Applying Google Text on the road

by Grant Martin on

Years back we posted on Google’s new technology that lets you google simple questions to the search engine via the text message function on your phone. If you question is easily answerable, the service will return your query with a short answer in a text message.

This, my friends, is a powerful, powerful tool, that I believe many people under utilize. So to demonstrate a good example of how Google text has saved my ass multiple times on the road, I’ll give one example of a trip I recently took.

I have yet to indulge in the Blackberry or handheld wireless internet market for two reasons: the data fees that AT&T charges are completely unacceptable and I don’t want to devote my life to the internet attached to my hip. I’ll probably break down at some point, but for now I’m still resisting. What I do have, however, like most other people who own mobile phones, is a text message function (or SMS, as the Europeans often call it) that I occasionally use to keep in touch with friends or send dirty messages during meetings at work.

A few months back I was headed out to my weekly pilgrimage to Detroit‘s Metro Airport (DTW) for another one of my typical weekend trips. I usually park off site because the shuttles seem faster and they issue online coupons for free days, so took the red Qwikpark shuttle from my car straight into McNamara terminal. As usual, I was cutting it close, so by the time we rolled into the terminal I was hot to get through security. Ignoring the departure and arrival monitors, I burst through the security checkpoint and headed up for the the internal train that runs the length of the terminal.

As I crossed the large span towards the terminal, I pulled out my boarding pass, checked my flight (say, Northwest 266) then plugged it into my text box as NW266 and sent it to GOOGL, or 46645. Five steps later I received a text message saying that my flight was on time, departing from gate A6 and had the number for customer service just in case of problems. Now I knew to get on the northbound train.

Immediately when I got on the tram, I felt that something was wrong.
I checked my pockets – left pocket, cell phone, right pocket, wallet. No keys. Damn it. I must have left it on the Qwikpark shuttle. Thinking quickly, I texted “Qwikpark, Romulus, MI” to 46645 and was immediately given their number. Hitting the send button with the text message open, my L7 picked up the number, asked if I wanted to dial it and patched me through to Qwikpark.

“Hello?”

“Yeaaaah. I think I just left my keys on the shuttle that dropped me off at the Mac. I think my driver’s name was…. Duane? I was sitting in the back corner. They’re black switchblade keys”

“Oh, ok. Hang on a second.” Pause. Radio noise. “Yeah, he’s got it. We’ll keep it in the office until you get back”

“Cool! I’ll be back in a couple of days. Thanks!”

“No problem”

Now I didn’t have to carry around my keys with me for the entire weekend! But I’ll admit, I was lucky. Darting towards my gate because I was still late, I thought about the weather where I was heading and considered switching into my sandals. I GOOGL’ed, say, “Boston, weather” and found out that it was going to be raining all weekend. Better keep my shoes on.

Just then, I reached my gate as they were starting to board the aircraft. Time to head out.
Where would I be if I hadn’t 46645 at my side? Well, I would have been a little later getting to my gate since I would have had to go out of my way, stop at the monitors, find my flight and find my gate. I’d be even further later because I would have to call 411, pay a service fee and track down my car key. I also wouldn’t know what to expect about the weather in Boston.

But because of the power of Google and a little quick texting, I got all three tasks out of the way quickly and efficiently.

Traveling can be tough. Little things can add up, setting you back a half step every time and adding to your stress level. You carry this frustration with you all day and in the end it can take a serious toll on your body, physically and emotionally. You become short, angry with the person that you’re traveling with and turn into a person that you don’t want to be when you’re on the road.

While still an inconvenience, Google text helps by giving you a shortcut the solution — and any reduction in stress during travel is important. Give it a try next time you’re on the road. You can’t forget G-O-O-G-L, right?

Turn your Gmail into an online storage drive

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Although I use Gmail primarily to stay in touch while I travel, my account has proved enormously useful for plenty of other reasons. Rather than visiting 3-4 different airline and hotel sites, I collect and “star” all my itinerary info within my Gmail for easy reference. And rather than carrying around all those annoying frequent flier cards, I created a single file in Google Documents that lists my member number for every airline. Not to mention the hundreds of other great ways you can take advantage of Google when you travel.

Now I have another reason to keep coming back to my Gmail – an add-on for Firefox users called Gspace. Gspace turns any Gmail account into 2 gigabytes of free online storage with an easy-to-use interface. Think of it as an easy way to store your photos, videos, favorite music and important travel documents on the road. When you log into Gmail, you’ll see the files you’ve uploaded listed as emails in your account. Head over to the Gspace site, download their Firefox application, and you’re ready to go. You access Gspace from the pull-down “Tools” file menu in your Firefox browser. Check the How It Works page if you’re having any problems.

If you don’t have Firefox, you can download it for free – trust me, it’s better than Internet Explorer. Also, if you’re not already a Gmail user, it’s time to sign up. The best part? You can sign up for unlimited Gmail accounts, so there’s technically no limit to what you can store.

More Google tips for travelers: iGoogle

by Anna Brones on

Just like Aaron, I too love Google. Thanks to my roommate, I recently made my most favorite and travel-friendly, Google discovery: iGoogle.

iGoogle is a personalized Google page which accesses your preferences once you log in with your Gmail account. This is basically the page for any Google fiend; the page loads with all of your favorite applications — referred to as “gadgets” — all in one place, and you can even choose an entertaining background to make it visually attractive.

Having a bunch of helpful gadgets all on one page also makes it a traveler’s dream site, especially if you have an Internet compatible cell-phone and can pull up your page whenever and wherever. What kind of gadgets can you get?

Currency Converter – You don’t have to type in “USD to pounds” into the Google search engine anymore, it’s right there on your page.

Google Map Search – Just type in an address and you’re on your way.

French Audio Word of the Day – Need to brush up on your foreign language skills? You can get audio word of the days in several different languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Italian.

Google Translate – If you need a little more help than just the word of the day, Google can instantly translate your foreign text.

Kayak.com Deal Finder – Ideal if you like to dream about possible travel plans on a daily basis.

World Clocks – Displays multiple clocks so you can keep up with all of your preferred time zones.

Sound good? Those gadgets are only the beginning.

Border patrol is Googling and Facebooking you

by Iva Skoch on

Here’s a good warning to those travelers who have a net presence in Facebook, blogs, other social networking sites, or anywhere on the web. Watch what you write; “They” are watching, and you can’t escape your past.

It turns out that Homeland Security is now googling (that’s a verb, now, right?) foreigners entering into the U.S., and using this information in order to bar entry.

Andrew Feldmar (pictured right), a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor and now Vancouver psychotherapist, was detained four hours, fingerprinted, and barred entry after DHS noticed an article of his in a literary and scientific journal, talking about using LSD and other drugs in the 1960s…even though he has no criminal record and hasn’t used drugs since the 1970s. He was told he now needs formal permission from the U.S. consul to enter into the U.S.

It’s doubtful the border agent consulted lawyers to determine if a U.S. crime had been committed by Feldmar’s drug use, presumably in Canada, and over 30 years ago. What if his drug use was legal? If a person can imbibe, quit, and become President of the U.S., should others’ actions from thirty years ago come back to haunt them today? What about journalists that write less-than-flattering articles about the U.S.?

Google now Tracks Flights

by Grant Martin on

In this week’s creepy chapter of Big Brother Watching You, Google has just started supporting searches for airplanes. Not carriers websites or airplane photos, airplanes currently up in the sky.

I suppose the technology has been around for a while; flightaware has semi-accurate flight routes if you ever want to see how you got from point A to B. It’s just that Google has now made checking the location of your boss over the Atlantic easier than checking your email.

All you have to do is search by the carrier and the number. In the above photo, I typed NW49 into Google and it gave me three options: Expedia, Travelocity and FBOweb as tracking agents. FBOweb supports tracking over Google Earth, which is pretty neat if you have it installed, but for the bulk of you who just want to know when you have to pick up your friend at the airport, the others should do just fine.

Happy stalking!