Forgetting to earn miles when pre-ordering the iPad

by Amy Chen on

I was amused to read that on Day 1, about 120,000 iPads were sold on “a product that 99.9% of purchasers haven’t touched or for that matter, even seen in person,” CNN reports.

I’m embarrassed, but not for the reason you’d expect. On Day 2, I pre-ordered the 3G version of the iPad, due to start shipping in late April. In my eagerness to get my hands on the tablet, I committed a rookie mistake: I forgot to access the Apple Online Store through United Mileage Plus Mall.

For some reason, online shopping is the one mileage-earning opportunity that I often overlook. I’ve even gone as far as bookmarking the Mileage Plus Mall page in hopes it’ll remind me. But no, I forgot — again.

After buying the 64GB model ($829) and a case ($39), my total came to $945.05 with taxes. I’m kicking myself because had I remembered to log in first with my frequent-flier account, I would’ve earned 945 miles toward my United account. (The Apple Online Store lets you earn one mile per dollar).

If I end up buying a dock for the iPad or a wireless keyboard ($69), I’ll try to remember my own advice. Feel free to remind me.

Register with the Department of State – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Utilize the U.S. Department of State‘s Travel Registration service. Yes, it seems like an invasion of privacy and feels like Big Brother is watching. However, in the case of natural disaster or political unrest, there is no better group of people to share your travel plans.

It also works in reverse — if you must be contacted in case of an emergency stateside.

Travelers register their personal information, where he or she will be staying, and emergency contact information.

The State Department adheres to the Privacy Act and will not share a traveler’s itinerary or other information with anyone.

Blog it or Facebook it or Tweet it or … – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Let friends and family share in your road trip adventure by posting details along the way via your blog, Facebook, Twitter or other social media site. People at home are curious about your adventures, and seeing your update may trigger a memory or suggestion they have to improve your trip.

With a smartphone such as the Apple iPhone, Motorola Droid or Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, it’s a snap to post a status update of your trip or take and upload a photo or video of a roadside attraction. Smartphone Facebook apps and apps such as Bloglive make it easy to upload your content.

Of course, don’t do any of this while driving. Wait until you’re stopped, or have a passenger do the posting.

The Gadling guide to finding power outlets at the airport

by Scott Carmichael on

The airport is a terrible place for getting work done – lack of seating, poor (often paid) Wi-Fi and usually, being stuck at the airport means you are either waiting on a delayed flight, or waiting for a nasty connection time.

Worst of all – current technology has not kept up with our lifestyles, and battery makers don’t seem to understand how important it is for us to keep people updated on Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare.

So – here are the top tips from Gadling on how to find power at the airport.
Find an outlet

This is a tricky one – because it involves finding power ports that are not really intended for passengers. Some airports don’t mind their customers (you paid an airport usage fee, so you are a customer) using an open outlet, while others play nasty tricks by installing weird non-standard outlets (Yeah Las Vegas, I’m talking to you with your damn three prong locking outlets).

Power outlets are usually installed in pillars, behind boarding gate desks or hidden away in dark corners. One handy resource for locating power is the community built Airport Power Locator. On the iPhone, you can also try your luck with GateGuru, as it tends to list every amenity for your specific airport, including charging stations.

If none of the online tools help you out, ask around – some airport workers may be able to let you in on a secret outlet. If all else fails, you could always pay the $50 entry fee for the “luxury” airline lounge.

Find paid power

The concept of paying for a little bit of power pisses me off – but some airports at least offer this as a last resort option. Usually, these are the airports that went to great lengths to hide their open (free) power outlets. The power is provided in workstations, and you’ll need to swipe your credit card for a little juice. Some airports also offer cellphone chargers kiosks – these offer a variety of power connectors, so you don’t even need your own charger. Expect to pay between $3 and $5 for a short charge.

Be creative when you search for power

If you are really desperate, head on over to a food vendor and ask whether they have power behind the counter. Check for outlets behind the check-in desk, check for hidden outlets in the restrooms. Remember, a smile goes a long way, but in the case of food vendors, a couple of bucks may go even further.

When you do find power – think safety

I hate to pretend like I’m your mother – but when you do plug your laptop in, do us all a favor, and don’t drape your cords between rows of seats. You may end up injuring your laptop, or a fellow passenger. Also, if you can’t be sitting next to your computer or gadget when you charge it, do everything you can to keep an eye on it. Finding a laptop thief at the airport is a bad way to spend your time.

Bring your own portable power

You have a 50/50 chance of running out of options at the airport – no outlets, and no paid-power. In those cases, you are going to need your own power source. For smaller gadgets, we’ve reviewed a variety of them – from the compact Kensington movie friendly battery dock, to the massive Zagg Sparq, with enough power for six full iPhone charges.

Of course, none of those low power devices will charge a laptop, so for those high-power devices, you’ll need something like the Tekkeon myPower ALL. In its basic version, it’ll provide one full laptop charge, but a secondary pack can double that capacity. Expect to spend around $50 for a low power gadget charger, or up to $250 for a laptop version.

Whatever you do – carry a power splitter

So – you found the one spare outlet in the entire airport, and some punk is using it to charge his iPod? Don’t people realize how important it is for you to catch up with the latest on Facebook?

Prevent battles over power, and bring your own power splitter. This could be a $3 one from the local Home Depot, or a neat travel friendly outlet from Belkin, Kensington or Monster.

You’ll thank yourself later – and your fellow passengers will be grateful too (though don’t expect any tips). One quick word of advice: print a label with your name on the power splitter – it would be a shame to see that go missing.

One final tip – if you are abroad, remember that your US power splitters and power cords won’t work – so invest in a cheap international power adapter, and always check the local voltages before plugging your device in. Your power brick will tell you what it is compatible with. The last thing you want is to blow the one open outlet in the airport into little pieces with your gadgets.

Google Maps adds biking directions

by Mike Barish on

We were pretty jazzed when Google Maps added public transit directions for various cities around the world. Some of us don’t own cars (have you tried to park in Manhattan?) and we don’t always bother renting one when we travel. So, you can imagine our joy now that Google Maps has also added biking directions.

The biking directions help riders stick to dedicated trails and bike lanes, which keeps everyone safe. Google has more than 12,000 miles of trails included in its maps along with data on bike lanes and recommended streets for more than 150 cities thanks to its partnership with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Perhaps best of all, the biking directions seek to avoid hills. Though, if you want the inclines for exercise, you can always edit the directions just like you can the driving directions in Google Maps.

With Spring fast approaching and people beginning to get excited to once again resume outdoor activities, Google Maps biking directions are a fantastic addition to a travelers toolkit. That said, we don’t recommend you pull out your iPhone and attempt to access Google Maps while biking through traffic.