Indian hotel managers face jail time for Katy Perry noise pollution

by Scott Carmichael on

Indian officials are investigating complaints of noise pollution from the Aman-i-Khas hotel where Russel Brand and Katie Perry recently tied the knot. During their wedding reception, party noise exceeded the 45 decibel limit, and that means someone is in trouble.

An official for the Sawaimadhopur district already said that the newly weds will not be charged, but that hotel management is not going to get off that easy.

To clarify, Wikipedia lists 45 decibels around the noise level of a conversation when two people are about 1 meter apart. The punishment for “talking softly” could mean several days in jail for the hotel managers who were on duty.

After the Indian wedding and reception, the couple flew to the Maldives – I just hope they have someone to help translate whatever the locals tell them.

[Photo credit: bauergriffinonline.com]

Daily gear deals – $17 iPad sling bag, $3 SD memory card and more

by Scott Carmichael on

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Saturday October 30, 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is perfect for light travelers looking for a nice way to store their iPad, netbook or other small device. The Case Logic eSling comes with a 25 year warranty and several pockets and other storage compartments. On sale for $17.99. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a bargain on some highly rated Sony noise isolating headphones. These Fontopia headphones come with a carrying case, various earpieces, and an extension cable. On sale for $2.99 over at Daily Steals.

Today’s third deal is for a Kingston 4GB Class 6 SD memory card. This fast card is perfect for video cameras or any other device in need of some extra memory. On sale for $2.99 at 1saleaday.com.

Do you use your smartphone as a GPS navigation aid? Consider investing in this $12 Arkon mounting kit for your car. In the kit, you get a universal phone mount, suction cup mount, vent mount and an adhesive disc. Reviews are very positive. Click here for this deal.

Windows Live Photo Gallery and Foursquare team up to provide photo tips

by Scott Carmichael on

If you are anything like me, making great photos is a challenge. When I shoot my photos, I always assume that only 1 in 10 will actually turn into something worth sharing.

Thankfully, professional photographers from the Windows Live Photo Gallery team have joined forces with Foursquare to provide hyper-local tips on where to make the best shots. With these tips, you’ll be able to find your way to a location, check in to it, and make a great photo of it.

The tips are currently offered in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. To get the tips, simply follow the Windows Live Photo Gallery team on Foursquare, and keep an eye on the tips they have posted. Of course, when a lot of people visit these locations, your chance of grabbing a mayorship becomes quite slim… And while you are on Foursquare, don’t forget to become friends with Gadling!

Harrah’s All Stage Pass offers 2 days of unlimited access to 17 Vegas shows

by Scott Carmichael on

Almost every visit to Las Vegas revolves around three activities: gambling, eating/drinking and shows. Nobody ever needs any help finding ways to gamble away their money, and unless you are too drunk to locate a restaurant, you’ll also never go hungry in Vegas. Shows are a little more complicated . there are a lot of them and their pricing is often a bit steep (especially if you don’t know where to find discount tickets).

Vegas visitors can save a pretty decent chunk of their gambling budget by purchasing the Harrah’s All Stage Pass. This all-you-can-see show pass builds off the success of their buffet-of-buffets promotion, offering 48 hours of unlimited access to 17 Las Vegas shows.

The pass costs $119 and drops to $99 for members of their Total Rewards loyalty program. Once you’ve purchased your All Stage pass, you can walk up to any of the box offices for the shows and get yourself free tickets.

There are obviously a few caveats – the promotion does not include Barry Manilow, Cher, Donny & Marie or Penn & Teller – though you do get access to $40 tickets for those shows. And while not all the entertainers in the lineup may appeal to you, there are some very worthy shows on offer – including Anthony Cools, Rita Rudner and (if you are into that kind of thing) The Chippendales.

Also – you’ll really need to spend some time doing math and scheduling before dropping cash on the passes, because unless you manage to squeeze in as many shows as you can, you’ll end up paying more than you would if you found some discounted tickets.

To learn more about the shows on offer, the pricing and where to purchase the All Stage pass, head on over to the Harrah’s promotion page.

Matador launches print magzine Beta

by Grant Martin on

When I met Matador Network’s CEO Ross Borden for the first time we were in the Air New Zealand lounge at LAX. He was nestled at the end of the lounge, import beer at his side and furiously typing away at his Macbook — where he remained, working hard, through two weeks of adventure travel through New Zealand and Thailand — furiously committed to his empire and to all things Matador.

At the time, they were expanding, launching the successful travel writing school Matadoru whilst pushing forth strongly on the other dozen fronts already live on the site.

And now, Matador has expanded into a hard travel product. This March, Borden, colleague David Miller and their editor in chief David T. Page will be releasing the first issue of Beta, a new travel magazine painted in the classic, edgy Matador style. Says Miller in his 8 Reasons Matador is Launching a Print Magazine article:

Travel writing in its highest form is like a cairn. It’s tangible. It’s formed out of the local landscape. It registers and measures one’s relationship with place. It’s meant to remain for a long time. It can guide you at ground level. And it can guide on other levels too. This is our vision behind creating our new print magazine, BETA.

In an era of transitioning travel media it’s a big risk for Matador and the guys behind the network — but if they’re all as tenacious as Ross is, we have no doubt that Beta will take off. You can check out their full masthead here.