How Technology Can Help Your Travels

[Agnes Riley]

This is a brave new world, the one we're living in. The digital age has arrived, and it is here to stay. New technology is present in almost every aspect of our lives, and it can prove a great help even during your travels. Here are some ways in which you can use technology to make your life a little easier when you're travelling.

1. Scan your documents - You should always have copies of your documents made when you travel. After all, what will you do if the unthinkable happens and your original documents end up in the possession of a person of ill-repute and you're left stranded with no way to prove who you are or where you're from? Back in the old days (when Gutenberg ruled the land), people would simply photocopy their documents and keep a physical copy of them. But paper can burn or be lost. The trick nowadays is to scan everything and email it to yourself. That way, you can easily access all your documents regardless of where you are, as long as you find an Internet connection.

2. Smartphones are really smart - Gone are the old days when you needed a map to get around. In the digital age, as long as you have your trusty phone with you, you can always find your way. Many modern phones are equipped with GPS, allowing you to find out exactly where you are, and how to get to where you want to go. You can also use a smartphone to have Google Maps show you the way. And always remember: old technology or new, one does not simply walk into Mordor.

3. Smartphones are even smarter than that - Most phones also have a camera. This can be useful in many ways. If you're driving and you need to leave your car in a park, you can photograph the place where you left it, saving you the trouble of having to remember (!). Even more practical, if you're travelling with kids you should take a picture of them in the morning before leaving the hotel. That way, if you get separated, you can more easily engage the help of other people to find them.

4. The "why you should buy expensive mobiles for your kids" clause - Remember how many mobile phones have GPS capabilities? Even those which don't have GPS per se sometimes have tracking devices, which allow their owners to find them if they ever lose them. This is a great way to find a child that has been separated from their parents in a crowd.

5. Letting people know you're safe (also known as the "making people jealous" clause) - Updating your social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace if for some reason you're stuck in 1999) will allow your family and friends to keep tabs on where you are, and to know you're alive and well.