GeekSugar

Oh, Good. Another In-Flight Fire Hazard to Worry About

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:45:02 -0700

In-flight fires caused by gadgets are back in the news after a recent piece in the New York Times warned of yet another risk: fires caused by the rechargable lithium batteries in handheld credit-card machines used by flight attendants to ring up purchases. The Federal Aviation Administration considers the batteries hazardous, and requires special training for flight attendants on airlines who carry spare batteries (some airlines, like Delta and JetBlue, don't carry spare batteries at all).

No fires from the readers have been reported, but according to the same article, in the last two years, a portable DVD has caught fire on a plane, a flashlight placed in a storage compartment exploded, turning into a projectile, and eight people were injured when a battery fell against a metal seat frame and exploded.

The best way to keep devices from overheating, or worse, catching fire? Keep them out of overhead compartments, and turn them off completely before storing them for flight. Do you take special precautions when flying with gadgets?

Do You Use In-Flight Airline Entertainment?

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:34:50 -0700

You already know that I'm a big fan of Virgin America's in-flight entertainment system, and have been known to tune in to JetBlue's DirectTV programming a time or two. But for a lot of you, an airline's in-flight goodies may not be a reason to book a seat.

On a recent flight to LA, I noticed how few people actually use their seat-back TV sets to watch the tube, a movie, or play games, instead choosing to sleep or use their own gadgets to keep them busy.

I found a very handy chart on one of my favorite travel sites the other day that lists how airlines stack up against one another when it comes to entertaining their passengers. I was pretty happy with the results: most airlines are now offering some sort of in-flight WiFi, as well as music and movies via personal viewing sets on the seat backs. So what gives? Are you totally into your favorite airline's in-flight entertainment, or do you completely tune out when flying?

Website of the Day: InsideTrip

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:05:42 -0700

Whenever I need to book a flight, my priority is usually getting the best price, so you can find me scanning websites like Kayak or Farecast. But what about comfort and quality? A new website called InsideTrip not only price compares flights, but ranks them in terms of speed, comfort, and ease, and then provides you with an overall trip quality ranking. You can even click on flight details to see rankings on specific things like routing quality, lost bags rank, legroom, connection time, etc. The founder, Dave Pelter, said he wanted to create a site that provides people with info to help them make the smartest travel decisions possible. It's really easy to use, and definitely gives a good idea about the overall experience of a particular flight/airline!

Do you have a favorite website you want to share with us? Submit your faves to our Website of the Day group! To learn how, just read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

Geek Tip: Use FlightStats for Detailed Arrival and Departure Info

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:00:10 -0700

Isn't it always the case that whenever you make it to the airport 2 hours before a flight, the flight is often delayed? Or you offer to pick someone up from the airport only to learn that his or her flight has been canceled? From my experience with flight info websites, I'd have to say that this one is by far the best-definitely saving you lots of airport headaches!

With FlightStats you can get every detail about your next flight via email and SMS. Featured on lifehacker, FlightStats includes up to the minute flight info, weather updates and enroute flight maps.

To get started, all you have to do is open a free account and enter your flight number(s). FlightStat will then work its magic, providing you with tons of info about delays, security times and more.

Grid-It Gray From Flight 001

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:25:31 -0700

Like any jet-setting geek girl, I refuse to travel without all of my gadgets. But with a phone, iPod, camera, cords, and chargers, keeping gadgets organized and cords tangle-free is a challenge.

I'm in love with the Grid-It organization system ($25) from Flight001. Overlapping rubberized elastic bands offer easy storage for even the strangest-shaped objects, and the entire grid is perfectly sized to fit right into my laptop bag. There's even a zippered pocket in the back for storing other small items. Knowing my beloved gadgets are safe and secure means one less travel stress.

Is Flight of the Conchords Coming to Rock Band?

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:44:12 -0700

Last Sunday during the Primetime Emmy Awards, red carpet host Chris Harrison jokingly asked Flight of the Conchords duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement if they had any plans for a Flight of the Conchords debut on Rock Band.

A serious-sounding Bret leaned forward into the microphone and said, "We have three songs on the next Rock Band." A lot of people think he's joking, but I detected a note of seriousness. With a duo this funny, it remains to be seen if they're serious, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll soon be singing, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" on Rock Band!

The Rad Flight of The Conchords Mouse Pad

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:00:59 -0700

Granted Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords may not be early adopters to the latest gadgets, but they aren't totally clueless when it comes to tech - they've at least proven that they know difference between a DVD and a VHS! Flight of the Conchords always cracks me up, so when I saw this $10 Flight of the Conchords: Eco-Friendly Mouse Pad on Hippy Shopper, I had to convince myself that my desk accessories need a little makeover. Besides, looking at two adorably goofy guys all day isn't that difficult either.

"25 Years And It's Already Obsolete."

GeekSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:00:43 -0700

As low-tech as the boys of Flight of the Conchords are, they're a geek entertainment staple. Don't get me wrong, it's not a show devoid of tech references, it's just that they're not exactly discussing 3G and Ubuntu here. Nope, my favorite New Zealanders may not be Apple devotees or own a flat screen, but at least Bret and Jemaine know the difference between DVD and VHS. Murray, I'm not so sure about. He kills me, that one - watch this clip for his appraisal of how fast technology moves! Whew!

Do You Use Social Media to Contact Companies?

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:44:18 -0800

I just finished reading an article about a US couple who, because of visa problems, nearly missed their Russian honeymoon. They thought they'd done their research; online travel agency Expedia assured the couple that they didn't need visas to travel to St. Petersburg. It turned out, though, they did. After sharing their experience and anger in real time via Twitter and their blog, Expedia reached out to the couple, reimbursing the cost of their trip, the additional expenses they incurred, and offering a huge credit toward their next trip.

More companies are using social media to respond immediately to problems and interact closely with customers. In fact, some of Sugar staffers used the service to get in touch with JetBlue during a severely delayed flight.

While I agree it's a great way to interact with a company, I can't decide if this will increase their responses or just create a new forum for more people to complain. What do you think?

Google Makes Holiday Travel More Tolerable With Free WiFi

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:43:08 -0800

Here's one holiday stress relieved: Google recently announced they'd be sponsoring free WiFi in airports across the country this holiday season, from now through January 15. Google VP, search and user experience, Marissa Mayer says, "We're very happy to extend our Holiday WiFi gift to the millions of people who will spend time in airports over the next few months."

Which I translate to, "Happy Holidays, here is something to keep you sane when your flight is delayed for the third time. Love, Google."

Plus, they're spreading the cheer. Once you log in using the free wireless, you're given the option to donate to one of three non-profit organizations. At the end of the promotion, Google will match all donations up to $250,000. A full list of airports with free WiFi is available at freeholidaywifi.com.

What will you do with free airport WiFi?