

StayHIP was developed by Mobiata along with TRAVELCLICK and is free of charge.

%Gallery-92696%

Fry’s Electronics and Verizon Wireless offer no-contract broadband hotspot plan

by Scott Carmichael on

The United States has always lagged in prepaid and no-contract mobile broadband plans. Especially when you compare things to Europe, where you can walk into any phone store, and walk out with a cheap USB data adapter.

As of today, we may actually be ahead – way ahead. According to an article on Phonenews.com, Fry’s Electronics has entered the mobile broadband world with a $49.95/month no-contract plan.

The plan offers 5GB of data each month, on par with all other operators. What makes this plan special is that it comes with the Verizon Wireless MiFi adapter. This mobile broadband to Wi-Fi device allows any Wi-Fi enabled device to connect to the nationwide Verizon 3G network. Best of all – the MiFI is on sale at Fry’s for just $69.95 – which is $200 cheaper than the normal no-contract price.

Access to mobile broadband at this price point is perfect for travelers, though it’ll only be interesting for those that can actually visit a Fry’s store, which rules out most of the East Coast. More information on the Fry’s MiFi can be found here, and all the information you need on the access plan is posted at Phonenews.