Handy How-To's

How to improve the reliability of your smartphone As your indispensable travel assistant and communications tool, your smartphone must always be ready to do its job. Here’s how to prevent your smartphone from letting you down during your vacation. Invest in a power bank, travel charger and charging cable Bring one or two power banks with you so that you can top up your smartphone’s battery while you are on the go. How large should your power bank be? As a rough guide, you probably have to fully recharge your smartphone’s battery twice during a full day of sightseeing. For today’s typical smartphone, this means that your power bank should have a minimum capacity of 10,000 mAh. Invest in two 5,000 mAh power banks if flexibility and reliability are your primary concerns, or in one with 10,000 mAh if you prefer to carry less equipment and have a limited budget. Choose a name-brand power bank whose specifications (brand, model, capacity, etc.) are printed clearly on its body. Otherwis

How to connect to the Internet in Japan Part 1  of this series of articles explores some very useful smartphone apps that make visiting Japan much more fun and convenient. But these apps are nearly useless if your smartphone cannot access the Internet. So here are some handy tips for getting online in Japan. You have several options: International roaming promos The most convenient (and expensive) way to access the Internet overseas is through international roaming. International roaming enables your smartphone to make and receive phone calls, send and receive SMS and access the Internet. In exchange for such convenience, every phone call and text message is charged at international toll rates plus a roaming charge. Similarly, Internet access is metered and charged at premium rates. So, use international roaming sparingly. This means keeping your smartphone’s Mobile Data (or Cellular Data) switched off unless you absolutely need to access the Internet, and calling and texting on

Become a travel ninja with the right smartphone apps Japan is a fabulous country and a great place to visit. But vacationing there can be stressful if you are not prepared for the language barrier, the complexity of its transportation system, and a general lack of familiarity with the place. I would like to share how you can overcome these challenges with the help of your smartphone.  Essential travel apps For your next visit to Japan, download these (or similar) apps into your smartphone: Japan Travel App Agoda Google Maps Trip Advisor Google Translate Here is a brief rundown of these apps. Japan Travel App The Japan Travel App is made by Navitime Japan Co., Ltd. Use this app to determine which trains or other forms of transportation to take. It tells a traveler everything he needs to know, such as what time to leave the hotel, which train station to go to, how far to walk to reach the train station, which train line to take, which train platform to go, wha