I’m not a big fan of traveling. The packing, uncomfortably dealing with airport security, and the overall costs can become astronomical. Not to mention, when you finally get to your destination, depending on where you end up in the world, can be like walking through a social minefield. To prevent an international incident I use the World Customs & Cultures app. This free iPhone/iPod Touch app gives you various cultures and customs for every country on earth in the palm of your hand. From Aruba to Zambia and everywhere in between. You will never be caught with your preverbal pants down ever again, unless that’s ok there.

At first glance you get a list of every country in alphabetical order. If you love random facts, hit the Random button to generate a place and a related custom. The app can take your current location, be it Brazil, Hungary, or anywhere in the world with connectivity, and displays various socially acceptable norms for that area. From greetings to the appropriate amount of eye contact and touching, to more cultural aspects like ways of communication, gender issues, and their view on time and punctuality. The facts on law and order can be a life saver. Knowing the legal drinking age, the age of consent, or being aware of a places taboos might just keep you out of a foreign jail. However, the information database is not perfect. You will occasionally come across blank entries, and a lot of the customs tend to repeat themselves. Like how pointing is considered universally rude everywhere, but that’s just a testament to how similar we all are. If you do come across something the app doesn’t know, you can E-mail your addition to the makers directly from the app. If you travel a lot, or just like knowing pointless facts about places you’ll never visit, then this is the app for you.

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