By Ellen Creager
App: MetrO, available for iPhone and other platforms (see http://nanika.net/.)
Lowdown: Basic directions from here to there on subways for hundreds of cities. Helpful for trip planning so you can see how far it is from one spot to another. For instance, it’s four stops and 22 minutes on the RER C train from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame cathedral.
Site: www.travelmath.com/cost
Lowdown: Is it better to fly or drive to your destination? This trip calculator takes into account many factors, including cost and time savings, and instantly gives you the answer. Tip: From Detroit, drive to Pittsburgh; fly to Hartford, Conn.; drive to Chicago; fly to Atlanta.
App: Glympse, a temporary tracking app available for iPhone, Android and other platforms
Lowdown: Lets you share your location with someone temporarily, even if you are in the air or in a car. No accounts or passwords. Just indicate on a timer how long you want someone to be able to track you (up to 4 hours), then send. When the time expires, so does the tracking.
Useful for relatives holding dinner for always tardy family members or for seeing how far away your sweetheart is from your arms ((www.glympse.com).
Site: www.cheapcaribbean.com
Lowdown: Don’t just dream of that Caribbean vacation, take it. This site is best for spur-of-the-moment types looking for big-name resorts, and the best place to start is the “Deals” button. Many deals expire quickly. Still, the site also is alluring for the snowbound and desk-bound, with its enticing photos of gorgeous resorts in hot places.
Site: www.EScapesnetwork.com
Lowdown: Slow down. Relaxing images of sparkling streams, quiet lighthouses and images in Michigan and worldwide are accompanied by sweet jazz by Detroit’s Alexander Zonjic.
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