Historically, I’ve been a self-admitted technology-junkie. I used to be a technology fanatic before that, but time (less of it) got in the way. Today, I still like technology, but first I ask myself, “Will the time I put into learning some new technology pay me back in time-saving dividends down the line?” If the answer is “Yes”, I pick it up. Most of the time, the answer is “No” and I mentally drop it into the “one day when I have time, maybe I’ll pick it up, but until then, this will just be a big time sink” bucket.
It all comes down to efficiency, when and where it makes sense. Tedious tasks - automate them. Repetitive tasks - get it to down a process so you don’t have to think about it. Complex tasks - break them down into simple tasks, then automate what you can. If in doubt, find the keyboard shortcut.
This need for efficiency drove me to read several self-help books. Out of all the self-help books I’ve devoured, only “Getting Things Done” by Dave Allen proved to be practical and immediately valuable. The best part is I didn’t have to apply the entire system to start gaining value from reading the book. I was reminded of this book by a recent radio show titled “Tech Junkies Crazy About ‘Getting Things Done’” on NPR’s “All Things Considered”. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out this book - it was well worth my time and could be worth yours.
Remember, spending time with your loved ones should never be considered a task. Spend as much time as possible with them and avoid automating with a DVD player, television, or anything technology.
Based on the following email, it looks like broadband is coming to an airline near you. A co-worker mentioned Southwest and JetBlue will also be providing broadband access for transcontinental flights.
American Will Be The First U.S. Airline To Launch Aircell’s Real-time Broadband Connectivity
American Airlines is committed to enhancing the travel experience for its customers as the first aircraft installation of the Aircell® Internet broadband connectivity solution has been completed. American, which will be the first U.S. airline to offer customers Aircell’s Internet broadband solution, plans on additional installations and testing of the technology in 2008 on all 15 of its Boeing 767-200 aircraft that primarily fly transcontinental routes.
Aircell’s exclusive air-to-ground broadband system will provide customers with an Internet connection, VPN (virtual private network) access, and e-mail capabilities through all Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, PDAs and portable gaming devices. Customers will experience speeds similar to wireless, mobile, broadband services on the ground
After testing and certification is completed, customer benefits will also include:
• Complimentary access to AA.com including services such as gates and times, fares and AAdvantage information, • Access to the Wall Street Journal Digest Edition, • Compatibility with VPNs used to access corporate intranets and exchange email, • And seamless coverage over the continental U.S. above 10,000 feet.
Aircell will offer the connectivity solution to American Airlines customers in all classes of service on the B767-200 aircraft for a fee.
The jet engine puts me to sleep, but for those of you who need your online fix even in the air. There’s hope in your future.
The key term is checked baggage. You are still allowed to carry spare lithium batteries in your carry-on luggage with some new rules.
Here are the new rules from safetravel.dot.gov:
Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:
- Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
- You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
- You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
- Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.
The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:
- Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
- You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
- For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
- Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!
Examples of extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries (more than 8 but not more than 25 grams of equivalent lithium content): * 130 watt-hour “universal” lithium ion battery * 160 watt-hour lithium ion battery for professional audio/visual equipment
Happy New Year, Road Warriors!
Bruce Schneier, a well-known security and cryptography expert, interviewed Kip Hawley, the head of the Transportation Security Authority (TSA). Bruce asks the questions you and I have been asking ourselves as we stand in the security line.
Examples of the Poignant Questions:
Bruce Schneier: By today’s rules, I can carry on liquids in quantities of three ounces or less, unless they’re in larger bottles. But I can carry on multiple three-ounce bottles. Or a single larger bottle with a non-prescription medicine label, like contact lens fluid. It all has to fit inside a one-quart plastic bag, except for that large bottle of contact lens fluid. And if you confiscate my liquids, you’re going to toss them into a large pile right next to the screening station—which you would never do if anyone thought they were actually dangerous. Can you please convince me there’s not an Office for Annoying Air Travelers making this sort of stuff up?
Bruce Schneier: People regularly point to security checkpoints missing a knife in their handbag as evidence that security screening isn’t working. But that’s wrong. Complete effectiveness is not the goal; the checkpoints just have to be effective enough so that the terrorists are worried their plan will be uncovered. But in Denver earlier this year, testers sneaked 90% of weapons through. And other tests aren’t much better. Why are these numbers so poor, and why didn’t they get better when the TSA took over airport security?
And the one we’ve all been dying to ask…
Bruce Schneier: When can we keep our shoes on?
I thought the questions and answers were very informational, although I’m not thoroughly convinced all the procedures are necessary or beneficial. In any case, it helps clear up some of the confusion. Something to think about while you’re waiting in security. Happy travels.
I always avoid using cups and other “re-usable” items at hotels for good reason.
Check out this video.
Always check out your towels as well and don’t be afraid to ask for new ones if you are the least bit suspicious.
I frequently put my laptop into standby mode instead of shutting it down completely. This allows quick access to my computer when I have idle time waiting for a flight or sitting in a taxi. On Leveno laptops, the keystroke is Fn+F4 (look for the half moon). Some people have problems with the laptop returning from standby mode. You can minimize the chances of this happening by going through a few steps before hitting standby.
Steps to Improve Laptop Standby Reliability
- Close down unnecessary applications - yes one of the benefits of standby mode is to return to your open applications, but the memory footprint of applications are saved to your hard disk; this is why it takes so long to load up when coming out of standby
- Unplug devices BEFORE you enter standby mode, not after - the laptop expects things to be the same way when it returns, even hardware; if you remove a USB mouse or EVDO card after going into standby mode (and forget to insert it before waking up the laptop), you put the laptop in an unknown state
- Reboot once in a while - while I’ve gone several weeks without shutting down, it’s good practice to give your laptop a memory refresh; I usually reboot it right before I goto bed so it’s ready for me in the morning
- To return from standby mode, hold down the Fn key until your hard disk light begins to flicker - that is the signal your laptop has heard your wake-up call; just relax and wait for the wake-up process to complete - have patience and don’t reboot!
Getting yourself up and running is important so you can use your idle time wisely. As travelers we have plenty of that. Happy travels.
I’ve downsized my Tumi carry-on just so I could fit it vertically in a 737 overhead luggage compartment. I will do whatever it takes to avoid checking in my luggage. If you fly as often as I do, you will go that extra mile to minimize the amount of time you spend waiting….for your luggage, the airplane, taxi, in line at the airport. Not having to check-in luggage is a HUGE time saver.
But the best reason NOT to check-in luggage is you never have to worry about the airline misplacing it. Hopefully you’ve never had to experience having your luggage lost and the airline representative telling you, “We’re not sure what where it is.”
I’m not certain, but I would guess the majority of flyers are reunited with their lost luggage (even if it’s after the vacation), but there are people that never find their luggage. Do you ever wonder what happens to the luggage that isn’t taken home?
Well, wonder no more because your long lost luggage could be on sale in a warehouse located in the sleepy town of Scottsboro, Alabama. That’s right - BBC News ran an interesting article on a company, Unclaimed Baggage Center (they didn’t win any awards for originality) that buys luggage from the airlines after 90 days and puts it up for sale.
Some interesting quotes:
“We had a 19th Century full suit of armour, an underwater camera from Nasa, Egyptian artefacts and props from movies,” says Brenda as she proudly stands next to a display case that holds a puppet from the Jim Henson film, Labyrinth.
One woman discovered $1,000 (£500) hidden in the lining of a case she bought for pocket change, while another found out that the glass vase she had bought as a trinket was actually worth a small fortune.
It’s enough to attract a million visitors a year.
If you lose your luggage or forget your book in the backseat of an airline, it’ll probably end up here. I guess you can always take a trip to Scottsboro if you never get your luggage back. Who knows - you may find something better.
BusinessWeek had an article covering airplane food served for the various airlines in both business and economy classes. The gist of the article foretells of a future upgrade to the food quality on the airlines (November 1st 2007). If you are planning to fly a long segment, you can probably expect some positive changes to airline meals.
The highlights for some airlines:
AMERICAN
FRONT OF PLANE: A trio of chefs designs international first-class menus that include entrées such as mojito shrimp with pineapple. Business class on Boeing 767s gets similarly enhanced fare.
MAIN CABIN: The buy-onboard service offers $2 to $4 snack options. “Fresh Light Meals” for $5, such as an Asian chicken wrap, are available on U.S., Caribbean, and Mexico flights of three hours or longer.
CONTINENTAL
FRONT OF PLANE: A “Congress of Chefs” highlights international flavors. For the Oct. 1 inaugural flight from New York to Mumbai, gosht pasanda (lamb chops in yogurt-cream sauce) will be served.
MAIN CABIN: It offers a rarity in 21st century domestic flying: complimentary coach meals. Sandwiches and salads are prepared by Continental’s own division, Chelsea Food Services.
DELTA
FRONT OF PLANE: Miami chef Michelle Bernstein’s menu items have been featured in international BusinessElite since August, 2006. She just moved into U.S. first class.
MAIN CABIN: Delta re-instituted a food-for-sale menu in September after offering only snacks since 2003. Todd English’s entrées will appear on Nov. 1 for $7 to $10 each.
JETBLUE
FRONT OF PLANE: Passengers get a choice of snacks, including cashews, biscotti, munchies mix, and the carrier’s signature Terra Blues potato chips. Wash it down with a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
MAIN CABIN: This is a one-class airline, so everyone gets the same food.
LUFTHANSA
FRONT OF PLANE: “Connoisseurs on Board” appoints renowned chefs to design menus for first and business classes. In October, David Bouley is the featured culinary master for all long-haul flights.
MAIN CABIN: Economy cabin has full complimentary service, with the number of meals depending on the length of the flight.
MIDWEST
FRONT OF PLANE: Chef Shawn Monroe of Mader’s restaurant in Milwaukee helped develop the Best Care Cuisine program in 2005. October’s menu includes a hot pulled-pork panini lunch for $10.
MAIN CABIN: This is a one-class airline, so everyone gets the same food.
I find it’s better to be safe than sorry (and eat before boarding) if you’re not sure the airline food will complement your palette. I also find there’s an inverse relationship between hunger and finickiness so you may enjoy the meals better if you don’t eat beforehand. :-)
For those of you who fly Southwest – GOOD NEWS!:
Starting in early November, customers of Southwest Airlines Co. will be assigned a letter-number combination on their boarding passes, which will reserve their spot in their boarding group. According to a Southwest statement, when a gate agent calls a boarding group, passengers will take their place in their numerical order.
There are several good reasons to do this.
- No more waiting in long random lines
- No more saving spaces with luggage
- No more special “stalls” for Southwest gates (which saves Southwest some $$)
Happy travels!
UPDATE: Find more information here directly from Southwest!
First of all, let’s agreed we spend more than enough time sitting in traffic. Thankfully, as a road warrior, I probably spend less time commuting (but more time in a hotel) than someone who may drive to work everyday. Still…
USAToday.com says:
Business travelers who rent autos often waste an average of 1½ hours per trip stuck in traffic, getting lost and waiting to pay tolls, according to the survey, which Avis (CAR) is releasing this week at the National Business Travel Association’s annual convention in Boston.
More than 80% of 6,300 Avis customers who responded to the survey say they spend an average of 44 minutes stuck in traffic during a three-day business trip. At least half of those who responded say another half an hour is wasted getting lost, and 12 minutes go down the drain while in line to pay tolls.
You can follow some common sense guidelines to minimize traffic delays such as working well past rush hour or booking hotels as close as possible to your client destination.
If you happen to work in NYC, avoiding traffic might be a little difficult especially when traveling to / from Newark or JFK airport, but Travel Zoo now offers you another alternative…HELICOPTER transfers to and from the airports in just 8 minutes.
If you have the cash to spare here are the routes:
- $99 – Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB) to/from JFK
- $99 – Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB) to/from Newark
- $99 – East 34th Street/Midtown Heliport (TSS) to/from JFK
- $99 – East 34th Street/Midtown Heliport (TSS) to/from Newark
Go ahead, be a celebrity, but make sure you can expense it first!