Gadling

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Scott Carmichael

- http://www.gadling.com

Scott spends most of his time playing with the latest and greatest travel gadgets. No trip is complete without at least 10 pounds of gadgets and 3 mobile phones. Got a great gadget you'd like to share with the Gadling readers? Send an email to scott AT gadling.com.

Expedia drops telephone booking fees

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009 at 3:30PM

There is a bit of a war going on between the various large online travel sites. They are battling each other to see who can provide the best service, with the lowest fees. Of course, this war really only has one winner - consumers.

This morning, Expedia announced the removal of all telephone booking fees for trips booked through their service. This may not sound like a very important change, but when you consider that the airlines charge as much as $25 per person, per telephone booking, you'll quickly realize that being able to book that same ticket through Expedia without any fees could come in quite handy.

The company eliminated online air booking fees and change fees and cancel fees on all hotel and car rental reservations in May 2009. Cruise change and cancel fees were also eliminated in May 2009 and cruise booking fees were eliminated in October 2009.

It is an odd world when big travel firms like Expedia are able to provide a better service than the airlines themselves, but as I said - we consumers are the real winners here.

Being able to book a flight over the phone is perfect for people who hate making online reservations, or if you need an last minute flight reservation and don't want to deal with the hassle of finding a computer with Internet access.

When a pilot loses his license - the nasty letter from the FAA

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009 at 2:30PM

When two Northwest Airlines pilots were screwing around on their laptop computers and overshot Minneapolis airport, most people knew these guys wouldn't be flying any time soon.

Aviation news web site Jetwhine.com managed to snag a copy of the letter the FAA sent to the pilots explaining why their licenses were being revoked. It is a pretty interesting read, though if you are pilot, this is obviously the letter you never ever want to get in your mailbox. The letter is downright brutal, but it does give some very specific details about the decision, and what exactly went wrong.

Gadling gear review - Bodybugg personal calorie management system

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009 at 10:30AM

We are 7 weeks away from the time of year where we all commit to losing all those excess pounds. And like most new years resolutions, by the second week of January, most of us will be back to just dealing with the flab.

Frequent travelers have it even harder - when large chunks of your week are spent at bad hotels or the airport food court, it is pretty tough to stay healthy. Sure, people with a decent amount of discipline will always manage to find a salad at the airport, but more often than not, a healthy meal on the road will be the airline snack box or another night at the hotel restaurant.

Daily gear deals - free Swiss Army knife, $20 Bluetooth mouse and more

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009 at 10:00AM

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Thursday November 5th 2009. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal is perfect for travelers - 1saleaday is offering a bladeless Swiss Army knife for free. The tool includes scissors, a screwdriver, tweezers, a toothpick and a bottle opener. Because it lacks a blade, you should be able to take it through airport security. Shipping is just $4.99. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a Razer Pro Bluetooth mouse. If your laptop has Bluetooth, then this (refurbished) mouse will make work a but more efficient. On sale for just $19.95 with free shipping. Click here for this deal.

With the holiday season approaching, now is the time to snag yourself a camcorder - but if you'd rather stay away from the new generation of PC-Only camcorders, then check out the Canon DC310. This compact camcorder records directly to DVD's, and is on sale for just $168, with free shipping. Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup, if you'd like some better entertainment on the road, then check out the Envizen portable DVD player/digital TV. This compact device lets you watch DVD's or over-the-air digital TV. On sale for $139.99. Click here for this deal.

Corporate executive not welcome in the United Airlines first class cabin

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 6:00PM

The United Airlines bad news machine has been working overtime lately - first they were mocked in the "United breaks guitars" video clip, then they screwed up with that same passenger when they lost his luggage.

Today's bad news comes from Dulles airport, where a bald man in a track suit was called to the podium to have his first class upgrade revoked. The reason? He was dressed too casually.

Now, this was no regular bald man in a tacky track suit - this gentleman is Armando Alvarez, a vice president with electronics retailer Best Buy.

Apparently, United Airlines suddenly decided that they'd pretend we are all back in the 60's, and that the first class cabin should only be occupied by people dressed for the occasion.

Mr. Alvarez was interviewed by the Washington DC Fox affiliate and told reporters that he was humiliated and embarrassed. When he tried to contact the customer relations department, nobody responded, and even the Fox reporters couldn't find anyone within United Airlines willing to speak on the matter.

The United Airlines contract of carriage only makes mention of barring barefoot passengers, and I've never encountered a dress code. Non-rev passengers (employees and their friends and family) do need to dress in business casual attire, but that obviously does not apply to paying passengers like Mr. Alvarez.

That said, I'm sure a lot of people would love to see a basic level of decency return to the first class cabin, but to be honest, that part of the plane really isn't all that impressive. A slightly wider seat and some warm nuts don't justify having to put on your Sunday suit for a trip.

After the jump, a video clip from the interview with MyFoxDC.com.

Daily gear deals - $99 Garmin GPS, $13 laptop bag and more

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 9:45AM

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Wednesday November 4th 2009. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal comes from 1saleaday where you'll find the Garmin Nuvi 255 GPS unit for $99.99. This compact unit features text to speech and preloaded US maps. It'll ship for $5.99. Click here for this deal.

Next up is an ATI HD TV tuner for your laptop. It comes with the adapter itself, a pocket HD antenna and a remote control. With this hardware, you can watch "over the air" HD TV programming on your laptop or desktop. On sale for just $19.99 with $5 shipping. Click here for this deal.

Amazon is selling a good looking Lowepro laptop bag (for machines up to 14"). The bag looks more like a messenger bag, which means it doesn't scream "steal me". It features a dual position strap and plenty of pockets. On sale for just $12.99. Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup, for $14.99 (with free shipping) you can order yourself a pair of "Intense audio" noise isolating headphones. They come with a woven nylon anti-tangle cord and a "fit kit" for various ear sizes. The deal even includes a free $5 credit for the Amazon MP3 store. Click here for this deal.

Denver to Singapore (and back) visualized in a five minute time lapse video

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 9:30AM

Denver to Singapore (in 5 minutes) from David DAngelo on Vimeo.

Check out this cool video showing a trip from Denver to Singapore via Chicago, Los Angeles and Tokyo (and back). The creator put a ton of effort into filming as much of his trip as possible, and included some highlights like the automatic beer machine at the Tokyo lounge (at 3 minutes 50 seconds).

The whole thing is quite dizzying, but it is a great way to show a long trip in just five minutes!

Two years in jail for pointing a laser at a plane

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 3:30PM

The "sport" of pointing a laser pointer at a plane is not new - many people have been arrested for the stupid stunt.

Last week was a first though - someone caught pointing their laser at two planes was arrested, and sentenced to two and a half years in jail.

His first target was a United Airlines plane carrying 180 passengers. When the beam hit the cockpit window, the pilot caught it right in the eye, causing "flash blindness". The second target was an Alaska Airlines jet, this time the pilot was able to duck below a glare shield, but did have to abort a critical turn.

There appears to be no shortage of stupidity in the world, and shining a laser pointer at a jet just reinforces that. I'm not even sure what is going through the mind of someone who thinks this is a fun game.

These planes are carrying a lot of people, and in many cases they are on their final approach, one of the most critical parts of the entire flight. To me, two and a half year is on the short side - but hopefully it'll still send a message to anyone else who was thinking of messing around with their laser pointer.

Gallery: Ten pilots you don't want in your cockpit

In a poor economy, SeaWorld raises ticket prices to just under $80

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 2:00PM

SeaWorld Orlando doesn't seem to think the economy has suffered enough, because it just raised its prices by $4 to an insane $78.95, per person.

With just six rides and ten shows, SeaWorld assumes people won't have a problem paying this, even though their new prices are just 5 cents lower than neighboring Disney or Universal, who have much more to offer.

Now, I won't argue with anyone who says the park puts on a good show, and they are known worldwide for their amazing aquatic shows, but when you charge just under $300 for a family of four, you'd better put on more than just a "good show". Once you add food and a local hotel, a trip to SeaWorld will cost over $500 for just one day.

In this economy I would expect parks to actually lower their prices, instead of raise them. Minor discounts are available to people who pre-order their tickets, but even with those discounts you'll be spending far too much.

The park does offer a free visit on a second day, within 7 days of your first visit. If you are visiting the Orlando area and want to visit SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica, the total bill will come to just under $550. Add their all day dining option for all three days and your credit card will take a $900 hit, and that doesn't even include your flights and hotel. Too much? Tell us in the poll below!

Daily gear deals - $20 rolling luggage, $8 MP3 player and more

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 1:30PM

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Tuesday November 3rd 2009. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal comes from Yugster.com, where you'll find a nifty car MP3 player/FM transmitter. This device plugs into the power outlet in your car, and takes music off SD card or a USB drive. A remote control is included. The player costs just $7.95, plus $5 for shipping. Click here for this deal.

Even though our editor in chief is on a mission to remove all rolling cases from the airport, rolling luggage is more popular than ever, and certainly here to stay. Over at sellout.woot.com, you'll find a Sharper Image rolling duffel for just $19.95, plus $5 for shipping. Click here for this deal.

Even though all those new pocket HD cameras are extremely popular, they are not really a replacement for a "real" camcorder. Over at Amazon, you'll find the Panasonic SDR-S26 digital camcorder for just $186. It records to SD memory cards and features a 70x optical zoom and image stabilizer. Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup, Canon just dropped the prices on many of its digital cameras. This means you'll find the highly rated SD780IS and SX120IS for just $199.99. The lineup covers 4 different models in all colors. Click here for this deal.