A lot of folks have shared information on great ways to use mobile apps on the road (including some great posts at TravelsofAdam.com). I just wanted to share a couple recent discoveries. Helpful to anyone with an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad (which is getting close to being everyone with one of the three).
Mobile Check Deposits with Chase!
Well, I’m not making any money while I’m traveling (not yet, anyway) but I still have a few checks coming in from closing out some past accounts.
My checks all went to a good friend, who’s acting as my mail drop while I’m traveling. The challenge became “how do I deposit those checks from halfway around the world?”
I certainly could have had him make a trip to the bank for me (and forge my signature, etc), but I didn’t want to inconvenience him every time I got a $12 refund check from a canceled magazine subscription. And without a permanent address overseas, I didn’t want him to mail the check to me (not to mention the challenge of exactly where I would be able to deposit it).
Enter Chase’s new mobile app. Sorry, at the moment you need to have an account with Chase AND an iPhone for this.
And no, I’m not being paid for this post!! But my hand is open, Chase…
This fantastic little bit of software allows you to take a photo of a check with your iPhone, upload it to the Chase website and it deposits into your account on the spot – wherever you are in the world.
For this, I didn’t want my friend to have to mail the check to me, so here are the two simple steps:
- He scanned the check in hi-res and e-mailed the image to me.
- Using the Chase application, I was able to take a photo directly off my computer screen into the app and voila! Check was deposited.
I don’t know how often I’ll need to use it, but it was incredibly handy. (Free app)
OffMaps ($1.99)
I was searching for an application that loaded up city maps so I didn’t have to carry the paper versions with me (or FIND a paper version in every single city I visited).
Enter OffMaps. You can download one of the free city maps they offer or just buy the application. Download the city you’re visiting and you’ll have full time access to a street map, that also integrates with the iPhone GPS. The full version allows downloads of pretty much anywhere, from the looks of it, but I’ll be testing it more as I head through France.
In addition to street maps, it includes sites, restaurants, hotels and has optional city guide downloads for more information.
Caveat: as you would expect, the maps are HUGE, so prepare for long download times. Best to do when you have a full-time internet connection – NOT while downing a McFlurry.
Accio Language Guides ($1.99)
I’m loving the Accio language guides so far. Type in a word you want to translate and it takes you right to it. Hit a button and it instantly switches from French-English to English-French. Or whatever language you’re using.
Sitting on the train, every time I see a sign I don’t understand, I pull up the words in an instant. It’s teaching me the language far more quickly than if I had to pull out a dictionary each time.
At $1.99 each, they’re a great value and space saver.
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And finally, another shout out to Evernote. I know I’ve extolled its virtues before (here), but I use it CONSTANTLY to record my random thoughts and memories so I can store my impressions the way a photographer stores images.
