Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Turn Your BlackBerry PlayBook into a Transport Hub

The featured image is sourced from Flickr.

Perhaps one of the most amazing features of the current generation of tablets is their ability to be customized into transport hubs able to furnish you with almost any kind of transport information you could think of, and then entertain you on your journey. The BlackBerry PlayBook is no exception in this regard, with a wide variety of apps available to help you plan your journeys and find your way around the world.

On any tablet, a maps app is close to essential and one of the best on the PlayBook is Maps Using Google Map Free, an app, which, despite its rather cumbersome name, offers all the functionality you could need for no charge by offering a tailor-made PlayBook interface for Google Maps. You could also go for a paid option such as GPS Maps for Google Maps ($0.99), if you’re looking for premium features like Street View and voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation.

Given the rather patchy cell coverage along many American highways and rural roads, USA On-Device GPS Map, may also be well worth a download as, although it clocks in at the premium price of $9.99, it gives you a map of the entire country that can then be used offline with full GPS functionality. This is therefore one app that could quickly prove to be invaluable.

Aside from some area-specific apps (such as the excellent and free CalTrain Times), PlayBook users lack a dedicated rail information service, although Universal Travel Search ($1.99) can give you directions between any two places in the world by air, rail, road or sea. For nationwide rail info though, your best bet is to log onto the Amtrak website (www.amtrak.com) through the PlayBook’s excellent browser, the superb performance of which was highlighted in The Verge’s BlackBerry PlayBook review.

Dedicated road users should definitely pick up US Traffic Alerts ($0.99), which gives real time info an all major roadworks in order to allow you to plan your journeys with ease. Moreover, if you live in Miami, Los Angeles or New York, then you should definitely consider investing in Traffic for BlackBerry PlayBook, dedicated versions of which are available for each of these cities. What these apps do is to give you access to traffic cams at several key intersections in the city of your choice, giving users firsthand info on the traffic situation at each.

Frequent flyers on the other hand should check out the FlightAware.com Flight Tracker for PlayBook, a free app that provides information and flight times for all general aviation and airline flights.

To keep you entertained on your journey, your best bet is to rely on the PlayBook’s internal capabilities, as the tablet’s HD screen and superb inbuilt speakers make it an excellent media player, something which has been noted in numerous BlackBerry PlayBook reviews. Just stick some video and music on your PlayBook, and sit back and enjoy the ride.