Idaho State Parks Plug In

by Josh Lew on

Idaho State Parks are seeking to redefine camping. The places where Ernest Hemingway used to pitch his tent and cast his fly rod is going wireless. At least, some of them are.

Park officials are looking closely at an experimental program that currently connects five state parks to the internet. The parks in question are Bruneau Dunes, Harriman, Henrys Lake and Ponderosa.

So far feedback has been good; though purists are obviously a bit miffed at the combination of nature and tech. After all, state parks are one of the last remaining places where you can go to get away from those who compulsively check their email or MySpace friends list.

A survey conducted as part of the pilot program shows that most people are in favor of campground WiFi. Campers claimed that they would use the service for practical reasons like checking weather reports, contacting family, looking up information about the park, and making arrangements for future camping expeditions.

But who are these survey respondents? If you are thinking that most are the type who consider camping parking bus-sized RVs somewhere with lots of trees, you’re right. Kind of. Many of those in favor of the WiFi were representing the old school: tent campers. So, like it or not, it seems the marriage of tech and nature is going to go ahead in Idaho.

BoltBus adds Boston to schedule

by Martha Edwards on

Remember last week when I told you about the awesome $1 fare for bus service between NYC and DC aboard BoltBus? Well, the good news just got even better — they’ve added Boston as another one of their cheap-o destinations, starting in April. You won’t find seats for $1, but once they go on sale, they’ll cost you around $7 for a one-way trip. But, like I mentioned before, be sure to book far in advance and expect to see a booking fee on top of that.

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but once they are available, book quickly as their sure to go fast at that price. As an added incentive, Bolt Buses offer free WiFi and power outlets on their coaches.

(via Cheapskate Travel)

DC to NYC for $1

by Martha Edwards on

Good news for those of you frequent travelers in the NYC and DC areas — Starting today, BoltBus will be offering $1 fares on Eight daily non-stop routes between the two cities. And while travelling on the bus usually isn’t too appealling, get this — they offer free WiFi and power outlets, so that trip won’t seem like any time at all.

Of course, there are some conditions. To take advantage of super-cheap bus fares, book as far in advance as possible; walk-up customers will have to pay the full fare. And that $1 is supplemented by a booking fee, of course.

According to their press release: “Customers can board the street-side service in Washington, D.C., near the Metro Center Station at 11th Street and G Street. BoltBus will operate in New York near Penn Station at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue and in south Manhattan at 6th Avenue and Canal Street.”

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Why take the bus when you can fly in style? (And with a queen size bed!)

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America’s most wired cities

by Iva Skoch on

Admit it, you were guessing San Francisco. So was I. Every time I go to San Francisco, it seems that everyone–at home, in parks or cafes–is always online.

Wrong. According to the Forbes.com list, the most wired city in the US is Atlanta, GA. Their rankings factored in the percentage of Internet users with high-speed access, the range of service providers within a city and the availability of public wireless hot spots. Atlanta ranked highest in broadband access options, third in Wi-Fi access points and ninth in broadband adoption: In June, more than 80% of the city’s home Internet users accessed the Web via a high-speed connection.

  1. Atlanta
  2. Orlando
  3. Seattle
  4. San Francisco
  5. Raleigh
  6. Miami
  7. Tampa (tie)
  8. San Diego (tie)
  9. Phoenix (tie)
  10. Charlotte

There you have it. New York is not even on the list.

American Airlines announces in-flight wi-fi costs

by Justin Glow on

Our sister site Engadget is reporting that, when American Airlines debuts in-flight Wi-Fi, it will cost $10 for three hours or less, or $12.95 for longer flights. “Rollout,” they say, “will begin this summer on AA’s 767-200 jets before rolling out across its entire fleet.”

So what do you think?

Personally, I don’t think it’s too bad, as long as the connection is reliable. What I’d be worried about it is a slow, overcrowded link, where I’m paying $10 to browse the Internet at dial-up-or-less speeds. But if it’s fast, I can’t think of a better way to spend my time on a boring flight — and $10 really isn’t bad. I would have figured that the price would have been higher for a service specifically geared towards business travelers.

Speaking of business travelers, it would make sense if they offered some sort of monthly plan, where frequent fliers pay $100 a month to get them unlimited access on all of their flights. I don’t fly enough to take advantage of something like that, but if I did, I’d pay it.