4.5 How to keep up to date with mobility

4.5.1 Mobile apps and ASEAN

A mobile app, short for mobile application, or just app, is application software designed to run on smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices (Mobile Application Software, n.d.)  There is a variety of mobile apps that are either free of charge or have charges that can become handy.  Some of the new apps also support the AEC.  For example, ASEAN Languages AEC, which helps translate terms in local languages spoken in the ASEAN countries (Figure 22); Uber (Figure 23), which allows booking a taxi in the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, and other cities, and Google Translate (Figure 24), which translates terms and paragraphs in a number of languages.  In addition, other apps may be useful when one is travelling.  BMA Live Traffic (Figure 25) permits mobile users to check the traffic congestion in nearly all areas of Bangkok and its vicinity.  Google Maps (Figure 26) show maps on various parts of the world with detail, such as the streets and roads, important places and so on.  A host of mobile messaging services allow one-on-one chatting, group chatting, even free voice calling, voice messaging, for instance Whatsapp, Line, Viber, etc. (Figure 27).