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Walt Disney World Notescast for iPhone: one Disnerd's review
To start with: I am a Disney fan -- to be precise, it's a lot like the way Jack Nicholson is a Laker fan -- so on my very nearly annual expeditions to a Disney park, I don't really need the map. I have memorized shortcuts and low-traffic restrooms, how to get all the good stuff done in one day, and loads more random bits (look closely in the Hall Of Presidents; molds for their faces are used on other animatronics around the park), mostly because carrying them around in my head was the easiest way to carry them. Then I got my iPhone (my first smartphone) and was able to put data on my phone (which I always carry with me). Enter the Walt Disney World Notescast. This $0.99 app is a handy planning/informational tool that can guide your entire Walt Disney World trip, from vacation packages to tips on annual events and park history. I tested the iPhone version of this app, but TimeStream Software also sells a $1.99 version for notes-capable classic iPods and nanos. It doesn't rely on a data connection and you can carry all this info with you easily.When you first launch the application, you get a list of options to choose from. I liked the variety of options, but I wish I could customize or at least re-order it so I could get at a few of the options more quickly. There is a bookmark system available, but I ended up bookmarking a lot of things so that list went non-functional pretty quickly. And while I understand not having a ton of information on one page, I had a hard time figuring out why there were breaks between, for example, "Tours of EPCOT I" and "Tours of EPCOT II". I love the list of phone numbers, especially since I can tap the number to make the call. In the now cutthroat world of Disney Dining, having that number handy -- as well as the ticket line and even the camping and Magical Express numbers, not usually easy to find on the WDW site -- is a huge convenience.
De-clutter: How I used my iPhone and Evernote to travel light
Recently I spent a few days in Paris, France. I travel light: One bag (pro tip: Roll your clothes), one jacket and one hat. I love getting my necessities down to a single carry-on bag. What I hate is all the paper. Airline confirmation receipts, bus schedules, relevant correspondence from family and friends, etc. Not to mention lists of restaurants to try, sights to see, etc. This time I went nearly paper-free (I'm sticking with paper boarding passes for international flights, although iPhone scanning has been done and is now officially supported by some carriers), thanks to my iPhone and 2 applications. Here's how I did it.Tracking flightsOf course, the first thing I've got to do is line up all of my flights. I typically go from Boston to Newark when I'm traveling internationally, which means there are several connecting flights to manage with Flight Update and Evernote.Flight Update [App Store link] is among my top 5 iPhone apps. Here's how it works and why I love it. First, add a trip and then add your flights. You can designate a preferred airline if there's one you use often. Enter your flight number and date (or search by route if you prefer) and Flight Update fills in an incredible amount of data as if by magic.You'll get airtime, departing and arriving airport, terminal, distance, scheduled meals and so much more. It even identifies the type of plane and offers a color-coded seating chart (the colors rate the seats by desirability). You can even search for alternate flights should a problem arise.What I really love about Flight Update is that it consistently beats the airport at dispensing timely information. For example, the flight I took from Newark, New Jersey to Boston, MA this past Monday was listed as delayed on my iPhone before the announcement was made at the gate. When the delay was later lifted (thank goodness), my iPhone let me know before the airport did. That's awesome. At $4.99US, you simply can't beat Flight Update. Every iPhone-toting traveler ought to own it.Eliminating paperWith Flight Tracker handling the airplanes, I turned to Evernote [App Store link] to handle the paper. This is straightforward: I made a notebook called "Paris" and filled it with: Confirmation codes for each flight, including the original emails as PDFs Hotel information Correspondence from family members I'd be traveling with Special instructions With each one tagged "Paris," I simply created a saved search. Here's how. First, enter your search term. Next, click the little blue arrow, scroll down and select "Save Search." From then on, you can access all documents that meet your criteria (in my case, a single tag) by hitting the bookmark button. In fact, I just left it there for the duration of my trip.When I checked in at the airport kiosk, I simply grabbed my confirmation number from Evernote. Same with the hotel. When I found the restaurants and other points of interest that I wanted to explore, I snapped a photo note and applied the "Paris" tag. Back at the hotel, everything was sent to the Evernote servers via the free WiFi.This has been said before, but Evernote (free from the App Store, basic and premium plans available) is awesome. Human beings have short term memory, long term memory and now, Evernote.Keep in mindGoing paperless isn't without risk. There's a good chance that your airport will have a lousy cell signal and no free WiFi. Having to pony up $5 or so just to get a code is a hassle if you forgot to sync before leaving the house. Additionally, not all ticket agents are tolerant of kids these days with their fancy smart phones, and may give you an odd look (or a hard time) when you say, "I don't have the printout, but I have my iPhone!" Hence my hesitation to abandon paper boarding passes.Finally, Evernote displays PDFs as attachments, meaning you can't view them without an internet connection. If you think that might be an issue, copy and paste the text itself into a note.In the end I had a very enjoyable travel experience with just a small bag, my wallet and my iPhone. Here's a huge thank you to the developers of Flight Tracker and Evernote. Your apps are awesome.As noted by our commenters below, you may also get a travel boost out of the Tripit app, which Steve reviewed not long ago.
Officers' Quarters: Surviving summer
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.My guild's members mostly reside in the northeastern U.S. and Canada. As such, the summer is a great season for us: barbecues, outdoor sports, beaches and lakes, hikes and bike rides -- it's a lot of fun! However, it's also the season where my guild's raiding schedule seems to hang by a thread. And this year is no different.People aren't online as much. Their free time shifts around completely. Some members hardly play at all. It starts to become difficult to fill raid slots. Sometimes it becomes impossible, and we have to cancel raids for a little while. On top of everything else, we've been plagued by a string of technical problems this year. It started out with with one of our healers getting all laggy on us for no apparent reason. Then someone's PC was attacked by an undetected virus. Then another one of our healers had their PC die mid-raid. Then a tank's motherboard exploded.
Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600?
We know, you were hoping to just glance over today's hottest articles in the world of consumer electronics, and along comes this: something that actually asks a little of you. Trust us, it'll be alright, and hey -- after you've replied, you can send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com. "The family and I are headed to Walt Disney World in June for the first time. I have a Canon Digital Rebel and a Canon GL1, but really do not want to haul either or both of them to the Magic Kingdom with us. So, the question is: what is the best camera that does great stills and video and is super small? Under 600 bones preferably. Thanks!" No Rich, thank you for making us all envious. Be sure to take the advice that'll surely flow in comments below and send us picture postcards while waiting in line to ride the Tower of Terror for the forty-third time. (Seriously, do not miss Tower of Terror.)
The Daily Grind: Meeting your MMO pals in real-life
This weekend, several local friends and I have been hosting a number of our real-life guild-mates. (We locals are all guilded together with the exception of one or two of us who have left that particular MMO and moved on.) Originally, it was just to be one or two people, but grew in size until we were a pretty solid rolling force when we decided to head out and catch Watchmen - first for some, second for others. That said, we've been friends for years, traveling to each other's weddings, parties, and all the rest - but most of us met via MMO. This morning we thought we'd ask you - have you ever traveled just to hang out with your MMO friends in real-life? Do you guys make travel plans to take vacations together (like say, a cruise) like some of our group does? Or is it something you really wouldn't ever do, short of seeing them at a convention or meetup for your favorite game that you might attend?
An artistic look at the Alliance Northrend flight points
When Jackhammer of EU Frostwhisper first sent us this Alliance Northrend flight point gallery, I kind of shrugged it off. Flight points are the most traveled places in the game, by definition. Why would we be interested in something we see all the time. You take pictures on vacation, not at home. But after looking through it, I was struck by just how well-crafted these places are. From the Fizzcrank Airstrip to the heights of Icecrown, there's a lot of beauty to be found in these places as well, and not just on the back of a griffon.It's a nice gallery, and it gives you a nice hint of just how varied Northrend is -- there are fires burning and flightmasters giving rides all over the continent, and by browsing through the pictures, you get a good look at what kinds of crevices the Alliance have inserted themselves into in Northrend. And if nothing else, it's some nice art to look through on a Saturday afternoon.
Navigon teams with Rand McNally to put a little travel in your PND
Not that we haven't seen navigator manufacturers partner up with travel companies before, but it's still pretty rare to hear of a PND maker looking out for the travelers and not just the completely lost crowd. Here at CES, Navigon has just announced a partnership with Rand McNally (the first of its kind, we hear), which will result in Scenic Routers and City Guides from the aforesaid firm being available on Navigon devices. The guides will provide over 250 scenic routers and pre-planned trips across all 50 states (we're guessing the Road To Hana made the cut?) and Canada, and there's also information on the best attractions and landmarks in more than 1,400 US / Canadian cities. The new data packs will be available on select Navigon units as well as in retail outlets and Navigon.com this Spring for $19.99 each.
Survey finds over half of football fans would take an HDTV over vacation
My, my -- no wonder the rest of the world says Americans toil too often and play too little. A recent survey, which was commissioned by Samsung, found that over half (54%) of the football fanatics polled would "most likely purchase a new HDTV for the start of football season if their budget allowed." Moreover, 51% of pigskin fans would "forego a one week vacation and put that money towards an HDTV purchase," which also means that a decent chunk of committed pigskin fans would willingly accept a beating from their SO. Other expected results include: 61% felt that "HDTV is required for a successful football-viewing party, more than surround sound or alcohol," and that 62% of fans believe watching the game in HDTV "allows them to make better calls than the referees in the game." That last one explains a lot about your friend Jim, now doesn't it?
Breakfast topic: Vacation to Northrend
Hooray! After months of speculation, we finally have a release date for Wrath of the Lich King. The World (of Warcraft) will soon be chock full of Death Knights and Inscriptionists. There are so many things to look forward to. I can't decide which character to level first. I'll have some time. As promised, I put in my Paid Time Off request for a few days after the release. I'm very surprised at Thursday release date, but I'm not complaining. I'm taking the twelfth through the sixteenth of November off work. I beat the release-request rush at work, so my time is approved. See you in Northrend. Are you rearranging your schedule for the coming of Wrath?
Top 5: Games for your Day Off
Gaming is a hobby, but sometimes it can feel like a job. As developers try to boost replayability, your gaming commitments can become anxiety-inducing. Just ask anyone who dared to attempt achieving 100% of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. At first, it's a fun and wonderful romp through a vivid world that's just oozing with life and character. By the end, you wish you'd never left Vice City. Did anyone here complete all of Super Smash Bros Brawl? I'm talking Classic Mode with every character, all of the Event matches, the target smashes, and every trophy and sticker available. At a certain point, some games can become an obligation rather than a means to entertainment. Today being Labor Day in the US, let's take a break from completing every mission, collecting every star, and unlocking all bonus content. Sometime between your 11 AM rise from bed and your evening consumption of copious amounts of hot dogs at your family barbeque, take some time to truly enjoy gaming. Here's our Top 5 recommendations. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
3 ways to enjoy your vacation with your Mac
It's time to toss the kids into the back of the family truckster and drive to the shore, acquire a debilitating sunburn on the first day and pay $19 for a hamburger and a soda (not to mention the $100 you spent on gas in the first 24 hours). Summer vacation ... I'm lovin' it!We hope you brought your Apple goodies. Aside from providing a much-needed geek-out at the end of the day, your Mac can actually make your vacation more enjoyable. And nothing says "That week we spent at Clearwater Beach" like the sand you can't extract from your iPhone's headphone jack.Read on for our Mac vacation tips!
Product manager gives an inside look at the AoC launch
Ten Ton Hammer spoke with Funcom product manager Erling Eddison about his experiences at the company, the Age of Conan launch, and ... his vacation plans!Apart from a few vague hints about future patches, there's not much information about the game itself in this interview. However, it does contain an inside look at what the Funcom team went through in the days leading up to AoC's launch. For example, on May 17th (the early access launch day), there was a large screen in the Funcom offices that showed how many players were logged on to the servers. When the servers opened to the early access players, and the numbers skyrocketed, the team broke out the champagne.Eddison plans to take a nice, long vacation -- possibly to Egypt -- before continuing to promote AoC and The Secret World.
WRUP: Take the weekend off edition
If you were looking for something new to play, then this isn't your week. There's pretty much nothing out there, so unless you've been saving a game for a rainy day (or a week that saw no new interesting game releases), then we suggest you break the emergency glass and have at it. Or, here's a novel idea: don't play any games.Wait, wait, hear us out. We're not saying to stop playing games entirely, but maybe taking a weekend off won't be such a bad thing? Clean the gutters like you've been putting off, or go take in a play or movie. Why don't you spend some time with your family or write that Aunt you have in prison? We're sure she would appreciate the attention.For all of you who find the idea of not playing a single game over the course of a weekend preposterous, what will you be playing?
Breakfast Topic: Spring Break!
Next week is spring break at my university. I'm looking forward to a little time off from school. I'll probably spend at least a little of it catching up on World of Warcraft. I'd love to visit someplace warm and lively for the week, but that's just not in the cards. It's amazing how Las Vegas loses its charm once you've lived there for a couple of years. It looks like once again I will be spending my spring break in Azeroth. We asked readers where they would live if they could pick any place in the World of Warcraft in a previous Breakfast Topic. Responses varied from a floating island in Nagrand to Downtown Stormwind City. They all sound like nice places to visit, but I'd hate to live there. I think I would head on down to Stranglethorn Vale for some sightseeing and sunshine. If you could take your spring break anywhere in the game world, where would it be?
The DS Life: Day Ahead
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handhelds and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.The woman had showered, dressed, and even put her shoes on by the time her husband finally crawled out of bed. They were on vacation, so she didn't mind letting him sleep in. It was an opportunity for her to play Mr. Driller while he went through his own morning routine.She had just taken Susumi past the 10,000 ft. mark when she heard the *click* behind her.
The Daily Grind: What MMOG would you holiday in?
The post from New Year's week about 'vacationing' in the world of Guild Wars got me to thinking ... wouldn't some places in Massive games make great holiday hot-spots? I don't know about you, but I already use online games as a cheap and affordable vacation destination; hopping online is a great way to relax and get away from the workaday world. But what if you could actually book a trip with a travel agent to Ferelas, or hire a guide to let you see the sights in Paragon City? For me it would depend on the purpose of the trip, you know? If it was a trip with just my wife, I think we'd want somewhere beautiful and relaxing ... somewhere in the Shire, maybe? If I was going with friends, I'd probably be looking for someplace a bit more lively, like the Mos Eisley cantina or Shattrath City. I bet Shat has some great bars. Think of the drinking contests! And if I were going by myself, I'd definitely want to head somewhere I could have the chance to learn something, a place where I could have some quiet time. The Shing Jea Monastary jumps to mind immediately, as does the Plane of Knowledge. Yeah I know ... I'm a nerd.But that's me. Where would you go if you could take a vacation in your favorite MMOG?
Take a New Year's vacation in Guild Wars
Have a bit of spare time early in this brand-new year? You might consider a vacation to the exotic locales of Guild Wars. The Gamer 2.0 site is featuring a humorous travelogue of parts of Cantha, Elona, and Tyria, with commentary on the suitability of various zones as travel destinations.For more sights of Guild Wars, check out our own gallery below, or some of the highly talented screenshot artists plying their trade on Flickr. You never know what might be your next hot-spot for travel!%Gallery-9135%
Rand McNally GPS Navigator sports pre-planned vacations
Sure, your navigation unit might sport a 7-inch LCD, support Bluetooth calling, or track your roaming pet around the neighborhood, but can it make vacation planning decisions for you? Rand McNally's latest GPS handheld boasts "door-to-door" routing in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but the 26 preloaded "best of the road" trip itineraries steal the show. These top-notch American road trips were selected by the company's own award-winning editorial staff, and include tourist-friendly attractions, eateries, and fuel stations to stop at along the way. Aside from prepackaged journeys, the nav sports a 3.5-inch QVGA color touchscreen, 20-channel SiRF Star III receiver, MP3 player, obligatory robotic voice prompts, multistop route planning / mileage calculator, and a (self-explanatory) "Go Home" button. If you've got a full tank of gas and nowhere to be -- or you'd rather not spend half your vacation figuring out where to go -- the $499.99 GPS Navigator can queue up your next fun-filled excursion with the simple press of a button.[Via GPSLodge]
Breakfast Topic: On Holiday with Azeroth
The problem with becoming immersed in WoW is that it's hard to leave behind -- I'm at the Develop conference at the moment, and whenever there's an hour or so of downtime I'm tempted to just log in and.. you know, check auctions or something.I succumbed to the temptation when I discovered a convenient wireless access point.. on the beach. What's the oddest place you've taken WoW? Or do you have more self-control than I -- can you leave it behind happily?
How Schools Want You to Spend Your Summer
In response to our summer vacation topic the other day, the Collegiate Times has posted a list of summer vacation 'do's & don'ts' (how quaint), and coming in at number five on that list:5.) DON'T lock yourself in your room all day playing video games. It's only acceptable to spend eight consecutive hours in a virtual fairy-land if you are doing so with another human. Instead of closing your door and giving everyone the sneaking suspicion that you have formed an irrefutable bond with your right hand, knock on the next room down and make friends with dudeface so you can combine your warrior fighting noob powers. Don't worry, Zelda's Twilight Princess will be out in November, and you will have plenty of time to hide away in the darkest corner of your room to ride Chocobos and raise your HP to "Level 9 - Congratulations! You've graduated to the shameless rank of social outcast!" - insert retainer slurping noises here.So, does that mean that as long as you're playing games with other people, then it's ok? Is it just the Zelda games they want you to stay away from? And if so, why do they want you to wait until the school year to start playing? Something's fishy here...
