Travel Archive

  • How-to: stay connected while traveling internationally

    How-to: stay connected while traveling internationally

    Posted on June 9, 2010 | No Comments
    It's a harsh reality that every avid traveler faces, and unless you're fortunate enough to have been born in a generation where you're not expected to check your inbox every half-hour, glance over Twitter updates every 7.23 minutes seconds and tell the world where you're at this very moment via Foursquare, you've probably found yourself wondering how on Earth you're going to remain connected once your swipe that passport and leave the comfy confines of a native network. Staying connected while traveling abroad is no easy task, and while the internet may feel ubiquitous to tech-savvy smartphone owners who remain planted within the borders of their home nation, the world wide web suddenly becomes a whole lot less easy to track down once you plop down on foreign soil. Looking to splurge on a little international travel this summer, but can't figure out how you're going to (affordably) upload those Twitpics and YouTube videos once you get there? Fret not, young jetsetter -- we've got the keys to keeping you connected whilst overseas just beyond the break.

    Continue reading How-to: stay connected while traveling internationally

    How-to: stay connected while traveling internationally originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising

    Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising

    Posted on June 4, 2010 | No Comments
    It's a Christmas miracle that Joanna and I survived the week in Taipei. Not because our brains nearly exploded from the wealth of non-functioning Windows 7 tablets we saw, but because most of our cab drivers found themselves -- um, preoccupied -- while on the job. Over here, deep within a WiMAX hotspot, it's not uncommon to see cabbies video chatting and watching live local TV over-the-air while driving, and since you'd never believe me sans pics, I've got a handful of those as proof. Call it culture shock, or call it reckless -- we're calling it "America needs to get with the program and catch up to Asia."

    Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • OpenWays makes your smartphone a hotel room key, provides a different kind of ‘unlock’

    OpenWays makes your smartphone a hotel room key, provides a different kind of ‘unlock’

    Posted on May 30, 2010 | No Comments
    For years now, hotel chains have been toying with alternative ways to letting patrons check-in, access their room and run up their bill with all-too-convenient in-room services. Marriott began testing smartphone check-ins way back in 2006, and select boutique locations (like The Plaza Hotel in New York and Boston's Nine Zero) have relied on RFID, iris scanners, biometric identifiers and all sorts of whiz-bang entry methods in order to make getting past a lock that much easier (or harder, depending on perspective). This month, InterContinental Hotels Group announced that they would soon be trialing OpenWays at Chicago's Holiday Inn Express Houston Downtown Convention Center, enabling iPhone owners to fire up an app and watch their room door open in a magical sort of way. Other smartphone platforms will also be supported, and as we've seen with other implementations, users of the technology will also be able to turn to their phone to order additional services, extend their stay or fess up to that window they broke. There's no word on when this stuff will depart the testing phase and go mainstream, but we're guessing it'll be sooner rather than later. Video after the break, if you're interested.

    Continue reading OpenWays makes your smartphone a hotel room key, provides a different kind of 'unlock'

    OpenWays makes your smartphone a hotel room key, provides a different kind of 'unlock' originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 May 2010 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Kensington Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter lives up to its name

    Kensington Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter lives up to its name

    Posted on February 12, 2010 | No Comments
    Short Version: A tiny-but-mighty universal adapter that can power most full-sized laptops. Review: The incredible shrinking notebook adapter is a welcome trend. For a while there, portable computers kept getting thinner and lighter while still shipping with massive power bricks. And while notebook adapters will continue to get even smaller over coming years, Kensington’s off to a [...]

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  • Wi-Fi school bus keeps kids quiet

    Wi-Fi school bus keeps kids quiet

    Posted on February 12, 2010 | No Comments
    A school district in Arizona has outfitted one of its school buses with a $200 mobile 3G Wi-Fi router and $60-per-month access. And guess what? Instead of punching each other and yelling all the way to school, the kids quietly tap, tap, tap away on their laptops.

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  • Cup holder, schmupholder – you need a full tray for your morning commute

    Cup holder, schmupholder – you need a full tray for your morning commute

    Posted on February 11, 2010 | No Comments
    What an odd array of breakfast items in this product shot: Egg McMuffin, sure. Apple juice, okay. Fries? You might be on to something there. Whatever the case, if you’ve been eating food out of a bag while careening down the highway on your way to work maybe it’s time to class things up a bit with this $11 Swivel Car Tray.

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  • Keyboard purse makes a perfect gift for the geeky lady in your life

    Keyboard purse makes a perfect gift for the geeky lady in your life

    Posted on February 10, 2010 | No Comments
    keyboard-handbag-lDoes your girlfriend or wife dress like Janeane Garofalo? Does she wear striped tights under cutoff jean shorts and a long-sleeve shirt beneath a hilarious ironic/retro T-shirt? She needs – NEEDS! – this purse, fashioned from an old keyboard.

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  • Quick release $14 camera belt clip

    Quick release $14 camera belt clip

    Posted on February 8, 2010 | No Comments
    Oh man, the unapologetic nerdacity of this product is through the roof. Yet somehow it seems useful and practical. Trying to get a DSRL camera out of a bag packed full of gear isn’t exactly an enjoyable exercise, but neither is walking a conference floor all day with your camera dangling around your neck like a lead balloon.

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  • Nationwide no texting law goes into effect for buses and commercial trucks

    Nationwide no texting law goes into effect for buses and commercial trucks

    Posted on January 26, 2010 | No Comments
    Newsflash: Sending text messages while driving is dangerous. There’s really no safe way to send a text while behind the wheel unless you’re at a stoplight or pulled over. And while there’s no nationwide texting ban for regular drivers, Uncle Sam has just decreed that anyone driving a large commercial truck or bus anywhere in the country can be fined up to $2,750 if caught texting while in motion.

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  • Travel bandolier does NOT hold bullets (unless you put bullets in it)

    Travel bandolier does NOT hold bullets (unless you put bullets in it)

    Posted on January 25, 2010 | No Comments
    Free advice: Although the traditional definition of a bandolier is that of a bullet holding apparatus, do NOT try to get through airport security with this travel bandolier if you decide to stash bullets in one of the pockets.

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  • Rearview mirror iPhone mount – legal?

    Rearview mirror iPhone mount – legal?

    Posted on January 22, 2010 | No Comments
    I could have sworn that it’s illegal to have stuff hanging from your rearview mirror in some states. Fuzzy dice, Hawaiian leis, air fresheners – all hilarious and/or kitschy, for sure. But your iPhone? Seems a bit much, although it’d be nicely positioned to use GPS features.

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  • DIY Car Mount: Two dollars, ten minutes

    DIY Car Mount: Two dollars, ten minutes

    Posted on January 21, 2010 | No Comments
    Most in-vehicle device mounts are expensive given their purpose. Please hold my phone in one place, here’s $30. Bah! Using few pieces of pipe, some craft foam, and a bit of plastic-coated wire, you can create your own vehicle mount quickly and cheaply.

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  • Bluetooth! MP3! More! All on your steering wheel!

    Bluetooth! MP3! More! All on your steering wheel!

    Posted on January 19, 2010 | No Comments
    The perfect complement to your steering wheel desk, Brando's "Steering Wheel Bluetooth MP3/FM Car Kit" features convergence up the ying-yang and places it right in front of you as you barrel down the highway at breakneck speeds.

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  • Amtrak to add Wi-Fi to Acela line in March

    Amtrak to add Wi-Fi to Acela line in March

    Posted on January 14, 2010 | No Comments
    I’ve personally taken Amtrak’s high-speed Acela line between Boston and New York more times than I can remember. At 3.5 hours, it’s roughly the same amount of time you’d spend jumping through hoops at the airport but it’s a far less abrasive experience overall. The inclusion of free Wi-Fi ought to add yet another compelling reason to choose trains over planes.

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  • Tiny $80 travel router does wireless N

    Tiny $80 travel router does wireless N

    Posted on October 19, 2009 | No Comments
    Take it from me: a good, inexpensive, small travel router is hard to find. This $80 pocket-sized wireless N-compatible router may be just what the doctor ordered, assuming your doctor is progressive enough to write you prescriptions for computer peripherals.

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