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5 iPhone Apps to Help You Through the Holidays
Can you believe that next week is already Thanksgiving? I can't, and there's no slowing down from here. In the midst of seasonal travel, family gatherings, and shopping on Black Friday, you may need some help getting organized.
Website of the Day: Duffel
There are a ton of travel planning sites, but I just found my new favorite. Duffel (find the site at duffelup) calls itself "a trip-planning tool for people who are not planning any trips," but it's pretty handy for actual trip planning, too.
Sign into the site to create trips — real or imagined — to any place in the world.
Do You Use Social Media to Contact Companies?
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.
Oh, Good. Another In-Flight Fire Hazard to Worry About
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.
Grid-It Gray From Flight 001
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.
The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL Goes High-Tech
I know how much you love a good gadget-pimped hotel, which is why I thought I'd share the news about The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL getting a total-teched out section of the hotel called the Vue lounge — Vue standing for (virtual user experience). Not your typical hotel gaming room that often features a console and a TV, nope, the Vue lounge boasts Mac stations, iPod docks, a 63-inch LCD TV with a Blu-ray player, a Bang and Olufsen surround sound system, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, a Nintendo Wii, PlayStation, XBox 360 and more. They even host Wii fitness classes and bowling tournaments, which are all complimentary to resort guests.
Website of the Day: IgoUgo
I know Yelp is super helpful because real people submit their reviews on restaurants and attractions to give me an insider look at my destination. I often check it before deciding on where to take out-of-town friends or a new restaurant. Same goes for IgoUgo, a travelers Yelp if you will.
Website of the Day: TownMe
Just moved to a new city or town? Or perhaps you're taking a business trip to a place you've never visited and you're trying to locate some decent restaurants and shopping areas. A recently launched site called TownMe will help you get acquainted with your new surroundings by showing you the best restaurants, bars, and businesses thanks to the "What's Near Me" search tool.
Website of the Day: Ruba
There's nothing worse than being pumped for a vacation, then arriving to find your digs/guided tour/planned activities aren't as awesome as advertised. Unfortunately for some, this could totally shatter your dreams of an ideal vacay. So next time, do some extra research on a site like Ruba.
A Travel Blanket That Comes With a Gadget Storage Pouch
I would love to find out how many iPods and cell phones airlines find each year on their planes. I mean seriously, as soon as you sit down on a plane, you get your "zone" all pimped out with some magazines and your iPod or cell phone sticking out of the seat pocket in front of you. Next thing you know, you get off the plane and your beloved iPod is wedged so far in that seat pocket, you wouldn't have spotted it if you had tried.
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