Ah, the J-school’s Mac-pushing prowess (to be fair, most of America has pushed you away from non-smart phones) has landed you in a tight spot. You’ve got a smart phone (for the blog’s sake, I’ll talk about the iPhone, but this can relate to most phones), but unless you’ve sprung for the cash to keep your data plan and usage agreement, that little iPhone you’ve brought along is practically useless to you.
So here are some practical tips for using it whilst you’re away:
1. iPod: I know it seems like ages since you’ve just had an iPod, but now you’ve got an iPod touch that has phone capabilities depending on where you’re located. So for now, use it like an iPod. Back up your contacts and other phone items to your computer and download to your heart’s content (or data capacity).
2. App Land: There are tons of Apps you can use without Wifi. My personal favorites include Angry Birds and Tube Map, but peruse the app store and find some good travel ones. Tripit is especially handy to keep track of travel itineraries, just make sure you sync it with wifi before you exit a wifi zone so that you have an updated list.
3. Camera: Depending on how old your iPhone is, using the in-phone camera might be a better option than lugging around a DSLR or compact camera when you go out. Just keep it safe so that you don’t lose it.
4. Compact Mirror: I always use my FaceTime camera to check my makeup. It’s a great all-in-one if you don’t carry around a compact mirror.
5. Wifi: When you do have wifi, you can receive iMessages or download the WhatsApp to get messages from friends at home or abroad for free.
–Jamie Hausman
London Calling 