Travelling
6 tips from an experienced traveller
As a frequent traveller, there are 7 rules that I live by when travelling by plane. For me these have become absolute laws of travel that make every trip easier and more enjoyable. Plan what needs to be planned Nothing is as stressful as realizing your forgot something so planing is very important. For each type of trip (business, conference, vacation, etc) I have pre-determined checklists to ensure I don't forget anything. If you don't have one ask a friend or email me.
How clean is airplane air
A question I get asked often is : "Is the air in an airplane safe? Am I at increased risk of infection in a plane?" Let's separate fact from fiction. The air in a plane is constantly circulating and it is passed through a HEPA filter. The highly filtered air is also mixed with clean outside air which further improves air quality. Every research paper I have read clearly shows that air contaminant levels during flight are well within acceptable levels.
Avoid dehydration when flying
The air inside a plane in flight is dry. How dry? It is as dry as a dry summer day in a desert environment. This is often an issue inexperienced or casual travellers forget. Minor dehydration worsens jet lag symptoms but in severe cases can cause fainting and light headedness. Although having one alcoholic or caffeinated beverage is acceptable, remember that these tend to increase the level of dehydration so limit their consumption. How to prevent dehydration due to dry airplane air Remember that dehydration impacts your body inside and out.
Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed
Yellow fever is still endemic in 44 tropical countries in Africa and the Americas. As a frequent traveller to many of these regions, I was vaccinated against Yellow Fever a little over 10 years ago and was considering re-vaccination when I read the new guidance from the WHO about Yellow Fever re-vaccination. The Yellow Fever vaccine has been given since 1930 (about 600 million doses) and there have only been 12 reported cases of infection post vaccination which has lead the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization to declare re-vaccination not required.
Rogers' US Roaming versus Roam Mobility
On May 14th, I wrote a blog post about a new US roaming package Rogers started offering its customers ($7.99 per day for 50MB of data). As the summer holidays get ever closer, it is interesting to see Rogers spice up their roaming plans. In addition to the plans, Rogers now has text alerting to notify you of roaming data spending in the hope of preventing sticker shock. Anytime you are travelling abroad, you really should look at using Onavo to compress your 3G/4G traffic, this will:
Roam Mobility offers competitive US roaming for Canadians
Previously I have published articles about the new roaming plans from Fido and Rogers. Although their plans are acceptable to the casual user, many smartphone owners may find these plans restrictive and too expensive for longer trips. This is whereRoam Mobility steps in to offer different plans for customers with unlocked smartphones or those who buy Roam's devices. What's so special about Roam Mobility Roam offers a wide range of SIM cards to accomodate all GSM phones : standard SIM, microSIM, nanoSIM (like the iPhone 5).
Rogers offers US roaming for $7.99 a day
In February, I wrote about a new Fido plan that offered US roaming for $7.99 a day. I wanted to remind Rogers customers that they too have the same option. The plan costs $7.99 a day [for US bound travellers] which comes with 50MB of 3G data a day. Some some of us, 50MB seems extremely limiting but Rogers assures us that this is "twice the data a Rogers wireless customer would typically use per day while in Canada". Telus and Bell don't yet offer by the day plans for Canadians visiting the US: Telus has a plan that costs $40 and offers 100MB for 30 days ($1 per extra MB).
Wear this shirt for 100 days without washing it
Wool & Prince claim that you can wear their new shirt for 100 days without having to wash or iron it. The company claims this is possible because of a new special wool technology that wicks moisture away (better than cotton), fold resistance and breathability. Putting aside "Mr disgusting" looking for ways to wash less often, this could be an amazing addition for business travellers looking for wrinkle resistant stay clean shirts. It could mean less content and lighter luggage.
Samoa Air charging based on passenger weight
Samoa Air has done the unthinkable by charging passengers based on how much they weigh. When buying a ticket, customers must enter their weight and the weight of their luggage before the airline provides the customized weight based fare during the booking process. This weight information is then verified at the airport to keep customers honest. The airline claims that a typical family with 2 adults and 2 mid-sized children will likely pay less than the old pricing model. It is important to remember that Somoa Air is a small carrier that operates small 12-seat plane where passenger weight (including luggage) accounts for the majority of take-off weight.
Run your favorite devices for 2 weeks without plugging it into the wall
We love our smartphones, tablets and media players but the one limiting factor to all of these is the battery. If you are a frequent business traveler, you know the frustration of running out of juice right when you need it the most. The current solution has us running around with backup batteries but these are heavy and only offer 2-4 device charges before needing to be plugged in. Now Lilliputian is making a bold promise. It is offering its pattented electicity generation technology to the general public via a small and easy to carry device called Nectar.
The best USB cables for travellers
As a one-bag business traveller, I carefully calculate everything I bring along during my trips. After having researched and tested different types of "travel friendly" cables (rollable, foldable, retractable, etc), I can safely say my favorite kit is the Griffin USB Mini-Cable Kit. Why did I choose these? They are well built (they will hold up well to the torture of travel) and they are short (which means they take up very little space and won't get tangled). The plastic coating is nice and solid, yet the cables are flexible enough to bend into the right position.
WineSkin is the ideal way to bring back Wine from your trip
One of the joys of travelling is discovering new tastes and bringing some of it back with you. Bringing back some souvenir alcohol is a great but most travelers worry about the bottle breaking in transit and leaving an indelible mark on your valuables. The WineSkin may just be able to solve your problem. The WineSkin is a thick peal-and-seal bubble protection system for your alcohol. Using it is very simple. Insert your favorite 750ml (or smaller) bottle into the WineSkin Peel and press the seal (the inner seal) against the vinyl covering Form fit the rest of the WineSeal around your bottle Peel and press the seal (the outer seal) against the vinyl covering The WineSkin is a single use item but you can find a 3 pack for $9.
Steripen review - Guaranteed clean water for the business traveller
As a business travel, I have visited some exotic cities and learned how important clean drinking water is. Water purification is done differently in each country and not all systems match the cleanliness we have come to expect. Other times countries have old or ill-maintained water distribution systems which infect the entire water network. Regardless of the reason, I have come to distrust tap water is most non-western countries. Even bottled water may not be safe. I once caught a vendor in Thailand who was extracting the clean water from the bottles [by making a small incision in the bottom of the plastic bottles], replacing it with local tap water and then resealing the bottom with a dab of crazy glue.
Review of the Eagle Creek Pack-It Cube Medium
Over the last 15 years, I have had the privilege of conducting business in over 30 different countries. Many years ago, I consciously decided to be a one-bag traveler which means I travel with carry-on only (aka no check in luggage). This has many benefits including: no excess baggage fees no worries about lost, delayed or damaged baggage no waiting at the luggage claim conveyor belt Planning is essential To be a one-bag traveler (which I highly recommend), I had to take some time and decide what I pack and how I pack it.
Made by a Canadian - The Java programming language
One of the most popular computer programing languages in the Internet Age is called Java. Java was created by a company called SUN Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle). Most people don’t know that the original Java language was created by Dr. James A. Gosling. Dr. Gosling was a Canadian who received his bachelor in computer science from the University of Calgary in 1977. In 2007 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (Officer is the second highest civilian honour)
Proud to be Canadian
Over the last 15 years, I have conducted business in over 30 countries and even spent a couple of years living overseas in Asia. Anytime people found out I was Canadian, they were friendly and very curious about how life was as a Canadian. One of the most memorable was in Vietnam. The local customs agents spent 15 minutes asking “what life was in a “great” country like Canada”. They called it a land of opportunity where they thought anyone coming in has a chance to build a better life.
Quickly setup a Windows 7 WIFI Hotpot with the free Connectify app
Check-in to any major North American hotel, and chances are they will offer free or affordable WiFi access. But venture out to Europe or Asia, and you may find that your hotel only offers a traditional wired connection. With the popularity of smart phones and tablets, wired connectivity simply isn't an option so most experienced business travelers, usually carry a small WiFi router with them for these types of situations. That means there's one more item that you have to carry with you.
New York City Payphones getting a new lease on life
Payphones of yesteryear get a new lease on life in New York city as WI-FI hotspots. This interesting program is starting with 10 locations but the hope is to expand it to 12000 locations in all 5 city boroughs. Since they are using standard WIFI, each access point will cover about 100 feet and will be an incredibly useful feature for tourists. This effort is being spearheaded by the mayor Bloomberg as part of his NYC Digital Initiative.
INDIA BUSINESS ETIQUETTE TIPS AND TRICKS
My last blog post provided some quick tips when dealing with China. I wanted to provide the same kind of 2 minute explanation for business etiquette tips for India. Salutation and greeting India is a more westernized country (than China) therefore it is perfectly acceptable to use the common handshake when meeting and greeting someone. The traditional Indian greeting can be performed by joining palms to each other (at chest level), fingers pointing upwards, bowing slowly and saying Namaste.
My favorite iPhone travel apps
I recently completed a 15 day business trip that took me to 5 cities on 3 continents (more than 24,000 air miles return). This trip was an amazing opportunity to conduct some real world tests on some cool items I had been wanted to test for a while. My first review was for the Red Oxx AirBoss carry-on bag. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you check it out. Since buying my first iPhone about 2 years ago, it has become an indispensable life tool.