Traveling
Latest
Google flight schedule search takes off, helps you figure out when to get aboard
Been wishing you could find flight information the same way you would for a bus or train? Now you're covered with the new flight schedule search feature Google launched last week. By simply typing "flights from / to" a destination in the search bar, it displays specific flight routes or all routes from a particular airport, all of the airlines serving the locales along with flight numbers, and travel dates / times. The ITA travel search software which the DOJ finally allowed Google to purchase last month isn't powering the feature, although Google stated on its blog that the flight schedule search is a "small step" in an overall effort to make finding flight information simpler. The service supports ten languages, and you'll find more info by hitting the source link below. Now if only it could tell us whether our flight has WiFi...
US DoJ approves Google's acquisition of ITA, but not without stipulations
The United States government may be dissolved tomorrow, but it's certainly taking care of one final piece of business before going into shutdown: this. If you'll recall, Google announced its intentions to acquire ITA for $700 million in July of last year, and as we cruise into the start of America's summer travel season, all signals are go. Today, the US Department of Justice approved Google's request to move forward with the buy, but rather than having the entire travel search market under its wing, El Goog's going to have to make a smattering of concessions in order to get the right signatures. For starters, the search monolith will allow ITA's existing client contracts to extend into 2016, and it'll let both current and new customers license ITA's QPX software on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms." No one's saying when the integration will be complete (or start, for that matter), but we're desperately anxious to see just how Kayak and Bing Travel react after this launches in earnest. Power to the searchers, as it were.
Tripit adds itinerary editing to iPhone app
We've been fans of the Tripit app & web travel manager since we first looked at it back in 2009, and the latest updates to it haven't cooled our ardor at all. Tripit makes simple something that could be very complicated. It takes all the various emailed itineraries you have for a trip -- flights, hotel bookings, car rentals and so on -- and turns them into one master itinerary with your car rental booking following your flight and preceding your arrival at your hotel. You can view your itinerary online; the iPhone app gives you offline access to it, and with one click you can add the whole thing to your iCal or Entourage calendar. Now Tripit has added the ability to edit your itinerary in that iPhone app; for example, you can change a flight time in case of cancellation or delay. You can also swipe-delete items that are no longer needed, and Tripit will notify you of conflicts if you make changes to flights. The price is still right too; the app is free with ads, or there's a $1.99 ad-free version and then the Pro anual supscription version at US$49 a year. (Edited to clarify ad-free pricing)
Choose My Adventure: I've been digging on the homestead...
All the live long day! Sing it with me now... There really is something to be said for creating your own world. How many of you gamers out there have just ached for a MMO game in which you could truly affect the world instead of rolling along on a predestined path that is the same for everyone? As I delve deeper into Xsyon, that is what I find -- a world where my actions have real meaning. A world where we can change not only the political and economic landscapes but the literal landscape. For Choose My Adventure this week, you, the Massively readers, decided that I shall work on my architecture skills and place a homestead (thereby allowing me to terraform). This really highlights some of the most unique features of the game. Although I dove into these new tasks with gusto, I now know why olden-day manual laborers sang songs during their work -- there is serious need of brain stimulation during long, monotonous labor. And building a new world from the ground up is seriously a long and slow process. If nothing else, Xsyon is not a game for the instant-gratification crowd. Which is all the better, in my opinion. For a deeper look at terraforming, crafting, and general life in the Tahoe Basin, build a bridge over the cut and check out where our adventures led this week.
Free for All: Ten tips for the virtual traveler
This week I decided to take a break from analyzing cash-shop models and theorizing over what players might consider "nickel-and-diming" (hint: it doesn't exist) to bring you some frequent MMO traveler tips. Now, if you are the type who enjoys playing one game for years and years or who doesn't have any interest in most any other game, this is not for you. These are a few tips that I have learned from covering games over the last years of my life, especially during my time with Massively. Since I have been here (it will be a year in March, if I recall) I have been embarking on a journey across all types of MMOs, one MMO per week. I might not remember everything I have done, but I do remember how to make sure that I feel satisfied after spending only a week in each game. Granted, many of the games I have played have stuck around for a long, long time, some of them becoming favorites. Recently, though, I put so much more into playing the current game that I have to let it go in order to put that much into the next one. How do you live this virtual vagabond lifestyle and still feel good about yourself? What about the golden rule -- a week isn't long enough to get any ideas about an MMO? Well, click past the cut and I'll try to explain.
TUAW's Daily App: Trip Cubby Free
I already use David Barnard's great Gas Cubby app to track all of my gas purchases on my little 2005 Matrix, but since I'm getting ready to drive up to Las Vegas today for the big CES show this week (stay tuned for lots of Apple-related coverage right here on TUAW), now seems like a good time to take a look at Trip Cubby, another solid tracking app from the developer. Trip Cubby allows you to monitor and track any driving trips you happen to make. While the app is made to track them for business purposes (if you need to get reimbursed or paid for your time on the road), you can track your mileage, travel time and expenses for any reason at all. Before a trip, you just enter some basic information about where you're going and why into the app (and you can tag it with whatever else you want). As you travel, you simply track your odometer, any costs and timing, and Trip Cubby will take care of the rest, giving you all the reports you need. For hardcore users, Trip Cubby can even support multiple drivers and vehicles, and you can create custom deduction categories or sort and search all of your trips. Just like Gas Cubby, always having an app like this on your phone can be super helpful, as long as you're diligent (and when you're traveling for business to get reimbursed, you should be anyway). I'll appreciate having it along at CES this week. The free version of the app is full-featured, but it has ads in it, as you can see in the pic. The full version of the app is US$4.99, but it removes the ads and allows for online syncing as well.
Spot Connect brings GPS tracking and communication to your Bluetooth phone
Like it or not, we're stuck in a world fascinated with convergence, and while Spot's Satellite GPS Messenger did its job well, it still required users to tote around a dedicated, non-integrated, standalone device. Unfortunately, we're still no closer to seeing a mainstream smartphone with a legitimate GPS module within, but Spot's edging ever closer with the Spot Connect. This GPS puck is equipped with a Bluetooth transceiver, enabling it to "sync with smartphone operating systems like Android" when you're too deep in the brush to nab a cellular signal. From there, it'll allow your smartphone to determine location via the Globalstar satellite network, and even transmit that information to personal contacts or an international emergency response center. Users can send location-based texts or emails via satellite, update social networks from remote locations, track progress on Google Maps / My Tracks and store up to ten predefined messages for quick referencing and sending. Just imagine the Foursquare check-ins you could manage with this bad boy! The puck itself is waterproof to an IPX7 standard and weighs just 3.7 ounces, and we're told that more mobile operating systems will be supported "later this year." The Connect will go on sale this month for $169.99, though the services described above will run argonauts $99.99 per year. Full release is after the break.
Delta Airlines to install gate-area charging stations in 19 U.S. airports
Delta Airlines is helping to make life a bit easier for travelers that hope to top off their batteries before getting onto a plane. Until now, fliers often had to scour the corners of gate areas to find an available outlet to scrounge some spare electrons. Last week, the world's largest airline began installing charging stations in the gate areas of 19 U.S. airports. Delta plans to install two charging points at each gate, each of which has six 110 volt outlets and two USB ports. In addition to the charging stations in the public gate areas, Delta is installing charging pads for phones and other smaller devices in Sky Club lounges. The upgrades are part of a $2 billion program to update Delta's airport facilities and the stations should be in place by early 2011. Thankfully, given how Delta and other airlines have been nickel-and-diming passengers for everything from checked bags to food in recent years, the charging stations will be free of charge. Now if we could just do something about the security procedures before we get to the gate, flying would be a lot less painful.
11.6-inch MacBook Air cleared to remain packed through security, but we'd remove it anyway
Really, TSA? Are you honestly so stoked to disappoint? If you'll recall, the American Transportation Security Administration got up close and personal with a first-generation MacBook Air after wrongly assuming it was an Apocalypse-bringer, and even after adjusting rules so that iPads, netbooks and other smaller electronics could fly through carry-on screening equipment without being unpacked, we've still heard of (and personally experienced) occasions where agents have demanded that tablet PCs be ran through naked. If there's a lesson to learn here, it's that the TSA is consistently inconsistent, and you're probably better off putting everything you own in a separate grey bucket for the sake of covering your bases. The same applies to Apple's new 11.6-inch MacBook Air, which is cleared to undergo TSA scanning while packed under the aforesaid amended rules. In theory, you shouldn't have to remove it from your backpack as you struggle to reach your gate, but if we had to guess, we'd say you'll be ask to take it out and re-run it if you try. But hey, you're only being victimized and scrutinized in the name of security, so it's all good. Trust us.
China's Shanghai-Hangzhou rail line opens, hits record breaking speed of 262mph
High speed railways, particularly in Asia, have been soaring at around 200 miles per hour for quite some time now, but given just how much pride the Chinese have in their own rail system, it's no shock to hear the entire nation gloating about a new speed record. Of course, we're pretty partial to records ourselves, so we'll happily open up a round of applause when a bullet train hits 262 miles per hour without imploding. The newfangled Shanghai-Hangzhou connection (which connects Hongqiao and Hangzhou) has gone into service today, with most riders treated to a top speed of only 220 miles per hour. Officials have already stated that they're hoping to improve speeds to over 312 miles per hour, with other nations reportedly anxious to get ahold of their technology. Oh, and if you're curious about details, the CRH380 train covers 126 miles in just 45 minutes, with seats starting as low as $12. Update: We've learned that a maglev train in China has been known to hit around 268 miles per hour as recently as two months ago -- we're sure semantics are to blame here.
AT&T announces pay-as-you-go international data packages for laptops
It may not be a substitute for an international MiFi rental service, but AT&T is now at least offering a few more options to keep travelers' laptops connected around the globe. The carrier has just announced a range of new pay-as-you-go international data packages as part of its AT&T DataConnect Pass Global service, which are available in 30-day session increments and provide coverage in more than a hundred countries. Look for them to start at $24.99 for a 20MB package and top out at $199.99 for 200MB. Head on past the break for the full press release.
Xcom Global international MiFi / data rental service review
A few months earlier in the year, we covered the arduous process of staying connected while traveling abroad. One of the ways we mentioned for jetsetters, backpackers and common tourists to stay jacked in while situated far from their homeland was a MiFi rental service from Xcom Global. The company has only been operating for a matter of months, but we recently took their services for a spin in order to give you a more detailed look at what to expect. The long and short of it? These guys are the guys to contact when you're about to grab your next passport stamp. Read on to find out why.
TravelTeq's 'The Trip Sound' luggage boasts integrated speaker, USB charging port
Heaven only knows if you could actually squeeze this thing into the overhead bin of an Airbus A319, but darn if we wouldn't give our left arm to try. TravelTeq's newest piece of luggage makes just about every other average piece of zip-up cloth look downright antediluvian, but with a price tag well north of $700, that's certainly to be expected. It's engineered to be toted onboard your aircraft, with the top doubling as a seat and a set of pull-out wheels ensuring that you never tip it over whilst darting from one end of PHX to the other. It's fairly clear that the technophile was in mind during this unit's creation, as it touts a dedicated laptop pouch, a reinforced aluminum exterior, inbuilt speaker system (two drivers and 15 total watts of power), a 3.5mm auxiliary input, and a port for charging your mobile (or anything else with a USB port, save for an iPad). The Trip Sound is up for order right now, and we're guessing the toughest decision of all will be deciding between white or red wheels.
Kobo e-reader sashays into ten Fairmont hotel properties, adds to your poolside experience
Oh sure, you've been able to get your hands on iPads, iPhones and Kindles when checking in before, but a Kobo? Nah. Well, until now. Announced today, the a-okay e-reader company has landed a deal with Fairmont that'll put e-book readers into the hands of select guests at select properties. Specifically, Fairmont Gold-level guests that are members of the (free to join) President's Club will be able to trial a Kobo during their stay free of charge, and they'll find each one brimming with a variety of fiction, non-fiction and high drama titles. Upon returning the device (as if there's another alternative, right?), patrons will be gifted with a $2 off coupon for Random House titles, and if you're curious as to which ten properties will be involved in the offer, head on past the break and have a look.
Mercedes SLS AMG and Isle of Man take center stage in 'world's fastest 3D car film'
Frankly, you could've stopped at "Mercedes SLS AMG" and "Isle of Man," but toss in ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, a litany of 3D cameras, helicopters and a closed section of the Mountain Road... and well, you've got magic in the making. The crew here set out to create the "world's fastest 3D film," and honestly, we aren't in any position to doubt 'em. We're also guessing that this 4 minute and 2 second masterpiece will be looped in Benz dealerships around the world, and for good reason. Word has it that the clip will be shown on Sky 3D across the pond, but there's no telling when it'll grace three-dee screens in North America and beyond. While we wait, feast your senses on the 2D version just beyond the break.
Guest Post: Northrend truckers -- a tale of WoW OTR
This article has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. After spending three years crammed into a call center with 600 reps sitting in quarter-cubes so small I could hear the other reps on all sides of me, I decided it was time to ditch the tech support world and go see America. Four weeks and $2,200 later, I had my Class A Commercial Driver's License, thanks to a truck driving school outside Springfield, Mo. Before venturing out, I wanted to purchase a decent laptop for gaming (we were attempting to do full clears of Zul'Aman when I decided on my career change). I ended up purchasing a HP Compaq NC8430, after catching it on special. It had the Intel Core 2 Duo T5600, ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600, and I upgraded the memory to 4GB of DDR2-667. After loading WoW and all my addons, I was happily running around Shattrath at 60 FPS! I also purchased Skyworth's 19", 12-volt LCD TV to use as a second monitor and to also watch television on in the few occasions I stopped overnight near a big city (Big Bang Theory is not available online). I didn't want to mess with a laptop and a GPS system, so I purchased Microsoft Streets 2006. MS Streets came with a plugin USB GPS that had about a six-foot cord on it along with a suction cup. Through blind luck while surfing the web, I also found Jotto Desk, a very nice laptop for semis that mounts to the base of the passenger seat and has an arm that extends over to the driver seat for easy access. While a bit of a pain to install, the effort was well worth it. The people who invented the Jotto Desks deserve an award or a free case of Bawls or something. Having successfully installed Jotto Desk and mounted my USB GPS to the front windshield, I was almost ready to hit the open road! All I had to figure out now was a way to get internet no matter where in the United States I happened to be.
Bing Maps' Taxi Fare Calculator keeps your lollygagging cab driver in check
We've all been there -- you step into a cab in a foreign place, ask your driver to head to your destination, and then he / she asks you if you'd rather take the highway or go direct. Or, worse still, senses your innocence and proceeds to head the wrong direction for two or three miles. In an effort to give desperate travelers a better sense of how much it'll cost to get from point A to point B D in a cab, Bing Maps' new Taxi Fare Calculator was created. Turns out, this add-in for the mapping service was built by someone hankering to win the King of Bing Maps competition, and while it's only capable of calculating routes around a few dozens cities right now, we get the impression that this could soon grow into a monster of its own. Hey Microsoft, when's the (badly needed) optimized-for-mobile version coming out?
Guest Post: Raiding on the road
This article has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. I have been playing World of Warcraft on the road for the last three years now, and what an adventure it has been. I started out on an old HP Pavilion zv6000 weighing in at about 8 pounds, with a 800 x 600 resolution and 800 MB of RAM. Not only was the beast of a laptop fun to haul through security lines at the airport, but it was heavy and slow. 25-man raids were next to impossible (I'm talking to you, Heigan), with frame rates under 5 FPS most of the time. I was eventually convinced to buy a new machine, and I decided to go with a MacBook Pro. I'm currently running version 4, which is the 17" widescreen with the Intel Core 2 Duo with 2.6 Mzh GHz processors and 4 GB of RAM. It's a pretty decent machine, with frame rates in the 30s in Dalaran and 25-man frame rates around 5-25 FPS, depending on the fight (less if I'm trying to FRAPS a fight or Marrowgar's fire is involved). The biggest changes I have made between playing on my desktop (Dell XPS 720 series) at home and my MacBook on the road have been in regard to addons and special effect details in the video settings. I have optimized every addon I use to keep the lowest memory usage possible (for example, Skada instead of Recount), making use of all 4 GB I have on that machine and ensuring my machine is doing the best it can. I use Addon Control Panel to turn off every non-essential addon come raid time, including Auctioneer, Jamba (for when I am dual-boxing), SexyMap, etc. I love Addon Control Panel, as it lets me save addon sets in different states depending on what I am doing. I have a raiding 10-man version, a raiding 25-man version, and questing-, leveling- and auction-based sets that I can flip between at the click of my mouse.
Call for Submissions: On the road with World of Warcraft
Do you play World of Warcraft while you're on the road? Tell us about your setup: hardware, connectivity, voice comms ... What about jittery performance on netbooks or older laptops -- worth it, or not? Are there hotels that always offer a great connection, or others that are sure WoW-killers? Do you use WoW as a way of staying in touch with those back at home? WoW.com is accepting article submissions on playing WoW on the road. Submissions should be between 750 and 1,000 words. We will not accept articles submitted under player names or pen names; please use your full, real name and email. Artwork is not mandatory, but any you choose to include must be your own work or from creative commons.
Visualized: Boeing's CST-100 gets you and six friends to space... for cheap!
It's not expected to make its first jaunt to outer space before 2014, but Boeing's "low-cost" Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) will allow up to seven Earthlings to travel up to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The best part? Once you spend up to seven months docked at the International Space Station, you'll rely on "the aid of parachutes [as you head] to an airbag-cushioned landing on dry ground." Something tells us the crew of Jackass will be all over this in just a few years.
