In the second part of our special PDA travel feature, we show you how to use your handheld to track expenses, convert measurements, and stay on time.

After months of slogging your socks off in your job, you're finally embarking on that well deserved vacation to France. And if you've read our last article, you'd know that bringing your personal digital assistant (PDA) along on your holidays may be the wisest thing you did. Who needs those pesky tour guides when you've your trusty handheld?

In this installment, we show you more of what your PDA can do for you when you're on your holiday

For Part 1 of this article, click here

Track your expenses

Wouldn't it be nice to have a bottomless moneybag when you're on holiday? However, the hard reality is that we all have limited funds. Before you start spending your money like there's no tomorrow and realise that you run out of cash for your trip home, it is wise to carefully track the expenses you incurred on your holiday.

Palm users can do that with the pre-installed Expense applet. Although this program gives you the option of displaying the amount you've spent in various currencies, it doesn't allow you to view your total expenditure unless you export the data to Microsoft Excel. In comes ExpenseReport DA. This useful Desktop Accessory gives Expense additional functionality by showing you a report of your total expenditure and displaying them in useful categories like meals, lodgings, and transportation. (Note: You need to install the DA Launcher and Hackmaster for this add-on to work.)

If you prefer something more powerful, try MAM Pro. Also known as the MultiCurrency Account Manager, this versatile program lets you track your transactions in your domestic currencies and up to 100 other foreign currencies.

For Pocket PC users, keeping tabs on your expenses is a breeze with PocketExpense. Like Palm's Expense, it lets you export your expenditure into Microsoft Excel.

Kilometres or miles? Dollars or Baht?

Unless the world becomes united under the banner of Planet Earth, each country will continue to use their own currency and unit of measurement. Until then, we just have to deal with the different standards and convert different currencies and measurements to something we are familiar with.

If you're using a Palm, Currency (excuse the pun) is what you need when you're going on a shopping spree. This excellent currency database and conversion utility allows you to view at a glance how much you have to fork out for that antique vase collection you eyed for so long, all in you own domestic currency. It even allows you to perform basic calculations! The best thing about it is that when you install the Currency Calculator Conduit, you can grab the latest exchange rate every time you Hotsync your Palm. Best of all, it's all free!

Pocket PC users don't have to feel left out because they have a similar utility in Conversions. This handy application lets you convert between different currencies and automatically updates the foreign exchange rate from the Internet.

If you're only familiar with the metric system, things can get a little confusing when you're on the road. When someone tells you that your destination is a mile away, they don't mean that it's a kilometer away. So to prevent you from incorrectly judging distances (and other unit measurements like Celsius and Fahrenheit for that matter), Palm users should load Converter while Pocket PC users can try out the Unit Converter. These freewares allow you to convert units of measurement painlessly.

Be on time

If you don't want to miss your flight, it's important to keep track of your time, especially if you're travelling to a destination in a different time zone. You certainly don't want to arrive at your hotel in the morning and find that your watch is telling you that it's actually nine o'clock at night. A sure recipe for disaster if you've to keep to a schedule.

Handspring Visor users already have CityTime loaded in their handheld. This nifty program shows you at a glance what time it is in any major city around the world. There's even a map that lets you see which part of the globe is shrouded in the darkness of the night and which is basking in morning sunshine. If you're using a Palm, there's no need to feel left out because you can still grab this program here.

If all you need is a no-frills utility to tell time, try Big Time. This freeware lets you see the time of your home city as well as two other cities of your choice. If you like it, you can purchase Big Time Pro, which contains more features, including the ability to set alarms. With it, you can be sure that you'll never miss an appointment.

For Pocket PC users, you can have the world's time in your hands with Pocket Watch. With an attractive world map that functions like CityTime, four different alarms and the ability to give your program your own customisable skins, this is one program Pocket PC globetrotters won't want to do without.

For Part 1 of this article, click here

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