Apps I Live By: AFAR media co-founder Joe Diaz

For most people, work doesn’t involve scaling dunes in Namibia’s Namib Desert, hiking along the coastline in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, or touring fine art museums in St. Petersburg, Russia. But for Joe Diaz, co-founder and chief product officer of travel magazine and media hub AFAR, globe-trotting is both his passion and his profession. Launched in 2009, AFAR has become its own hotspot destination for exacting travelers seeking authentic, eye-opening, and unconventional experiences around the globe. Last year, AFAR magazine was named “Hottest Travel Magazine” by Ad Week and today AFAR media attracts over 1 million users worldwide.

Here, the Palm Desert, California native – who you’ll never see checking a bag – shares the apps that help him connect with locals abroad and stay in touch with loved ones back home.

To Connect: LinkedIn

Most people don't associate LinkedIn with travel, but I actually love using this site to connect with locals who share my passions and profession. I like to use it as a way to meet locals prior to any trip I take - business or pleasure. It's a great way to have a more authentic experience utilizing local knowledge and expertise.

To Stay in Touch: Skype

I love staying connected to my friends and family while traveling. Skype lets me stay in touch whenever and wherever I am in the world, and the best part – it’s free!

To Get Around: Uber

For someone like me who travels every day, catching a cab can sometimes be a process. I love how Uber provides me with an easy and civilized ride to and from the airport while traveling in style.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

To Navigate: Google Maps

I love being able to get to and from my location in the quickest and most convenient way possible. Google maps enables me to get the most out of my journey, whether it is for business or pleasure and navigate the city I am in without getting lost.

To Discover: AFAR

AFAR allows me to go deeper in a destination by functioning as my "on-the-go" guide. When searching for experiences, I can find them quickly because of AFAR’s geo-tag capability and then save the ones I love into customized lists that I share with my friends and family.

For more information and inspiration visit MariaShriver.com