Hotel Madness: Vote for your biggest hotel pet peeves

by Mike Barish on

We launched our Hotel Madness tournament on Monday and the entire first round is now live. If you don’t know what Hotel Madness is or you just need a refresher, check out our introductory post. First round voting is open until 11:59pm EDT this Sunday, March 20. Be sure to vote in each and every match-up listed below. Simply choose the hotel pet peeves that bother you the most. The winners will advance to the second round, which you’ll be able to vote on next week.

Make your voices heard. Vote, leave comments and let us know what you hate most about hotels.


First round voting ends at 11:59EDT on Sunday, March 20.

Follow along with the Hotel Madness tournament here.

Browsing Facebook & Twitter on the road? Don’t get hacked.

by Grant Martin on

Unsecured wireless networks have always been a danger for traveling technophiles — the data that we transfer through open spaces can always be intercepted and decrypted by wandering spies, including bank accounts, passwords and heaps of other sensitive information. That’s why most people refrain from logging into private websites while in public places.

With the proliferation of social media in today’s mainstream culture, however, many are concerned about the privacy of those accounts in public places. It used to be that the relative difficulty of hacking a Facebook account versus a bank account meant that most people felt safe using social media at a neighborhood cafe. Why spend the time changing someone’s online status versus stealing their money?

Now, however, sites like Facebook and Twitter are encoded with such simple technology that web developers can write apps to steal random social media passwords — all inside of a simple web browser. This means that any old person with Windows XP and Firefox can boot up their browser, turn on an application and start poaching Facebook data. Five minutes after sitting down with your tall non-fat latte you might find yourself with a new fancy status message, group of friends and password to boot.

You can read the full details of the technology (and even try it out!) over at codebutler.

The only solution? Don’t log into social media when browsing on an untrusted, unsecure network. Will that stop anyone? Probably not. It probably won’t happen to you, but don’t say that Gadling didn’t warn you when your Facebook profile turns to mush.

How to travel overseas with an iPod touch

by Amy Chen on

Rather than face exorbitant cell-phone roaming charges, my travel companion and I recently traveled to Europe with just an iPad and an iPod touch. Though that meant that we could only look up restaurants or things to do when we were in a free Wi-Fi spot, I enjoyed the break from my inbox. And rather than being tethered to Facebook updates, we both paid more attention to the scene at hand — though as soon as we landed at JFK, my travel partner immediately turned on his iPhone to check Facebook.

Over the course of eight nights, I stayed in six hotels that all had free Wi-Fi access. Here’s what I learned about traveling overseas with the fourth-generation iPod touch:

The iPod touch is an affordable way to stay connected while on the road. For the newest 8GB version with FaceTime, the iPod touch starts at $229, compared to the iPad’s $499 starting price tag. Since there is no data plan for the iPod touch, you don’t have to worry about incurring a monthly bill. Also, since both devices are light and compact enough to carry, I didn’t have to fret about leaving a laptop in our luggage, which we left with the hotel’s front desk during the day before moving on to the next one. Though I normally travel with a netbook in order to back up digital photos and clear memory cards, I solved the memory problem by bringing 18GB’s worth of SD cards, which was more than enough even when shooting RAW files.

Sometimes the iPod touch was able to log on faster than the iPad. For whatever reason, we sometimes couldn’t get the iPad to connect right away. Having two devices that could access the Internet also proved invaluable when plotting our next destination. I used the iPod touch to check simple things like the weather, the time (I still don’t wear a watch), and the train schedule. I also downloaded the free Oanda currency converter app, which I used to calculate exchange rates. Conversely, we used the iPad for booking hotels and travel entertainment.Keep your turned-off cell phone in a safe spot. I made a point to keep my regular cell phone turned off during my vacation, but I experienced a moment of panic at a restaurant when I discovered the phone at the bottom of my messenger bag — turned on. I spent the rest of my meal worrying about how expensive the roaming charges would be. As soon as I got back to my hotel, I checked my online cell-phone statement and was relieved to see that no major damage had been done by my carelessness. (I still have no idea how the phone powered on). Nevertheless, after that incident, I moved my cell phone into my bag’s side pocket so it would stay off and yet still be accessible during emergencies. And though my travel companion could have switched his iPhone to airplane mode and achieved the same effect as with the iPod touch, we found it easier to keep everything off — just in case.

Many hotels generate individual Wi-Fi passwords for each guest. Some hotels used a computer system to print out a unique Wi-Fi code for our stay. Other hotels used our passport number to create a password. One downtown hotel gave us a username and a password that we could use while sitting in the attached cafe. Even after we checked out, we’d stop by that cafe to order a coffee, rest our feet, check our e-mail, and look up restaurants. At one hotel, we were given a code for one week of complimentary Wi-Fi access, but unfortunately that was our last night so we weren’t able to take advantage of the pass.

Some hotels provided free Wi-Fi in the lobby but charged for Wi-Fi access in the room. In one hotel, we decided that sitting in the lobby was better than paying 15 euros for in-room Internet access. As it turned out, our room smelled like cigarette smoke so the less time we spent in there, the better.

[Photo by Amy Chen]

Singapore Airlines to roll out ‘total connectivity’ in 2011

by McLean Robbins on

Travelers have long found the electronics ban to be a mixed burden and blessing – for some, it’s an oasis of peace and quiet during an otherwise hectic day. For others, flights, particularly long ones, are time sucks of lost productivity. In recent years, the roll-out of in-flight Wi-Fi services has dramatically improved the ability of business travelers to stay on top of their work.

Now, Singapore Airlines is entering the race to become the first major “fully connected” airline in Asia, rolling out the ability to make and receive phone calls, texts, and use Wi-Fi Internet on long-haul flights. Part of a collaboration with in-flight connectivity provider OnAir, the carrier will debut a range of on-board communication offerings as early as the first half of 2011.

These services will will be introduced progressively on flights operated by the Airline’s A380, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

“The environment that our customers have gotten used to on the ground can soon be replicated in the air, when they fly with Singapore Airlines on aircraft fitted with this new connectivity platform. Traveling for business or pleasure, they are just a click or a text message away, with access to live information, social networking and news updates, as well as in-flight shopping,” said Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr. Yap Kim Wah.

“The agreement is extremely significant. It sends a strong signal to the industry that in-flight passenger communications has come of age – and is a must-have for airlines looking to remain competitive in the future,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir.

Customers who use the mobile services will see their usage reflected in the monthly bills from their telecommunications provider where international GSM roaming rates apply.

We’re curious to see the backlash from this, particularly as abuses of the new-found “power” begin to occur. Will your overweight, unshowered middle eat companion now be allowed to yap endlessly to their friends about last night’s escapades, or will calls be limited in time and duration? Will flights have a designated “quiet zone”? We’ll be sure to follow up on any developments, and any airlines that follow suit.

[Flickr via William Hawkins]

JetBlue in-flight internet access coming in 2012, worth the wait?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

JetBlue is going to offer in-flight internet access! This is exciting news, right? JetBlue is one of the more exciting airlines in the market right now, having figured out how to offer solid customer service without jacking up fares (a combination the major carriers believe is impossible to attain … despite the fact that JetBlue has done so). So, the airline is getting into the internet game, a space in which it has lagged many other carriers.

Unfortunately, JetBlue isn’t going to begin installing the equipment until the middle of 2012, as it needs to be checked out and approved by the FAA before the airline can put it into production, according to FlightGlobal. The slow start might actually work to JetBlue’s advantage.

Rather than implement the solutions already out on the market, JetBlue has selected a different type of internet access technology, which should translate to better internet service for its passengers – which pairs well with the high levels of customer service the airline already offers. Unlike existing internet access systems, which interact with the ground, the JetBlue system will hit satellites. JetBlue CEO Dave Barger explains to FlightGlobal:

“In just the three years since we launched BetaBlue, the first commercial aircraft with simple messaging capability, technology has advanced by generations. Rather than invest in current technology, designed to transmit broadcast video and audio, we elected to partner with ViaSat to create broadband functionality worthy of today’s interactive personal technology needs.”

Barger also says, “This system will be designed for the 21st century, not just for today’s personal connectivity needs, but with the bandwidth to expand to meet tomorrow’s needs as well.”

[Via Business Insider]