Translation Services
If your career takes you to anywhere remotely unfamiliar, you will likely find yourself using Google Translator or another online service to figure out what a foreign phrase or sign really means. When traveling outside of the interweb’s reach, however, an app like World Lens may become a cheap lifesaver. This app (which requires the purchase of separate $10 “packs” for each language you want to crack), allows you to use your Apple device’s camera function to capture foreign lingo to be loosely translated back. You don’t have to be online – or remember your 2nd semester of Spanish II – to get the basic idea of what foreign languages are trying to tell you. While not perfect, it’s a great alternative to a pocket translator and requires absolutely no connectivity.
Wireless Guide
Finally, the best way to stay uber-productive is to get back online! Finding the closest and most-reliable wireless hub isn’t always cake, however, especially if you aren’t already connected. Thankfully, services like JiWire are easily downloaded to your device to keep you up-to-date on the nearest spot to get surfing again, and it is available for both Apple and Android devices – for free! (Those who are willing to pay to play can also search by fee-based hotspots, something many of the other “wi-fi” finders leave out.)
The best way to ensure that your offline experience is as bold and fruitful as your time spent online is to plan ahead, download your favorite apps, and get everything loaded and ready to go. Since you never know when your connectivity will drop, it’s best to assume it will happen; “up” time, then, will seem like a dream when you get it.
What does your “offline” emergency plan include?
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Linsey Knerl is the Senior Community Advisor for Wise Bread, a blog dedicated to sharing productivity advice and travel hacks. She loves savvy tech solutions that help her share the world with her children.
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