2014
Travel Tip : Keep shopping even after you book
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Image by Franck BLAIS used under Creative Commons License [/caption] When possible, continue shopping for deals even after you book your trip. I understand that packaged sun vacations are typically non cancellable but in most other situations, you can cancel your reservation up to 48 hours before. This means that you should keep shopping for better deals until the very last minute. Hotels, car rental agencies, tourist attractions will sometimes run last minute deals to fill up their spot at greatly reduced rates and you shouldn't miss these.
Travel Tip : Beating Jet Lag
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2079”]Image by Frank O’Dwyer used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Every trip you take makes the next one a little easier. You learn how to do things better, faster and more efficiently (packing, booking, getting through customs, etc). The one challenge that never gets easier is Jet Lag. Jet Lag is the impact of switching multiple time zones in a very short period of time. Your body thinks its time to sleep but your new time zone says its only lunch time.
Travel Tip : Buy Travel Insurance
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1772”]Image by Alan Cleaver used under Creative Commons License [/caption] To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Travel insurance is an interesting product that I can debate for hours. Some are sold and never travel without it, while others think its a waste of your hard earned money. For anything more than an affordable sun holiday, I recommend you buy comprehensive travel insurance. Most comprehensive plans will not only cover emergency medical costs (which could be in the thousands) but they also provide baggage loss/delay coverage and more importantly trip cancellation coverage.
Travel Tip : Use Social Media to plan a better trip
Social Media sites are useful for more than watching cat videos. The truth is your social contacts can provide insightful information that can help you plan a better vacation or trip. Post a status update requesting tips for a specific location or for a good vacation spot. Engage with respondents about what they liked and what they would do differently. Find hidden gems or that extra special restaurant. These are your contacts so their recommendations should be better aligned with your likes and dislikes.
Travel Tip : Join a travel forum
A friend of mine is an airmile magician. He knows the travel reward systems so well he manages to pull off some incredible and amazing can't believe it's possible trips. when I asked him how he learns and keeps up to date, he mentioned the FlyerTalk forums. As a traveller, after reading review sites (link), your next step is to sign up for and use the various travel discussion forums. On them you can learn tips and tricks (for travel clubs, hidden menu items at restaurants, little known activities to do while travelling, etc).
Travel Tips : Some General recommendations
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“745”]Image by Sean MacEntee used Under Creative Commons License [/caption] 6 Tips From An Experienced Traveller Loksak Keeps Your Valuables Dry Even When Diving Collection Of Travel Tips To Keep You Safe And Save You Money Travel Tips When Travelling Alone Best Portable Travel Power Strip Best Travel Water Bottle - Vapur Elements 1L Best Travel USB And Lightning Cable - Chargekey When Travelling, Should You Use Cash, Credit Card Or Debit Card?
Travel Tip : Read Review Sites
I remember the pre-Internet days when your only source of reliable information was a library or friend. The Internet has radically shifted many of our life processes and travel is one of them. Travel review sites are a fantastic way to evaluate hotels, resorts, airlines, attractions and almost every other aspect of travel. The one site I always check (the 800lb gorilla) is TripAdvisor (link). With millions of reviews, you are almost guaranteed to find what you are looking for. There are of course many others like CitySearch (link)
Apple to livestream Sep 9 iPhone announcement
Every major Apple event is a thrilling adventure for technology enthusiasts. Will the announcement be a simple evolution or will we see the start of a revolutionary new product category? Apple has finally confirmed that they will livestream the event on their website (link) for everyone (with the appropriate config) to watch. Everyone agrees that this will be the unveiling of the iPhone 6 and possibly the iWatch, iHat, ipatch (whatever format their new wearable takes). Everyone's favorite (mostly) accurate analyst, Ming Chi Kuo, also believes we may see an updates iPad Air (but I think this last one is much less likely).
Jackery Bar Review
Portable battery backups are an incredibly useful category many users ignore. In the last 30 days, I have used one a couple of times and was thankful to have it every time. I used it while camping in the woods, while travelling to LA and when a day seemed to be neverending. Ultimately I test dozens of these portable battery backups everyday and this time around it's the Jackery Bar's time. Physical I was actually impressed at the weight and size of this device.
Can I get good sound from cheap headphones?
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Image by Anemone Jones used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Headphones (or earphones) come in all shapes, sizes and budgets. You can use the cheap ones included with your smartphone or buy $1000 audiophile ones powered with a headphone amp. A question I hear often is "Can I get good sound from cheap headphones?" Good is very subjective and means different things for different people but the simple answer is YES. A $20 pair of cans won't sound as good as a $1000 pair but more often than not, it will be good enough for most users (especially since the source is often a compressed MP3 played through a weak headphone amp in a smartphone or PC).
What to expect from Apple's next desktop and mobile OS
At the 2014 World Wide Developer conference, we learned that Apple plan's to release a slew of new integration feature between its desktop operating system (Yosemite) and IOS 8. Many of my "normal" users (less technical) users asked for a simple summary so here goes: AirDrop - This is a file sharing feature that currently works mobile device to mobile device. Apple will open this feature up to its desktop platform making the exchange of files, photos and other digital assets as easy as drag and drop (as long as the devices are nearby on the same network).
The best laptop for your elementary student
Most of us over the age of 30 have this false belief that the ideal laptop is powerful, with lots of ports and runs Windows. The reality is that most of what we do (except running powerful games) no longer requires that type of expensive machine. The new generation of computer users want to watch online streaming movies (Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Vimeo, etc), perform basic photo editing (you can use sites like PicMonkey.com), write basic documents (with Google Docs or Microsoft Office Online) and have a sleek light device with all day battery life and minimal maintenance.
3 apps you need for your next road trip
There is something fun and exciting about road trips. They are a great way to discover wonderful places and people. So I wanted to share my top 3 iPhone (IOS) / Android apps every road-tripper should download now. GasBuddy <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/1c51936d42.jpg" alt=""> Gas Buddy is a free app that helps you find the cheapest gas in your area (Canada and US). It is a great way to decide whether to fill up now, somewhere on your route or at your destination.
happiness is within reach
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” - Thích Nhất Hạnh #quote #meditation #serenity #happiness #joy
Quote about efficient use of time
"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." William Penn
Walk as if you are kissing the earth
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thích Nhất Hạnh #mindful #peace #meditation #Quote
Peace comes from within quote
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." - Buddha
The mind is powerful quote
"The mind is everything. What you think you become." - Buddha
Live in the present quote
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Buddha
Amazon giving away $100 worth of app for free
Amazon has a 2 day promo giving away over $100 of free Android apps via its AppStore. The loot this time around is 30 apps ranging from games, utilities and more. Follow this special link to get it while it is available (link)