On March 31, Delta Air Lines became the first airline in the world to introduce a pet-tracking GPS device; it’s called the PT300.
Along with its location, the device, which is placed in the pet’s carrier, collects data on the ambient temperature and on its orientation so Delta employees know if the pet is in danger of overheating or if the crate is askew. Due to cellular restrictions, however, it can transmit data only before and after a flight.
The VoiceTra4U app can translate spoken English into 26 languages. To use the app, select the input and output languages, speak into your phone as you would on a call, and the app will translate your words into text and (in 13 languages) audible speech.
Your phone must have network access for the app to work. Available on iTunes and Google Play, the app is free, but a user may have to pay for data usage, depending on his phone contract.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 468th issue of your monthly foreign travel magazine. That’s one issue per month for 39 years! We must be doing something right.
Ken Wadland of Albion, Rhode Island, thinks so. That’s him in the above photo proudly holding a copy of our November issue… in Croatia.
In London and Manchester, England, 35 statues have been outfitted with tags that allow smartphones to play audio clips — some humorous, some historical — of each statue “speaking” about itself.
At each statue, visitors will see a circular blue plaque with a QR code to scan or a URL to type in in order to hear the speech. Playing the roles are actors, such as Patrick Stewart, who voices “The Unknown Soldier” in London’s Paddington Station. A list of statue locations, with printable maps, is at www.talkingstatues.co.uk.
A new website, Rome2Rio (www.rome2rio.com), shows travelers various options on how to get from one place to another in the Americas, Europe and Asia, often using combinations of trains, buses, ferries, cars and taxis.
Example — on a route from Munich, Germany, to Düsseldorf, trains, bus companies and rideshare companies were suggested. Each option listed the mode of transport, the total time it would take and an estimated cost. The fastest shown, a 4-hour flight, cost $101-$196. The cheapest, a 5½-hour rideshare, cost $45.
The SpeechTrans app, which requires a data connection, can translate speech or text in real time in more than 40 languages.
With the app’s image mode, you can take a picture using a smartphone or tablet, identify the area in the picture with text to be translated, and the app will try to translate it.
With the app’s speech-translation mode, someone speaks in their language into your device, and it will be spoken back into English (or vice versa). For optimal results, a fast data connection and a quiet environment will be needed.
The free app “Amazing Athens” offers info on more than 120 tourist sites in the capital of Greece and covers museums, historical monuments, shopping, food, beaches, etc. Site listings include photos, historical info, directions, hours open and entry fees.
Launched by the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organization, the app also includes info on public holidays, medical services, currency, electricity and more. Download from the App Store or Google Play.
A free app called Visitobus (www.visitobus.com) has just been released, offering an audio guide of Paris that can be used on smartphones.
You listen to the guide while riding on a regular city bus on popular bus routes 27, 30, 42 and 69, which include most of the tourist sites in central Paris. In between stops, you learn about local history.
There are many companies offering VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), which allows free or discounted international calls that travel mostly through the Internet, saving on long-distance charges.
The major provider is Skype (www.skype.com), with over 300 million users. Skype allows one to make computer-to-computer calls through the Internet for free no matter one’s location in the world. (For a computer without a built-in microphone and speaker, a headset is required.)
Talking on cell phones while driving in Kuwait became illegal as of May 1. Violators will be fined 15 dinars (near $56). The law does not apply to people using hands-free calling equipment.
A law passed earlier prohibits eating or drinking while behind the wheel.