How Steve Jobs Improved the Way We Travel

Steve Jobs died yesterday, leaving behind a generation of travelers who can explore the world more easily -- thanks to much of the technology that he pioneered.

Pre-smartphone, I used to get hopelessly lost in New York City's SoHo and Lower East Side. Now the idea of not being able to map directions on my iPhone 4 seems so archaic.

Just a year ago, I was waiting for my T-Mobile contract to end so I could switch over to AT&T and finally get an iPhone. In the last few months before my T-Mobile contract ran out, I used an iPod Touch as a short-term solution.

I wrote about the experience of traveling overseas with an iPod Touch for AOL's Gadling. As a traveler who wanted to pack light, the first-generation iPad and fourth-generation iPod Touch revolutionized the way I could get around. No more netbook, which only the year before seemed like a lightweight solution. And as long as I could find a free Wi-Fi spot, I could skip the dodgy Internet cafes.

And remember calling cards? When I lived in London eight years ago, I had to use international calling cards with unwieldy PINs. Now there's Skype that works from my iPhone. True, roaming fees are still out of control but for the most part, the iPhone/iPad has improved the way I travel.

Who knows what else Steve Jobs would've come up with next?

Instagram iPhone photos

I'm starting to get addicted to the free Instagram iPhone app. Here is an Empire State Building photo that I snapped with my iPhone 4, and here is the same photo treated with Instagram's Lomo-fi filter. I especially love how the high-contrast grittiness changes the mood of the photo.