Travel Technology: My New I-Touch . . .

I promised my fellow tweeters (and blogging friends) MartaR and Girasoli that I would give a full review of my new I-touch (Apple Website). Now that I've had a few days to play with it, here's what I have to say . . .

 

Camera (Still & HD Video):  I absolutely love that the new touch now has a front/back facing camera to take still and video shots. I think this will come in handy for those really interesting shots that you would not normally take with a regular camera.





Voice Recorder:  I love that there is a voice recorder on the new generation. It's a great feature that will allow me to record certain names, restaurants, general information that you want to remember and which you don't have time to type or write down.  I used to take my other ipod with voice recorder attachment with me but now I can leave that at home.

One of the new things I'm doing this year is to create Audio notes on my iTouch.  I will record quick audio clips which can provide interesting facts and background information about my sightseeing interests. This will allow me to really focus on what I'm seeing rather than having to read my notes.  I'll still save all of my notes to review at night or during breaks in between my sightseeing for more details.

Here's an example of an audio clips I've done already which I saved to my i-Tunes play list (along with a few others) for Amsterdam sights near Dam Square. The only challenge I've had so far is pronouncing these Dutch names and trying not to sound like the typical boring podcast narrator.  Unfortunately, I'm failing at the moment on both counts but I'll hopefully improve as I practice. I'd better, otherwise I might bore myself.  I am adding music to help . . . Ha ha



Retina Display:  With the new display the images, text and movies looks sharper and crisp.  This makes watching movies on the smaller screen better.  I loaded one of my TV shows on there and it is so clear. Perfect for use on those long airplane rides or long waits in train stations.

Size:  Love the slim, sleek look.  With more features it's so amazing that it is even smaller than my old 1rst generation touch.  I really considered getting the iPad, because let's face it the bigger screen is much easier to read than the smaller i-Touch screen.  However, for someone like me who carries a big digital SLR camera, it was important to stick with something that was more compact and lighter to carry around.

Here's a summary of the features that you'll find helpful:

Entertainment: With the iPod/gaming feature, you have the perfect entertainment companion. You can listen to music, watch videos, play games, read notes, record voice memos, take photos, take videos and all at the touch and flick of your fingers.

Utility: With the many built in features and a few applications that you can either download for free or for a minimal fee (.99 cents to $4.99), you will have a device that can tell time, give you weather reports, wake you up, keep your calendar, alert you to appointments, tell you how much to tip, manage your ATM debit card balances, keep loads of contact information in the form of notes, addresses, phone numbers, photos, etc. There's even a Flashlight application that can help you find your way home!  I swear this thing does everyone you want it to do with the exception of pouring you a cup of coffee in the morning.

Travel Uses: This is the perfect companion for traveling.With the right Applications, you will be able to look up words in other other languages (i-Translate),  find the nearest restaurant/sightseeing attraction (Yelp), review notes and maps of all the attractions, history, artwork and more (Airsharing) and check-in at the airport (Kayak.com).  With applications like Convert and Currency, I can easily turn meters to miles to know how far things are distance wise and I can convert world currencies to US Dollars so I know how much things cost and how much I’m spending.

Airsharing: I loaded my airsharing application which I first learned about from my favorite Travel Website, Slow Talk. This application allows you to load all of your important travel documents such as copies of your passport, your ID, airline tickets, train tickets/schedules, lodging confirmations, directions, your itinerary, lists of restaurants, lists of food items, etc. You will need Internet connection to load your documents from your computer, but once they are loaded you do not need Internet connection to refer to the documents. No more xeroxing pages of notes only to be thrown away during the trip. 

The practical uses are amazing. I remember last year when I was in Scotland, I happen to be in the area of the train station and I thought that I should just see if I can pick up my tickets. I didn’t have the hard copy of the confirmation with me at the time but had it on my I-touch. I showed it to the ticket guy and he looked it up on the computer and voila he issued me my ticket. Last year, I loaded maps of the Isle of Skye on my I-touch and used it to refer to directions (of course only when I was pulled on the side of the road or at a stop). :)

 

If you are considering either upgrading or looking to buy one for the first time I would totally recommend this new 4th generation itouch.  It is a great investment.