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Developer

Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

By Brien Posey January 30, 2014, 9:54 AM PST

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Surface apps for travel
Surface apps for travel
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Apps on a plane

Apps on a plane

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic article.

As someone who frequently travels, I spend plenty of time on airplanes. Thankfully, I can use my Microsoft Surface tablet to either get things done while I’m in the air, or I can use it as an entertainment device. This gallery highlights five apps that I like to use when I fly. All of the apps listed here can be found in the Windows Store.

Figure A
Figure A
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

1. Business Trip

1. Business Trip

The Business Trip app is anrnapp that’s designed to help you to stay organized while on business trips. The app lets you define a series of trips, so that you can keep track of which trip is coming up next and where you have been recently. It costs $2.99 (USD), but a free trial isrnavailable for download.

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3BusinessTrip2.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip destination details

Business Trip destination details

Business Trip allows you to store information such as flightrnand hotel details for each trip. 

4BusinessTrip3.12814.jpg
4BusinessTrip3.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip Transportation

Business Trip Transportation

This view shows detailed travel information.

5BusinessTrip4.12814.jpg
5BusinessTrip4.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip Accommodation

Business Trip Accommodation

You can also add expensesrnsuch as meals and entertainment to a trip. 

6BusinessTrip5.12814.jpg
6BusinessTrip5.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip Other Expense

Business Trip Other Expense

This view shows all other travel expenses.

Figure B
Figure B
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip Report

Business Trip Report

When you’re done, the apprncan build an expense report based on the information that you’ve provided. 

8BusinessTrip7.12814.jpg
8BusinessTrip7.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Business Trip report attachment

Business Trip report attachment

There’s even an option tornexport the data to an Excel spreadsheet, and the app keeps the spreadsheetrnassociated with the trip.

9AirHockey1.12814.jpg
9AirHockey1.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

2. AirHockey

2. AirHockey

rn

I actually have several games installed on my Windows 8rnlaptop and on my Surface tablet. The reason why I chose to mention AirHockeyrnis because, unlike my other games, this one allows for two players. I’ve foundrnthat it’s great for those times when I’m flying with my wife and I want tornplay a game, but don’t want to ignore her. AirHockey is set up in a way thatrnallows us to play head-to -head. We are both fiercely competitive and have a lotrnof fun playing air hockey on a long flight.

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10AirHockey2.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

AirHockey ranking

AirHockey ranking

AirHockey allows you to rank your gameplay.

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11AirHockey3.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

AirHockey Survival mode

AirHockey Survival mode

You can compare your score to other players.

12AirHockey4.12814.jpg
12AirHockey4.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

AirHockey Upgrade

AirHockey Upgrade

AirHockey is free, but like many free games, AirHockey contains ads. However, you can upgrade to an ad-free version.

Figure C
Figure C
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

AirHockey play mode

AirHockey play mode

In case you are wondering,rnAirHockey does offer a single player mode that allows you to play against therncomputer. 

Figure D
Figure D
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

AirHockey in action

AirHockey in action

Here you can see what the gameplay looks like in AirHockey.

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15FlightAware1.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

3. FlightAware

3. FlightAware

FlightAware is an app thatrnI find myself using very frequently. The application is designed to let yourntrack flights. 

Figure E
Figure E
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

FlightAware Flight number

FlightAware Flight number

You can look up a flight byrnroute, flight number, tail number, etc. 

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17FlightAware3.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

FlightAware Airport

FlightAware Airport

You can search FlightAware by airport.

18FlightAware4.12814.jpg
18FlightAware4.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

FlightAware Arrivals

FlightAware Arrivals

One of the perils of flyingrnis that sometimes flights run late. A delayed flight can be especiallyrnproblematic if you have to catch a connection. 

19FlightAware5.12814.jpg
19FlightAware5.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

FlightAware details

FlightAware details

If I’m on a flight that’s arriving late and I have a connection to catch, then as soon as the plane lands (and it’s safe to use cell service), I’ll use FlightAware to look up my connection. By doing so, I can find out how much time I have to catch the connection, and what gate it is leaving out of. 

Figure F
Figure F
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

FlightAware results

FlightAware results

If I’ve already missed a connection, I can use FlightAware to find out what other options exist for getting to my destination.

Figure G
Figure G
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

4. Kindle

4. Kindle

rn

Sometimes, a long flight can be the perfect excuse torncatch up on your reading. Of course, most people probably don’t want to weighrndown their carry on with a stack of books. Thanks to Amazon’s Kindle app, you don’t have to.

Figure H
Figure H
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Kindle book collection

Kindle book collection

A few years back, the Amazon Kindle was arguably therne-reader of choice. Over time, of course, dedicated e-readers have given way tornfull-blown tablets. Not to be outdone, Amazon offers a free Kindle app for allrnthe most popular tablets.  This app makesrnit easy to take your book collection with you when you travel.

23Kindle3.12814.jpg
23Kindle3.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Kindle book view

Kindle book view

Here you can see a book as it appears on the Kindle app.

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24Kindle4.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Kindle Store

Kindle Store

Here are some offerings from the Kindle Store.

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25MetroMediaPlayer1.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

5. Metro Media Player

5. Metro Media Player

rn

I have to admit that when I fly, I usually spend most ofrnmy time in the air watching movies on Metro Media Player. I almost never get a chance to watch moviesrnor television at home, so before I travel, I load up my tablet with digitalrncopies of the movies that I want to see.

Figure I
Figure I
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Metro Media Player viewer

Metro Media Player viewer

Metro Media Player playsrnboth music and videos.

Figure J
Figure J
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Metro Media Player Files

Metro Media Player Files

I’ll be the first to admit that Metro Media Playerrnisn’t as feature rich as some of the other media players that are available,rnbut that’s actually what I like about it. The media player is light weight and doesn’t overwhelm you with a bunch of unnecessary features, which is a goodrnthing when all you want to do is to watch a movie on the flight home after arnlong day. 

28MetroMediaPlayer4.12814.jpg
28MetroMediaPlayer4.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Metro Media Player movie

Metro Media Player movie

Watching a movie with Metro Media Player.

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29MetroMediaPlayer5.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Metro Media Player screen size

Metro Media Player screen size

You can adjust the screen size with Metro Media Player.

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30MetroMediaPlayer6.12814.jpg
Five Apps: Make the best use of your Microsoft Surface tablet while traveling

Metro Media Player volume

Metro Media Player volume

You can also adjust the volume with Metro Media Player.

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By Brien Posey
* 1988 - Started teaching myself about computers \ * 1992 - Mainframe programmer for an insurance company \ * 1993 - Network Administrator for a different insurance company \ * 1996 - Author for The Cobb Group \ * 1998 - Network Administrator
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