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July 27, 2010
Backpacks Armed with Alarms?????
I just really had to share this with everyone out there! I can’t believe this was ever a good idea ;)
The Newest Stupid Luggage Idea: Backpacks Armed with Alarms
There’s something charmingly innovative but fundamentally stupid about the iSafe line of laptop backpacks and messenger bags. Though they look normal from the outside, on the inside they have built-in alarms, duly powered by two 9-volt batteries, that get triggered when a strap is pulled. The resulting sound is louder than a car alarm. And goes on for up to two hours. Flashing lights are involved.
We can’t recommend this (to put it mildly) to anyone who flies with their backpacks or laptops. Not to get too pedantic, but when moving through an airport, you can either carry your luggage with you or check it through to your destination. Obviously carrying the iSafe to the gate is a non-starter. We’re not sure what happens when you try to “smuggle” a giant battery-powered alarm at the bottom of a backpack through airport security, but we’re pretty sure it’d make an entertaining YouTube video.
As for checking the backpack through: can you imagine what would happen if the cord got caught on the conveyor belt? That Rutgers student who accidentally shut down Newark is facing an $11,000 TSA fine, and everyone’s like “aww… he was just kissing his girlfriend goodbye.” Extrapolate that to someone who puts the equivalent of a car alarm into a bag that’s destined to be thrown around dozens of times in a few hours.
And if the alarm goes off in the luggage compartment mid-flight and forces an emergency landing, likely accompanied by escort jets…wow.
April 9, 2010
First ever, airline charges for carry-on bags!
Spirit Airlines, the Ryanair of the U.S., is pushing the airline fee frenzy to new levels with the introduction of fees for carry-on bags –- as much as a whopping $45 each way to put something in an overhead bin on a flight.
Spirit says it is dropping fares, particularly on the low end, as it imposes new fees. It may well be the first airline in the world to charge for carry-on bags — Ryanair, easyJet, Allegiant, AirAsia and other ultra-low-cost carriers don’t — yet. It’s doubtful bigger airlines will follow, but then again, it was once hard to imagine how aggressively former “full service” airlines embraced tacking on fees for airline passengers.
One advantage of fees for carry-on bags is that they’ll likely discourage fellow passengers from boarding planes like pack mules. Spirit’s chairman and chief executive, Ben Baldanza, says fees for checked baggage upset the balance between carry-on and checked items as passengers tried to avoid checked-baggage fees. The carry-on fee, he said, “will make our boarding faster and easier.”
April 5, 2010
Apple’s IPad Passes Through Airport Security
The iPad, as Steve Jobs told us from his comfy leather chair at Macworld, represents a new computing form factor that falls squarely between the laptop and the smartphone. Which raises a curious problem for the Transportation Security Administration: Is the iPad a “laptop” that must be taken out of a bag and put through a scanner separately? Or does it fall into some other, less bomb-like category of gadget that can slip through security hidden in your briefcase?
The answer, according to Altimeter Group technology analyst Charlene Li, seems to be another point in the iPad’s favor. As she wrote in her Twitter feed today, Li took a flight with her iPad in tow and discovered that she wasn’t required to pull it out of her bag in the security line.
Li tells us that she removed her iPad when she approached the TSA guards to ask where it fell on their laptop to non-laptop spectrum. Given the iPad’s brand spanking novelty, the guards didn’t know. So they ran the device through their scanner looking for “a visible CPU and hard drive,” which would qualify it as a laptop. Somehow they didn’t spot that hardware, despite the iPad having both a CPU and a Flash hard drive. (Or at least not one “thick enough to hide explosives” according to Li)
That means that on her next flight, Li can breeze through the checkpoint without exposing her wünder-tablet.
The TSA seems to draw a fairly fuzzy line between what does and doesn’t qualify as a computer capable of hiding a bomb. Li says a Kindle doesn’t count, but a netbook does, and so does an XBOX. “The iPad is basically a big phone,” says Li. “You don’t have to show your smart phone, right?”
Given these shades of semantics, we’ve put in a call to the TSA for the whole story about the iPad’s airport security status. In the mean time, any other early Apple adopters out there with an airport security story to share? Let us know in comments below.
We got the information for this blog from the FORBES.com blog.
March 23, 2010
New Wine Tasting Room in Santa Barbara!
I’m so excited to have found this little wine tasting spot. But don’t get me wrong, its anything but cute. This place is legit and super friendly:
This cozy new tasting room is set quietly off the street towards the back of the same building that houses the Kunin/Westerly tasting room at 28 Anacapa Street, just a couple hundred yards from the beach. Visitors who discover it are rewarded with a rich tasting experience – a full immersion into the Muniverse where wine is demystified through friendliness and education.
June 2, 2009
10 Tips for Travel by Airplane with Children
1. Children under 2 are not required to purchase a seat. However, some airlines offer a discounted ticket to children under 2, be sure to inquire with an agent before purchase. The advantage of purchasing a seat is that you can bring your child’s infant carrier or Sit-n-Stroll and place it directly on the seat so that the child can rest comfortably. ( Toll Free Number to Contact your airline http://www.tollfreeairline.com )
2. If you do not purchase a ticket for your child, try to choose a flight that will not be full. This will allow you to use an extra seat for your child. Usually these flights are midday departures that do not cater to business persons. In addition, book the aisle and window seat only. Most people will not book the middle seat and you have a better chance of getting the whole row. In the event that it is booked, the passenger will surely swap for your aisle or window seat, or even move to another seat elsewhere on the plane.
3. If you bring a stroller to the airport, check it in right at the gate while boarding your flight. Otherwise, travel minimally with a Bjorn or sling and rent a stroller at your destination.
4. Rent or borrow as much equipment as possible at your destination. Traveling with equipment is cumbersome. Many airlines charge extra fees for excess luggage and loose equipment on flights are more likely to get damaged or stolen. Try using a rental service, for example: Santa Barbara Baby Company - http://www.sbbabyco.com/index.html
5. Be prepared for flight delays: bring extra formula, diapers, wipes, clothing, snacks and a DVD player! Info on airline regulation for liquids.
6. Try to burn off energy with your children before you board the plane. Many airports have children play areas. Check with the airport information kiosk.
7. Seek out other children on the flight. There is nothing more amusing and time consuming for children than playing with new friends. It will make the flight much easier.
8. Food - Bring along a chewy snack for the ascent and descent of the plane. It helps with the discomfort of the child’s ear popping due to the altitude change
9. Airline Regulations: All carry-on baggage, including child bags and items, must go through the X-ray machine. Examples include: diaper bags, blankets, and toys. For all the information you will need to know before you go!
10. Family Lane at Check Point: these lanes allow families and individuals unfamiliar with air travel procedures, as well as travelers with special needs, to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of three ounces will also be directed to these popular lanes. Individuals that carry medicine in liquid form, aerosols or gels over the three ounce limit will also be directed to these popular lanes.
TSA - Traveling with Children - This video gives you tips on traveling with children and how you can make your trip easier. Produced by www.tsa.gov
Additional info and sources:
www.tsa.gov - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) protects the nation’s transportation systems
www.sbbabyco.com - Santa Barbara Baby Company (Equiptment Rentals)
Related Posts:
1. How-To: 5 Travel Tips for Staying Healthy
May 13, 2009
How-to Pack a carry-on suitcase
There’s really no better source to get information regarding your carry-on luggage when flying on an airplane than TSA (Transportation Security Administration). So, when you want answers to questions like: “How do I pack my carry-on luggage or suitcase for flight” the question is simple. Just watch this How-To video made by the TSA officials.
TSA Carry-on Packing Video:
Tips for Carry-on Packing:
1. Choose a bag that is large enough to handle all the things you need to take, but small enough to fit the size requirements for carry on luggage at your airline. A soft sided bag is best, as it can serve as a pillow should you become stranded in an airport.
2. Put in two changes of underwear and one set of extra clothes. This is especially true if you are traveling overseas. These flights are very long and you may want to freshen up somewhere during your trip.
3. Add your daily toiletries. Things like toothbrush and small toothpaste, contact lens solution and case, facial care products, a small bottle of shampoo and lotion. All of these should be packed in plastic zip up storage bags in case of spills.
4 Pack a large water bottle. Airplane air tends to be dry and keeping well hydrated is important for your traveling health. Take advantage of water offered in flight and save yours for when you need it.
5. Add snacks to your bag. Never count on having time to stop for something to eat while traveling. Keep non-perishable food items in tough zippable bags. Crackers, raisins, nuts, granola bars and chocolate all travel well.
6. Be sure to include a pack of wet wipes for quick washing up.
7. Carry medications. This includes insulin even though it involves a needle and may take you a little longer to get through security.
8. Take a sweater, sweatshirt, fluffy jacket or compact blanket for warmth. These things may or may not be available in transit, and you want to be prepared for temperature changes.
Related Posts:
1. How-To: 5 Travel Tips for Staying Healthy
Posted by Steven on July 27, 2010 at 2:04 pm Leave a comment?