Much to my dismay, I learned all too quickly that Yahoo! TimeTraveler is about traveling with time, not through it; no flux capacitor jokes here, but I half-expected to be touring ancient Rome and New Amsterdam when I launched the app on my iPhone. Despite its misleading name, however, the company's newest travel app has the potential be a pretty useful tool.
The usefulness comes with a few caveats, however. It's only useful if your travel plans meet all three of these specifications: You have a set amount of time to fill, are traveling to one of 29 applicable cities, and have little-to-no knowledge of said destination.
Say you're traveling to New York City. You arrive at Grand Central Station and you have plans to meet your buddy for dinner all the way downtown at Gramercy Tavern. Just tell TimeTraveler where you're going and how much time you have to get there, and it'll suggest a few landmarks to visit along the way, such as Central Park and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Clearly, the more unfamiliar you are with the city you're visiting, the more useful TimeTraveler will be; but even in places I had never been to, the app's suggestions seemed a bit too obvious. After all, I have to assume I'd stumble across the zoo or a shopping mall while visiting Denver.
Like most of Yahoo's iOS apps, TimeTraveler's interface is a pleasure to use. New trips are selected by spinning an elegant wheel of cities, and itineraries can be easily saved or shared. Detailed information about each attraction is included, but strangely, it doesn't plan a route or offer any public transportation options; tapping the "Get Directions" button simply launches Maps. It does give approximate travel times, but it's not clear whether they apply to walking or driving.
The bottom line. Yahoo! TimeTraveler won't actually send you back in time, but it just might help you kill some of it on your next big trip.
of 5
iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 4.0 or later
Slick interface. Detailed entries. Good resource for tourists.
No directions. Offers only basic attractions. Unclear travel times.
