Page 47 - Explore Magazine Spring 2016

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TIPULATOR APP
Calculating tips when you’re travelling overseas can be
quite challenging: is it done, isn’t it done, how much,
how little? Leave 10% on the table after a meal in Tokyo
and your generosity will cause offence; do the same in
New York and you’ll be called a skinflint. This app is a
must-have when you’re travelling and will make life and
dining out a lot easier. Tipulator’s nifty tip calculator will
not only help you work out tips but also to split bills, all
the while neatly sidestepping social embarrassment.
Note though that Tipulator doesn’t tell you the standard
tip rate for the country you’re in – you’ll need to look that
up separately. Tipulator is available free for iPhone,
iPad and Android devices.

FOODSPOTTING APP
Photographs on a restaurant menu can often
be misleading, and feedback and photographs
from people who have actually eaten there are
often a much better option. The Foodspotting
app features pictures and reviews of dishes that
diners have sampled at local eateries. It’s a great
way to find the best meals in town and the dishes
you want to eat while also getting a peek at what
the dishes look like before you arrive. And of
course it’s a boon when you’re travelling and want
to try out the local eateries but don’t know where
to go. The Foodspotting app is available free for
both iPhone and Android devices.

SLEEP SOUNDS HQ APP
If you’re the sort of traveller who struggles to sleep in different
environments, the Sleep Sounds HQ app is for you. SleepSounds
HQ has more than 500 natural and city sounds for travellers who
need more than a bed to help them get to sleep, so just take
your choice. The sounds fall into 19 categories including ocean,
cricket and insects, fire, public places and household. Soothing
tracks like white noise can also work well for travelling babies.
Other sounds include tranquil sounds like a Himalayan stream
and deep forest showers to unusual acoustics like singing
around a bonfire in Denmark or a tumbling clothes dryer. Take
your pick and drift off into a blissful night’s sleep! The Sleep
Sounds app is available in a free version, and for US$1.99 with
more sounds options. Sleep Sounds requires iPhone 6 or later
and is optimised for iPhone 5.

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : SPRING EDITION