Tagged With "E-Books"
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Re: Expedia lifts the veil on airline fees
I like transparency and think this is welcome news for travel consumers. Also a smart move on the part of Expedia, I think.
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
It's a nightmare! A fair chunk of my packing now includes various chargers, connection cables and mains power adaptors for phones, iPads, Kindles. cameras.... Oh, plus a universal backup power supply battery (RAVPOWER - good value) in case I cannot get to a mains socket - just to keep in touch! I have to say that the Euro proposal to have ONE single charger for all devices has some merit!! PS - watch out that chargers that are sold as suitable for iPhones are often not powerful enough to...
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
The RAVPOWER unit that I went for is shown on the following link (a real mouthful): http://www.ravpower.com/ravpow...hite-us-version.html This model has enough power to fully recharge an iPad! Currently available from Amazon for USD 36.00 They also do more powerful packs. (Hope this doesn't cut across any "No Advertising" policies
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
No, Mac, that doesn't cross any sort of policy. We want to help travelers get good honest feedback about products that might be helpful to them on the road (or conversely that aren't worth the money). What's not tolerated is people paid to promote products on our website and providing dishonest information. Ravpower is exactly the kind of unit I'm looking for. Need to go order it soon.
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
In the Duel of the Devices, I'm going to declare the RAVPower unit the winner. Both of these devices are essentially external batteries, something that's becoming more popular as more phones come with non-removable batteries. There are two critical differences, however: capacity and output. The PowerStick has a capacity of 750mAh (about half the power held by an average cellphone battery) and a maximum output current of 700mA (phone chargers usually supply 1000mA). The RAVpower device has a...
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
By the way...here's my solution to the other charger issue (plugging in at home). It's a 5-port USB host that has a short cord to plug in (no brick to get in the way at the outlet) and takes 5 standard USB cords for your devices...the kind that come with your device, although more are available cheaply. The five outputs include 2 2100mA for iPad, 2 1000mA for most phones, and 1 1300mA for Samsung. All can be used for any device up to the designated output (that is, you can plug your phone...
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
PowerStick only charges from a USB port. The PowerStick has a capacity of 750mAh Perfect ! That is all that I need for my modest travel needs - just a little juice for a camera or my old flip (!) phone, if needed during a day of sightseeing. The PowerStick is only about the size of a pen, takes no thought to use and does not involve batteries. My kind of tool. Travelers who carry a lot more toys have greater needs than little me.
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
Well, I understand the urge for simplicity and not getting tied down...but both the PowerStick and the RAVPower ar e batteries. The RAVPower isn't big; about the size of a cellphone. But it costs 30% less, and will actually put a full charge on a phone, which the other won't. In fact, it will put a full charge on about 6 phones.
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
Ran across this device for charging smartphones http://www.jackeryusa.com/
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Re: Hotels.com: Most mobile bookings are last-minute
That actually makes a lot of sense. The beauty of smartphones and the like is their ability to let you get things done at the last minute -- complete with price comparisons, etc. I know that a lot of hotels offer deep discounts the last day if they have a lot of spare inventory, but you're taking a risk at a busy time in a busy place. I tend to be more of a planner and to save my travel time for traveling and not looking for hotels. But to each his own.
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Re: Dublin, Ireland's Trinity College: Where Gumbo Was #29
Amazing Library, very inspiring, if i would go to college there i will be at library every day ( at my college i go to library only at the end of the semester )
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Re: Dublin, Ireland's Trinity College: Where Gumbo Was #29
Thanks for the note, Andre. It is a great library, but like many college students those at Trinity College like to party as much as study, so you'll likely not see them there much before the end of the semester either. What you might find even more amazing is that every student has the right to sign out any of those books (with the exception of the ancient ones like the Book of Kells). Despite how historic it looks, it is still a university library for students.
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Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
Detectives and espionage thrillers. George Simenon in France, Eric Ambler all over and especially in Istanbul, an expanding list of Scandinavians going back to Maj Sjovall/Per Wahloo and including Mankell, Nesbo and Larsson; Arnaldur Indridadsen and others in Iceland, Brunetti and Montalbano in Italy...the list is endless and appears to be a real driver of our travel. I've tried to think why, and I think it is in part because detective and spy novels, when well done, are of their time and...
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Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
People always laugh when I tell them this but the book that most inspired me to travel was Arthur C Clarke's "2001 a Space Odyssey". It made me want to see the universe -- or at least Clavius Base on the moon. It wasn't until later that I learned I'd have to settle for staying on the planet. Little did I know those journeys would one day lead me to the home and friendship of the man who wrote the book that so inspired me.
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Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
I get booksellers' e-newsletters and paper catalogs and run across interesting travel-related items from time to time. Many are on remainder sites so "quantities are limited" but when a post is fresh here, you'll likely get it if you want it. Spotted today in the Daedalus Books catalog is one by Ian Buruma, Bad Elements: Chinese Rebels from Los Angeles to Beijing , " a dissident's eye-view of the world's most secretive superpower, observing, "Strange things happen when Chinese dynasties near...
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Re: Waived Booking Fees on AA Award Travel
Really good news, because some of those partner flights are hard to book online even when you know they exist. This should make it easier to make connection to a number of areas in Europe without having to do Heathrow...
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Re: London: a Few of My Favorite Things
Nothing quite like Chinese dumplings, a fine house tour, and the smell of English books to round out a gooooood travel day!
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Re: London: a Few of My Favorite Things
Thanks for the memories, and the reminder of how much of London's best bits are hidden away in odd corners! And thanks also for the prompt to stop skipping the Portrait Gallery...
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Re: London: a Few of My Favorite Things
Daunt's Books, one of my favorite things, made The Guardian's list of favorite independent bookshops . . . yay!
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What changes in European hotel booking could mean to you...
You may soon have a real reason to use a "metasearch" site such as Kayak or Travago to find your European hotel room, rather than an actual booking site such as Booking.com or Expedia. Up to now, almost all prices have been the same; that may be about...
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Hotels.com: Most mobile bookings are last-minute
Hotels.com, one of the leading on-line bookers, reports that over 60% of its mobile app users are booking same-day. It also reports that mobile app users tend to shorter stays than traditional customers. CLICK HERE for more.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 17, 2015: Shakespeare Books, Avignon
I didn’t really need more books, but how could I not visit the English bookstore, Shakespeare Books, in Avignon. I was staying in this great medieval town on the Rhône, on the south side just inside the wall near...
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FAA posts warning: E-cigarettes can cause onboard fires
The FAA has notified airlines that e-cigarettes in checked bags, possibly left on accidentally, can—and have—caused fires in cargo holds and on the ground. DETAILS
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How big is the hotel booking business? Now you know!
Sometimes numbers get so big they're hard to visualize or believe, and here's one of those numbers: During the first three months of 2015, booking.com handled 106,400,000 hotel room nights. That's right...over 100 million....
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Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
The book I always think of in this regard is ‘The Sheltering Sky’, by Paul Bowles. And the subsequent movie, with the devilish John Malkovich as, guess who, Port Moresby. It inspired me to take the plunge and travel outside Europe, to Morocco, a place I’ve returned again and again, sure that would be so as soon as I read the book. But there have been others - ‘The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong’, by Edward Gargan, added Yunnan Province in China to my first round-the-world destination...
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Booking.com's new venture: services for hotels
Booking.com's new plan: work both sides of the front desk at hotels. Photo: Wikimedia / opera cadet Booking.com, possibly the biggest busiest on-line hotel booking site, is trying out a venture on the other side: Their...
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Holy Cannoli! Italian town builds 3-ton Tiramisu!
The northern Italian town of Gemona has gotten its just desserts: a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, and over 3 tons (3015 kg) of tiramisu. The coffee-flavored treat beat a months-old record by over 1000 kilos. I know what you're...
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Expedia buys Orbitz; now it's down to 3
Or maybe 2. Expedia has snapped up Orbitz and its subsidiary brands, including ebookers.com and CheapTickets.com. In the past year it has also acquired former main rival Travelocity. Its remaining big rival is Priceline, which owns...
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Amazon Edges Closer to Hotel Booking
Amazon has repeatedly denied it wants to move into the world of online travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity or booking sites like booking.com, but they keep making moves that look like that's in their future. The latest move is...
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Waived Booking Fees on AA Award Travel
This may not be news to some of you, but it is new to me. Heading to the AAdvantage webpage to see what flights might be available, I discovered a notice informing us that American now waives fees when booking by phone, starting today, when reserving...
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Kirsten Hines' new book just released!
Frequent contributor, Kirsten Hines, has a new book on beautiful Biscayne National Park. Kirsten did all the photography and co-wrote much of it.
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A Visit to the Al Ain Zoo, U.A.E
DrFumblefinger was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely first-class zoo in the middle of the desert, near the oasis city of Al Ain.
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London: a Few of My Favorite Things
PortMoresby ends the tale of her trip to England with the things she cannot do without - art, food, books and a visit to a beautiful house.
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Oct. 25, 2017: Harvard Square, Cambridge
Take a walk with Samantha through the famed neighborhood that is a center to both the university and the city of Cambridge.
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Books, Posters and Magic
Jonathan L takes us on a tour of some small galleries in midtown New York.
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Cycling in Rome with an e-bike
Sponsored content presenting reasons for use of an e-bike in the Eternal City of Rome.
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The Ultimate Guide To Booking Your First Cruise
Even though it’s a piece of cake compared to booking a conventional vacation, booking your first cruise might seem like an intimidating experience. Do you visit the Komodo national park ? Do you opt for an Amazon cruise? Or do you go for something completely else? There are decisions to be made – from where to sail, to which cruise line to opt for, and how to get the most for your money. So, is there something that can be done in order to make booking your first cruise an easier experience?
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Travel Agents Not Happy With Marriotts Direct Booking Campaign
The President of the American Society of Travel Agents, Zane Kirby, released this statement about Marriott's Direct Booking Campaign. "Suppliers have the right to market their product however they choose, as long as the advertisements are legal...
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Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences
It may seem unusual for a travel writer to be interested in the abandoned, derelict and forgotten. I am usually telling my readers where to travel and what to visit when they get there. But Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences is such a...
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Expedia lifts the veil on airline fees
In a move possibly intended to show a little difference from its rivals, Expedia will now display typical airline fees, including baggage charges and change fees before the final purchase of the ticket. Typically, up to now, those charges are...
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TripAdvisor, Booking.com book a deal
TripAdvisor just took one giant step forward in its plans to be a one-stop review and booking site by a deal with booking.com which will allow TripAdvisor to directly book customers into booking.com's 436,000 rooms. It's part of a series...
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Booking.com celebrates one-billionth guest
Booking.com's Amsterdam headquarters Booking.com has just passed a milestone: It booked its one-billionth guest since its start nearly 20 years ago. The site was founded in 1996 in Entschiede in the Netherlands, and is now one of the key...
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6 THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE YOU BOOK A TAXI!
Taxi services or Car Rental Services in udaipur have become an integral part our day to day lives! They facilitate you with travel options on the go and make your journey calculations little less traumatic! But before you pack your bags and hop in, make sure you remember these 6 rules of hiring a taxi! 1. Have A Price Check Before finalising your taxi service in udaipur, have a proper analysis of their fare criteria per kilometer. Check whether the overall bill fits in your budget. In order...
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Mississippi State Capitol: The Magnolia State
Samantha shares her visit to the Capitol of the Magnolia State - Jackson, Mississippi. it was one the first buildings in the state to have electric elevators.
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Dublin, Ireland's Trinity College: Where Gumbo Was #29
Gumbo was visiting historic Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Through the trees (top photo) he saw the college's bell-tower (Campanile), better seen in the second photo. The Campanile is one of Dublin's iconic...
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Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
PICKING THE RIGHT TECH FOR YOUR NEEDS This is part 1 of a 4-part report on communication for travelers. Years ago, traveling meant being out of touch with home, and struggling with unfamiliar pay phones for local calls for...
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Delta's cheap "e-fare" — That's the "Spirit!"
Delta will soon introduce a "basic economy" fare it calls the "e-fare," to compete with low-cost carrier Spirit in a number of markets. It tried the fare out earlier this year in select markets. For a discount from the regular fare (some larger than...
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Summer on Prince Edward Island, Canada
Travel Rob shares why so many people love summers on Prince Edward Island in Canada
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Money Saving Tips, for your Big Trip – Part 2
Part 2 of Samantha's series on how you can save BEFORE you travel!