The featured image is sourced from Flickr.
Whether you’re going away on a well-deserved holiday or being sent to a business meeting in a far-flung location, it’s become the norm to take your smartphone or tablet along with you in your travels. These devices are not just a way to keep in contact with those back home (although they are very useful for that), but they are also invaluable tools for finding your way around, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the environment.
The status of the BlackBerry PlayBook as a ‘professional tablet’ means that it’s well-equipped to handle situations like this, with a wide variety of apps and features ensuring that you never become lost or stuck while traveling. Let’s take a look at a few ways the PlayBook can be used on the move.
Navigation and getting around
Whether for business or pleasure, the first stop for any serious traveler should be the BlackBerry Travel app. When you book a plane journey, this essential app will import the details and notify you immediately in the event of a delay or cancelation. It’s a great way to keep track of your journeys if you do a lot of traveling by plane.
Of course, when you arrive at your destination, you’ll need to be able to navigate your new surroundings, which can be difficult if you’ve never been there before. The BlackBerry Maps app is a good starting point to help you get your bearings, and there are specialist map and navigation apps available such as the Waze Mobile Navigator, which compiles user data to help avoid traffic jams – especially useful in cities.
Of course, apps such as these, which utilise GPS, can be very resource-intensive. This, thankfully, is not much of a problem, as BlackBerry PlayBook reviews have drawn attention to the device’s power and ability to cope with demanding applications, especially since the recent OS update.
Interacting with local people and overcoming language barriers shouldn’t be too much of an issue, either, if you have the right tools. The Oanda Currency Converter should take care of any money issues you might have while abroad, and the fantastic Fancytran translation app supports a wide range of common languages, which is great for those times when you want to communicate with more than just vague hand gestures.
Finding places of interest
There is really only one PlayBook app worth mentioning when it comes to finding a good restaurant, local business or pretty much any relevant information about your location. That app is Poynt, a superb all-encompassing local search tool that provides you with information about local events, movies, fuel prices and more. You can even reserve a table at a restaurant, all from within the app. It’s clever stuff, and is a comprehensive solution should you ever find yourself stuck for something to do when you’re away.
Staying in contact
These days, nobody wants to feel cut off from the world, especially from a work perspective, and that can unfortunately happen when you travel. Luckily, the BlackBerry tablet is famed for its messaging and e-mail prowess, as this BlackBerry PlayBook review points out. You shouldn’t need to download any third-party apps to supplement this function, as the e-mail and messaging features are included with the PlayBook.