TripIt Blog

Favorite Apps of an Invention Hunter

Recently, I sat down with Steve Greenberg, author of Gadget Nation and host of the new kitchen gadget discovery show "Invention Hunters," which premieres tonight at 9/8c on the Food Network.

"Road warrior" does not do justice for the amount of time Steve spends on the road. And while he relies on TripIt Pro to keep him in one piece (while earning hundreds of dollars back on airfare), Steve turns to a handful of other apps to keep him entertained and informed while conquering planes, trains and automobiles. 

Here are some of Steve's go-to apps while traveling:

1. TED Talks - Not technically an app, but TED's prolific speakers can be viewed in airplane mode by downloading each episode from iTunes. Prepare to be inspired.
2. TV Food Maps - Want to dine like a pro? Sync your TripIt account, and the app will find nearby restaurants where hosts from the Food Network and the Travel Channel have ventured. If Anthony Bourdain likes it, I abide.
3. Roamz - Now that you're fed, here's an easy way to find something to do in the neighborhood. The app aggregates photos and content from social networks to help you navigate the town like a local.
4. 2CamShoot - Here's a great way to share a video message with loved ones while spotting something noteworthy during your travels. This app allows you to simultaneously shoot video from both forward and rear-facing cameras.
5. Trulia - Have you fallen in love with the destination enough to make it your second home? Or, are you simply a fantasy real estate shopper? Trulia will keep it real, by showing you nearby listings.

What apps do you use while in flight, or after you land? We'd love to hear from you.

Also, see more from Steve Greenberg on Facebook, Twitter and his blog.

Sneak peek at Concur’s new free on-the-go, in-the-know expense tracker

No one likes doing expense reports.

Here at Concur, we know that we can’t change that fact of life but we can make it much more tolerable. That’s why today at the Finovate Conference in San Francisco, we’re excited to give a sneak peek at an easier way to do expense reports with SmartExpense, our brand new, free expense tracking and reporting app.

SmartExpense is the antidote to expense report procrastination. It will do a lot of the work for you by instantly tracking business expenses, receipts and mileage on the go.

Expense reporting can be easy as 1-2-3. Here’s how it works:

1. Simply add an expense.
Snap a photo of your receipt, email an electronic receipt, enter it manually or sync with a credit card. It’s up to you. Categorize your expense, enter the amount and you’re done.

2. Create a report in seconds
Select all the expenses you want to include—from mileage to cash tips and everything in between. Create unlimited reports and access them any time.

3. Submit from anywhere
You can forward your completed report at any time, from anywhere, with a click of the button. Getting reimbursed just got a whole lot faster… and easier.

What makes SmartExpense truly amazing is how it connects with TripIt, the easiest way to organize your travel. SmartExpense will automatically create and pre-populate expense reports with flight, hotel and car rental reservations from your TripIt itinerary, no matter where you book.




By combining the power of each of these free apps, we are making expensing your business trip simple and easy.

You can now throw out your receipts and reclaim your wallet. Instead of spending hours creating expense reports, you can now spend minutes.

To be one of the first to try SmartExpense, please visit www.smartexpense.com.

 

Get TripIt Pro and Sync Your Calendar On-the-Go

So let’s say you’re leaving on a trip tomorrow. Before you run off to the airport (maybe you’re still in your pajamas), you can instantly upgrade to TripIt Pro right from your iPhone or iPad, and be kept in the know if there’s a change with your flight. 

Better yet, let’s say you finally booked tickets for Cabo next month. TripIt Pro will keep an eye out to see if the price drops, and notify you immediately to claim your refund or credit. 

Or maybe you’ve been meaning to put all your trip plans in your calendar, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Now you can subscribe to your TripIt calendar feed right on your iPhone or iPad. 

The newest version of TripIt for iPhone and iPad makes it easy to do all of this on-the-go. Plus, a new travel dashboard greets you on the home screen, with the following options:

• What’s Next: preview the next trip or activity, or click through to view the trip itinerary
• Trips: access all travel itineraries in one place, including shared trips
• Network: keep track of friends’ trip plans, including “Who’s Close,” TripIt groups and network updates, and “Inner Circle” for Pro users
• Points (TripIt Pro only): get a heads up on reward points nearing expiration on the home screen, or click through to access all accounts, point balances, progress towards the next status level, year-to-date and recent activity

Check it out on the App Store and let us know what you think!

"Inner Circle" Demystified

With the holidays on the brain, here are some ways to make the most of TripIt Pro’s “Inner Circle” feature, which allows you to automatically share trip plans with significant others, family members, or other VIPs - making it easier to coordinate airport pick-ups and holiday activities seamlessly.

Choose wisely. Members of the “Inner Circle” will be notified immediately by email when you create a new itinerary in TripIt, and they'll have access to your trip details from their smartphone or online. 

TripIt Pro’s “Inner Circle” makes it easy for the VIPs in your life to:

• Be notified every time you create a new itinerary
• Access shared trip itineraries on their smartphone or on the web
• Download a calendar file to keep trip plans organized

As always, to learn more about TripIt Pro, visit http://tripit.com/pro. 

TripIt’s Android app has a fresh new face

Today, we unveiled a facelift for our Android app, designed to make it even easier for you to navigate between itineraries and connections, and view reward program points for TripIt Pro users. 

Don’t like ads? Also available is an ad-free version of the app for $3.99.

And for all the stats junkies, we also discovered some interesting things about those of you who use our Android app. Take a look at the trends below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Android Use Peaks Among Millennials

• A higher percentage of TripIt’s Android users are in their late twenties (25-29) and early thirties (30-34) than any other smartphone group.
• Among iPhone and BlackBerry users, the largest percentages are in their late thirties (35-39) and early forties (40-44).

On the Road Again? Not Necessarily

• TripIt’s Android users travel less frequently for business than other smartphone users.
  • 21 percent of Android users travel 15 or more times per year for business, compared to 36 percent of BlackBerry users and 23 percent of iPhone users.
• Android users take less leisure trips per year than iPhone users.
  • A higher percentage of Android users take 1-3 leisure trips per year than iPhone users; meanwhile, a higher percentage of iPhone users take four or more leisure trips per year than Android users.

Favorite Travel Apps

• Beyond TripIt, other popular travel apps for Android users are: Google Maps, Yelp and TripAdvisor.

What other apps do you use while traveling?