iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Packing

Web: www.stevenfrischling.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

20/11/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Packing

Packing for a one day trip or a one-week trip is the same for me. I am slow, methodical and spent a considerable amount of time compiling what I need. Once I have assembled everything in front of me I spent an hour mumbling incoherently to myself as I remove items, add items and pack everything in my bag(s).

Departing is somewhat easy; it is the return that can be stressful. At the end of a short business trip, an assignment or a long vacation, travelers tend to pack at the last minute. Last minute packing often causes people to be forgetful and leave items behind.....this is where the iPhone 'App' Of The Week "Packing" comes in very handy.

Packing is simple to use. You set up a packing list for yourself. You add items to the list. As you pack those items you place a check mark next to them. Could it get any simpler?

Since downloading Packing I have used it to track a variety of packing situation. Since entering my 'Day Pack - Run Kit' I have chosen to permanently leave this packing list in my iPhone, as it is a fairly constant kit.

Packing allows you to view pre-created Sample Packing Lists, as well as create a list from a template, or creates lists from scratch. As a photographer, none of my packing set ups match any sample lists or templates, so I have been creating lists from scratch simply and quickly.

Using Packing is simple in practice. As I begin to put my gear and personal items away I take out my iPhone, open Packing, and scroll down my list checking off everything I have stowed away

Best of all for all travelers, the Packing 'App' is easy, functional, hard to lose (unless you lose your iPhone), not prone to bad handwriting, and can be easily edited.

Next time you sit down to print out your print-at-home boarding pass also take a moment to download Packing from the iTunes App Store.

Below are five screen shots of Packing (typos and all...)

Happy Flying!
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Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run

For years I had a habit of dropping, cracking and breaking phones that were on holsters on my belt. I prefer my phone be on my belt, however my camera would bang into the phone, my waist pack would open a holster flap, or the holster's Velcro was not sufficient enough to keep a phone in the case.

A little over a year ago while standing in the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, I found a the durable, reliable and versatile phone holster I have been searching for. This holster was the black Mountainsmith Amp, made from recycled materials. It is no secret that I like Mountainsmith's bags and packs, so when I found a mobile phone holster made by Mountainsmith I had to have one.

What separates this mobile phone holster from others is a few things
1: The Amp can be worn vertically or horizontally on your belt (I wear it horizontally)
2: The Amp has durable-&-stretchable neoprene size to allow it to fit many phones snuggly
3: The Amp has a lot of Velcro, which makes it very difficult to knock open
4: The Amp's stretchy neoprene keeps its shape, so should you knock it open you won't lose your phone.

My Amp was primarily used with a Motorola Razr V3, until I switched to the primarily using the Apple iPhone. While the Amp may appear to be too small for the iPhone, it fits it perfectly. When I travel internationally I switch back to the Razr to use local pre-paid SIM cards, and the Amp holds its shape to switch between the more slender Razr and wider iPhone. Most holsters would be to wide or two narrow to accommodate both phones, while Amp is ideal for both.

Having used the Amp in some very fast paced situations, where my phone holster is constantly being brushed, pushed and banged by a waist pack, belt-pouches or my camera gear, I have never had my phone drop out of the Amp.

The fact that the Amp is manufactured with recycled materials is just an added bonus. I strongly support recycling, the purchasing of carbon offsets when traveling and supporting those who choose to help the environment. So the Amp follows other items Mountainsmith manufactures using recycled products, such as the Tour and Day packs.

...........Mountainsmith may be discontinuing the Amp at the end of this season, so priced at only around US$10 each, you may want to snap them up now while you still can (I plan on stock piling half-a-dozen).

Below are five photos of my phones with the Mountainsmith Amp

Happy Flying!
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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Google Earth

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

30/10/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Google Earth

For quite some time people have enjoyed using Google Earth on their computers to check out various locations around the world.

I have been using Google Earth in conjunction with United Airlines as a fun way to search for fares, as I detailed back in January in this post: 09/01/08 - A Fun Way To Search For Airfare Specials

Google Earth is simple, you type in a location and Google Earth shows you an image of the area shot by satellite. I have used Google Earth for quite some time as a way to scout out locations. With Google Earth's ability to show you an area as broad as the entire planet and as narrow as local road makes it an ideal tool to map out where you are, where you are headed, where you want to go.

Having Google Earth on my iPhone allows me to stand in a location and get the big picture on angles I want to explore. Standing on a street corner in a city I don't know anywhere in the world, I can type in my location and find options for locations to create images. This new information found from Google Earth, in my hand, gives me a new perspective on images I can offer my clients.

For travelers who are just interested in where they are, or photographers seeking a real life, photographic image of the map in their hand, Google Earth is an indispensable tool and a vital iPhone App.

This is an iPhone App you should be downloading right now!

Below are six photos of Google Earth for iPhone locating the Eiffel Tower in Paris (its under all the blue boxes in the final photo)

Happy Flying!
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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : TSAwait

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

18/09/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : TSAwait

Last weeks' iPhone 'App' Of The Week was "FAAwait," I thought it only natural to follow up with the iPhone 'App' TSAwait.

TSAwait is a simple 'App' that lets you check average wait times for more than 600 security check point, at more than 400 commercial airports in the United States. The information on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport security check point times is updated typically more than once a week based on average wait time statistics, and I have found it quite accurate the majority of the time (there is no accounting for certain occurrences that slow everything down).

Using TSAwait is simple, once you launch the 'App' you can click "Update" to see if new statistics have been loaded, or click "Access" to begin searching the airports. Airports are broken down by terminal or security check point making it extremely easy to get an accurate view of your estimated wait time at a given security entrance point.

If you know your airport's code you can enter the three-letter airport code (ie: SFO = San Francisco Int'l Airport, HVN = New Haven, CT, Tweed Airport), or you can search for your airport by state code (ie: NY = New York, WY = Wyoming).

TSAwait is a handy tool to guess how much time you need to allow yourself to get to the airport and get through security to catch your flight. There are other 'Apps' that have airport security wait times, but I have found TSAwait to be the most user friendly, and currently the most frequently updated.

TSAwait will cost you a whopping US$0.99, but for those of you who don't want to break the bank you can also download TSAwait Lite....... that will give you access to 50 random U.S. airports, none of which may be of any help to you.

Below are six screen shots of TSAwait on my iPhone

Happy Flying!
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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

3/09/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook

With my enjoyment of Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook (which I reviewed *HERE*) I set out to find other language translation 'Apps' for my iPhone. While looking at a variety of language options, for not only the iPhone but also ink-and-paper phrase books and instructional software, I found myself downloading Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook.

Much like Lonely Planet's audio phrase books, Coolgorilla's talking phrasebooks are equally easy to scroll through to find the phrase you're looking for and effective in practice while on the road. The phrase categories are broken down into sub-categories. Inside each sub-category you'll find the phrase you are looking for. I was easily able to find the bathroom and explain that my baggage had not arrived while quickly scrolling through the Coolgorilla Talking French Phrasebook.

For those not comfortable in attempting to speak a foreign language (or in my case butchering a language) you can both find your phrase and show someone your comment/question in their native language or you can click the audio icon and play and audio clip of your comment/question. I generally attempt to speak (butcher) the language, but sometimes the audio clip is extremely helpful!

There is some overlap between both the Lonely Planet Audio Phrasebook and the Coolgorilla Talking Phrasebook, however they each have their own strengths, and in some areas there is no overlap in languages. Having used the Coolgorilla Talking French Phrasebook I'm now off to download the Coolgorilla Talking German Phrasebook as I start looking at a possible flight through Frankfurt, Germany.

Below are five photos that walk you through the steps of using Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook on your iPhone.

Happy Flying!

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29/08/2008- The Weekly Round Up : Fees Wipeout Surfers : Experimenting With Flying With Fish Video : iPhone App Of The Week

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

29/08/2008- The Weekly Round Up : Fees Wipeout Surfers : Experimenting With Flying With Fish Video : iPhone App Of The Week

This week was a 'short week' for me, as I spent most of this week in the hospital having surgery and recovering from surgery. My posts this week were posted in my absence by others, thanks! I'll be on my back a few more days, unable to move my head up-down or side-to-side, but with a project on the calendar for Sunday I had better heal quickly!

This week was primarily filled up with experimenting with Flying With Fish Video. For a few days this past weekend I had access to a Flip Video Camera so I decided to see what I could do. Having never really shot video in the past, and never put together a video piece in the past; I figured "what the heck" and shot a few quick segments. Some people find video very easy, I found there to be a steep learning curve with video, however I may play with this medium again and see what I can do with a little more time, and possibly a camera with better audio.

This weeks' three Flying With Fish Videos may be viewed in these three entries
25/08/2008 - Shooting Long Lenses With No Tripod At Slower Exposures While On The Road

26/08/2008 - Choosing Your Cameras For Traveling

28/08/2008 - Choosing Your Lenses When Traveling : Your Shoulders Will Thank You

Aside from these three experimental videos, this week I kicked off Flying With Fish discussing baggage fees that affect surfers. While surfers make up a minority of the flying public, the fees they are being saddled with are out of line and should be redirected at other flyers who's baggage weighs more, using more fuel and who could bring in a more consistent revenue stream. You can read up on the fees affecting flying surfers here:
23/08/2008 - Airline Fees For Surfboards Wipeout Traveling Surfers?

This week's iPhone 'App of the Week' is "Currency.' Looking for a simple foreign currency exchange rate converter for travel or quick currency conversion during business discussions? This may be the 'App' for you. You can check out 'Currency' in this post:
28/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Currency

Interested in discussing travel planning, tips, ideas and anecdotes with other travelers? Join Flying With Fish's "Travel_Planning" community on Live Journal. The community is free and easy to join and is open to first time travelers and seasons road warriors. The best information is shared information, which is the goal of the online Travel_Planning community.

That's it for this week...........Happy Flying!

iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Currency

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

28/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Currency

Not all useful iPhone 'Apps' have whiz-bang features and tons of options. Some very useful iPhone 'Apps' are straightforward, simple and singular in purpose, which is why this week I'll be discussing the simplistic nature of 'Currency.'

'Currency' is an exchange rate tool ideal for anyone who travels, or who needs to quickly review foreign currencies. The set-up of the Currency 'app' allows you to add and delete currencies and set a 'Master Currency' (mine is obviously set to US$)

The one function the iPhone Currency 'App' is missing is that of a rate calculator. I'd like to quickly be able to figure out a total cost, so I am still looking at other currency converter 'apps,' but for the total cost of FREE from the iTunes App Store, I'm quite happy with the Currency 'App.'

Below are two images of the Currency 'App' on my iPhone

Happy Flying!

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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Locly

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

19/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Locly

Whenever I travel one of the challenges I find most difficult to resolve at times is where things are. I don't know a single person who has gotten off a plane; gone to work then suddenly thought, "What is there around here to eat?"

Locly has the answer to "What is there to eat" as well as different categories for this question (such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, and super markets), and other common questions on the road. How Locly works is by figuring out your position from the GSM mobile phone towers. I have had Locly have an accuracy of my location far off as 3,000 meter (1.85 miles) and as close as 450 meters (0.25 miles)

While 3,000 meter can be a great distance if you are standing in the middle of a city, it is extremely helpful when you find yourself in metro-area or suburban area rather than in the middle of the city. I have however used Locly in city center environments and be very happy with its results as the results for 450 meters of accuracy is quite convenient to wherever you may be.

I have used Locly to find dinner on the road as well as locate movie theaters, banks and gas stations. To find interesting tid-bits I have used Locly's "Wikipedia" feature and have heard of others using the iPhone 'App's' Twitter feature to meet up with others.

For you international travelers, fear not! Locly works in many countries throughout the world! Being able to look up a restaurant for dinner in Paris or Shenzhen has never been easier (OK, I haven't tried Locly out in Shenzhen yet, but I'm sure I'll use it in the region at some point in the coming months)

Locly is certainly an iPhone 'App' I will continue to update as they become available and use on a regular basis both on the road and at home.

Below are four photos of Locly on the iPhone

Happy Flying!

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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Lonely Planet Mandarin Audio Phrasebook

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

14/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Lonely Planet Mandarin Audio Phrasebook

When traveling many people find quickly communicating in a foreign language difficult. Personally, I am terrible at learning new languages, so when I found Lonely Planet's Audio Phrasebook I was intrigued.

Lonely Planet's Audio Phrasebooks are easy to use and eliminate much confusion when asking simple questions (other than being completely embarrassed to be allowing an iPhone to speak for you). The categories of phrases are broken down into easy to find sections and subsections, such as Tools, Transport, Communications & Banking, Sightseeing, Shopping, and Greeting People.

Inside the sections are easy follow sub-sections. Inside of Communications & Banking for example the subsections are: the Internet, mobile/cell phone, telephone, post office, bank.

Inside each of these subsections are common phrases you may need to use to find the answer you are seeking.

The best feature included in Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook is that once you find the phrase or question you'd like to ask an automatic voice says the question or phrase for you. This eliminates fumbling through an awkward attempt to incorrectly pronounce the phrase or question. Additionally this iPhone 'App' also displays the text in both 'Roman' and 'Chinese' characters so it may be easily read.

Having played with Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook for use in practical applications I can safely say I will be downloading other languages available through Lonely Planet's iPhone 'Apps.'

Below are seven photos that walk you through the steps of using Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook on your iPhone.

Happy Flying!

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iPhone 'App' Of The Week : If Found

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

7/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : If Found

Anyone who has lost their mobile phone knows the frustration of wondering if someone will find their phone, and then will they be able to find out who owns the phone to return it. We increasingly keep our lives on our phones, the numbers we call, the schedules we keep and with the iPhone the music we listen to and some movies we watch.

The iTunes 'App Store' has a great free 'App' appropriately named "If Found." "If Found" is now my screen saver because quite simply this 'App' tells anyone who finds your phone who the phone belongs to and how to return it to them.

“If Found” allows you to list your general contact information, as well as a specific phone number to call and e-mail address to contact if you have alternate contact information. You can even list a reward for the return of your iPhone (my reward is set at US$250)

There is no flashy gimmick to "If Found.” This ‘App’ can't tell you today's baseball scores, it can't give you the latest stocks, it can't find you the nearest Starbucks, it won't even tell you if your flight is delayed...........but it will very clearly let anyone who may find your phone (should you lose it) know who the phone belongs to and how to return it.

Below are three images of the iPhone with "If Found."

Happy Flying!

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1/08/2008-The Weekly Round Up : Travel Sized Essentials; Check-In Kiosk Theft; iPhone App Of The Week; Emirates Goes Off Line; Your Laptop & US Custom

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

1/08/2008-The Weekly Round Up : Travel Sized Essentials; Check-In Kiosk Theft; Flying With Fish Community; iPhone App Of The Week; Flying With Fish On The Air; Emirates Goes Off Line; US Customs Policy On Searching Your Data

What a seemingly long week it has been. The airline industry stocks have risen slightly with the minor drop in oil prices, yet airlines such as Northwest Airlines have announced increased in airfares. This week I've written about thieves stealing from passengers while never setting foot in the airport and a major international airline making a major marketing mistake in the middle of their most important marketing campaign.

Diversity in stories makes what I do a little more fun sometimes

This week began with a trivial topic of being able to find travel sized 'creature comforts,' at an online shop that only sells travel sized essentials.....and not so essentials. To find out more on where to find your travel sized essentials and creature comforts check out: 28/07/2008 - One Stop Shopping For Travel Sized Essentials

When many travelers check-in at the airport they think nothing of using their credit card in the machine to verify their identity. Recently a security breach has been found in some check-in kiosks at Toronto's Pearson Airport (YYZ) that might make travelers rethink their choice in using a credit card to check in. Find out more about this here:
29/07/2008 – Are Thieves Using Self Check-in Kiosks?

This past week I started thinking about creating a community where readers of Flying With Fish could share information among themselves. The world is a small community, and shared information is a valuable asset to those heading out on the road. Interested in joining a free community of like-minded travelers? Find out how to join the 'Travel_Planning' community on LiveJournal in this post: 30/07/2008 – Flying With Fish Community For LiveJournal Users

I was recently given an iPhone (original iPhone) to start using as an effective travel tool. This week was my first entry of "iPhone 'App' Of The Week." This will hopefully become a regular series on Flying With Fish. This new series kicked off with the Travelocity App. Find out why I like the Travelocity App for life on the road here: 30/07/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : iPhone Tools For Road Warriors

On Thursday I was contacted by the Charles Adler Show, a popular talk radio show that is broadcast through Canada to be a guest on the show. The topic is one I have discussed often on Flying With Fish, airport thefts and how to protect yourself. I should have an audio clip of the show shortly and will post in when I receive it. To learn more about the how visit this entry: 31/07/2008 – Flying With Fish Featured On A Canadian National Radio Show Today......Tune In!

I ended July with a post that should remind anyone to go check their domain expiration dates! This past week while Emirates was in the midst of their largest marketing campaign ever to publicize the launch of their Airbus A380 service between Dubai (DXB) and New York (JFK) they failed to renew their domain name. When potential passengers logged onto the airline's website they were briefly met by a generic domain host placeholder page. To read more on this subject, and see screen shots of both the 'place holder' page and the current web page click on: 31/07/2008 – Emirates 'Goes Off Line' (no, they didn't go out of business......just off line)

Since a 2006 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, US Customs and Boarder Protection (US CBP) Agents have the authority to search all electronic materials entering the United States without probably cause. This has been an on going concern that for some reason finally made the cover of The Washington Post today. While many have been following the potential problems this authorization by the US CBP may have for travelers it seems that now it is now finally come into the view of the 'mainstream media.' To find out some options you may have to safe guard your data check here:
1/08/2008 – US Customs Has The Right To Search Your Laptop Without Cause : What You Can Do


For those of you looking for topics not covered this week, why not check out two cool 'how to' articles on Popular Photography's web site (one is really a 'how not to' article)? Check out the two articles by clicking the links below
- Six Vacation Photos That Can Kill You
- Five Out Of The Ordinary Photo Trips

......and remember to check out Come Fly With Fish for information on two up coming hands on, feet on the ground, fast paced, photo workshops. Sitting around wondering if you could tackle five great cities in Europe in five days? Day dreaming around shooting on four continents, a sub-continent and in nearly a dozen world-class cities in less than two week? Visit www.comeflywithfish.com

Happy Flying!

iPhone 'App' Of The Week : iPhone Tools For Road Warriors

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

30/07/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : iPhone Tools For Road Warriors

Well it was bound to happen eventually. At some point I'd have to enter 2007 (yes, I said 2007). Not too long ago an original iPhone was provided to me to use and figure out how to turn it into a 'travelers tool.’ While my iPhone is not the new iPhone 3G, I have not been deterred from playing with the potential of using the iPhone's apps for travel purposes.

I'm not going to go into the details of iPhone vs other phones, as I still use and prefer my Blackberry for my mobile mail, and I have considered going back to my Motorola Razr for battery life and size............but the iPhone's 'Apps' are what keeps me interested in the iPhone. Since I received my iPhone I have downloaded many 'Apps' that have the potential to be good tools on the road and found some that I like and some that I will never utter the name of in public because they are so horrendous.

.............so this entry kicks off my first iPhone App Of The Week post.

One of the first 'Apps' I downloaded for the iPhone was the Travelocity ‘App.’ While Travelocity has not been my preferred online booking site, the 'App' has some great features that can provide some excellent information to anyone on the road. The Travelocity 'App' is so useful it is on the top line of the first page of my iPhone 'Apps.'

What does the Travelocity 'App' offer its users?

For starters if your schedule is forced to change at the last minute you can click on 'Flight Schedules', type in your departure airport and your arrival airport, and pull up a complete list of all flights between the two airports for the day. This schedule also includes 'Code-Share' flight numbers for many flights. Once you select the flight you think you'd like to use you can click that fight and see all the details of that flight.

I found a few gaps in some routes for available flights, but overall this feature can really save a traveler time should their schedule change unexpectedly or they have to rebook a flight while already in transit.

In a hurry and want to know where you're headed in the airport? The Travelocity 'App' can search most flights (primarily in the United States) quickly and let travelers know what terminal and gate their flight is departing from (you can also get this information easily from AeroChannel Mobile at: www.aero2go.com). Being able to quickly access an iPhone 'App' to get your terminal info and gate info at an unfamiliar airport is extremely useful for anyone running late getting to the airport.

Finally, the Travelocity 'App' can tell you the average wait times for airport security check points. This feature gives you a break down of terminals, individual checkpoints and the time of day you're planning on passing through security. While security times can change depending on the circumstances of the day, this feature is fantastic to know what you should be facing when you show up at the airport.

Overall I have found the Travelocity 'App' to a fantastic travel tool for iPhone users.

Below are 12 images of the Travelocity 'App' on the iPhone.

Happy Flying!

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