Why the iPod Touch with iOS4 is an Indispensable Travel Tool

Tweet

With all of the talk about the new iPhone 4 over the last few weeks, I’d like to review one of the most beneficial tools I’ve used on my travels: the iPod Touch with the new iOS4 (Iphone Operating System 4).  The iPod Touch has always been like the Jan Brady of the Apple lineup.  It never seems to get as much attention as it’s siblings Macbook Pro and Iphone. Too bad really.

If you’ve been around for awhile you may remember me finally, after years of resisting, giving up my faux pod for a brand new iPod Touch.  Essentially it’s turned out to be one of the best purchases of my life.  Luckily I bought it when I did, because had I waited two more weeks until after My Last Day, I probably wouldn’t have dropped the $300.

Throughout the last six months of trains, planes and automobiles there is not a single item in my bag that is more multi-faceted or convenient.  I take this thing with me everywhere, and it’s become the ultimate travel tool.  Here’s why:

A Free Phone*

Why spend over $100/month on an iPhone 4 with a data plan, when you could turn your iPod Touch into a phone for next to nothing.  If you grab the free Skype app (or a number of others that do similar things), and couple that with a Skype-in or Google Voice number, you can basically turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone.  With the new capabilities of iOS4, you can stay connected to wifi while the gadget is asleep, and be running multiple programs at the same time.  Essentially that means you can leave Skype on all the time, and still have the ability to take incoming calls.  Either way, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to pop this out and use it to make calls while on the road. You’d be surprised at just how many places have wifi.

*All of this for the $2.95/month it costs to make unlimited calls in the US.  The BIG caveat to all of this is that you have to have wifi.  But when 80% of the time you are at a hot spot, it really isnt that big of a deal.  Besides, the times you aren’t, you probably shouldn’t be focusing on your phone anyways (I’m looking at you 4Square and Twitter addicts).

Kindle in Your Pocket

There’s been some criticism over the functionality of the new iBooks app for iOS4, but I’ve found it to work wonderfully.  Essentially I’ve been looking for a good app that allows me to read pdf ebooks on my iPod, and I had yet to find anything that I really liked, until now.  Upon opening up this app, I was able to drop no less than a dozen pdf ebooks on here, that all showed up neatly in my bookshelf ready to read.  It even gives them a cool cover.  Sure reading long novels on a screen that small isn’t ideal, but for bus and plane rides, I’ve found it to be exactly what I’ve been looking for.

My iBooks Library (the green one is the best)

Stay in Shape

This feature has been around for awhile, but it’s had such a positive impact on my life, that I feel compelled to share it.  The Nike + iPod app is freaking awesome. Sure you have to buy the $19 adapter, and have a pair of Nike iPod compatible shoes, but if you do that, believe me, it’s well worth it.

I go through periods of time on the road, where I tend to be, how shall we say this, lazy.  I get sucked into my laptop and don’t make an effort to exercise.  THIS gets me motivated to exercise.  Maybe it is the goal tracking, the constant need to want to beat my old personal bests, or the sexy female voice that comes on to tell me I only have a mile left, but this is one of the best exercise tools around.

All new iPods come with the app pre-installed, its just up to you to pick up the rest.  I literally use this 4-5 nights a week these days, and if I didn’t have it, I think my body would hate me.

Get My Mail Everywhere

With me taking off for Bali in a few days, one of my biggest concerns is making sure that I’ll be able to stay in touch with what is going on with work.  Well, now iOS4 makes it even easier for me to keep track of all of my personal and professional email accounts.  I can view all messages in one inbox, saving me time, and ensuring that I always know what’s going on.  Apple also finally updated their mail so that messages are grouped by threads.  No more inboxes forcing you to scroll through 20 back and forth emails when all you want is something else.  Also, all I need is a connection for a few minutes.   I can then download all of my messages, respond when I have time, and next time I’m connected, everything gets sent out.

The Basics

Those are some of the newer things that I’ve found that makes the iPod Touch so great, but what about all of the fundamentals that make this the best tool ever.  I can store 32gbs of music, which I don’t care who you are, this is enough.  I also usually have my laptop, so if I need to add something new, it’s only a quick usb connection away.  You can also now create real playlists directly on your iPod.  This beats the hell out of On-the-Go playlists by the way.  I’ve got access to just about any game I want for those times where the lines at immigration seem as though they’re never going to end.  I use my alarm clock every single day.  I can track my finances with Mint.  I can write blog posts with WordPress. Get quick reference for photography info when I’m out on a shoot.  I’ve written about many of these things before in the Location 180 Guide to iPhone Apps, but the fact remains, this is the best gadget you can buy to aid in your globe trotting.

How do you use your iPod or iPhone?  Do you use Everyday Looper to record music on the go? How about use the World Cup app to get live audio from all of the games? The options are pretty endless.

Sidenote: Did anyone else know you could take a screenshot on your iPod/Phone by pressing the Home and the On/Off buttons simultaneously?  Go figure.

If you enjoyed this article be sure to sign up for my RSS Feed and newsletter over in the side bar!

Tweet