Wednesday 18 March 2015

Checking out the app stores

Canberra bound

My pre-planning routine for any travel includes a check of the App stores to see what is available for my mobile devices for the intended destination. I already have Trip-it which provides me with access to my itineraries, accommodation bookings and any other bookings I may have made or added to the event calendar in Trip-it.

So to the destination, in this case Canberra. It is many years since I lived there. What's new and what's about in mobile apps?

First to the App store on my iPad. A featured collection in the Travel category this week in the Australian store is Explore Australia with links to apps for capital cities and states. Canberra reveals only 7 apps in this category.


If I search using the word Canberra, I am presented with more than 30 apps to explore.


Here I choose the free Canberra Map and walksThe Canberra Region visitors guide and the Canberra Travel companion.

Now to Google Play store for my Android phone. Choose Apps, search Canberra

Mobile Canberra looks good
Welcome to Mobile Canberra, an initiative by the ACT Government and the NICTA eGOV Cluster! Mobile Canberra is a powerful platform for showing points of interest and services around Canberra. The app provides access to geolocational Government datasets and services. Current services include bus stops, public toilets, playgrounds, libraries, TAFE campuses, schools, public art, and public furniture.
The Canberra Guide is another useful app.
I won't be using buses or taxis this time, but if I were there are a good range of apps here.

Using the web to locate apps


Sometimes I prefer to find apps via my computer browser, rather than on one of my devices.
Very quick and easy - search Canberra, select More from search results,choose Apps.

The results claim to list more than 48000 so I certainly won't be going past the first few pages of those, but I do like this search because at a glance one can see all the ratings users have given, whether the app is free or not and for which platform the app is made. Further into the results are reviews and articles about the apps.

Now for some wardrobe planning. I suspect my usual daily dress of shorts and tshirts will not be adequate warmth for Canberra at the end of March!

If you are planning to be at AFFHO Congress 2015, news from Pauleen assures us that an app is on the way. 
Update: Get the Android app for Congress here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rcd.congress2015

This post first appeared on http://librarycurrants.blogspot.com/2015/03/checking-out-app-stores.html

3 comments:

  1. I use tripit and find it useful to collect all the travel and accommodation in one place. I also load up some maps that use GPS so if I am in countries where I do not have roaming internet access I can still avoid getting lost.

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  2. Me too and usually I add a range of ebooks or related readings saved offline before travel too, but know there'll be little time for reading on this trip! Thanks for dropping by.

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  3. I hadn't heard of TripIt so thanks for that Carmel. You might need to get reading in on the flight down:) I know I will be doing some then.

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