Tip: Apps apt to make traveling easier

Taking that dream vacation this summer? Don't forget to pack your smartphone. Among the thousands of free applications for Android phones and iPhones, here are two that make traveling easier and safer.

Medjet offers first-aid information for an array of problems from bee stings to dengue fever. Because the information is stored within the app, you don't need a cellphone signal or Wi-Fi connection once the program is downloaded.

Google Translate can help you communicate in more than 50 languages. Type a phrase and the app presents a translation in the language's native alphabet along with English phonetic pronunciation. Press the loudspeaker icon and it will "speak" the translation. If you type in a single word, for example "doctor," the app will translate the word and show a dictionary listing of related words and phrases. To use Translate, you must have cellphone service or a Wi-Fi connection.