Scribbling away at night

Traveling and going on trips gives you time off from the daily grind. This is also a good time to update your journal with all the new sights, new people, new experiences that you come across as you travel to new places. When the day is over and night sets in, recording your insights about all that has happened for the day.

This Night Writer Pen by Magellan is the perfect travel companion if you want to spend quiet evenings scribbling your thoughts away. This pen with a light will allow you to write on your travel journal diary even as your companions are already asleep. Just click its small switch and you can see and write on the pages of your journal.

Traveling with pencils

Lead pencils are misnomers. There really is no lead in the pencils. Usually, the only lead in the pencils is the trace of metal in the paint used to color the wood casing. What it usually has is a mixture of graphite and clay. This is what makes up that part that writes. The more graphite in the mixture, the softer and darker it writes.

Travelers usually find pencils to be dependable writing companions. They don’t leak or blot. They don’t have problems with being hung upside down for a long time. Bring 2 pencils and a pad of paper when traveling. You just might get to finish a novel along the way.

Charging without electricity

Today’s world is so full of gadgets that need electricity. In fact, a portion of our luggage carries all those wires and chargers that it gets quite confusing. What is frustrating about travelling with all these gadgets is when the room you get has only one electric output. There’s no way you’re going to be able to charge the batteries of your camera, your cell phone, your iPod, and your notebook in one night.

One answer to this problem is this device produced by Solar Technologies UK called the Freeloader. The Freeloader is a portable charging device that comes with 120mA crystalline solar cells. You can charge anything using it – from digital cameras to your iPod. Amazing!

When the first bicycle was introduced, people didn’t think you should entrust your life to a flimsy frame on two wheels. As better models emerged, the bicycle won more and more fans until riding a bike became the best way to exercise or the healthy way to go around town.

Bikes are not like horses – they don’t get tired and hungry. Bikes are not like trains that you have to wait for or come In late – if you have a bike, you can come and go anytime. Bikes are convenient to use, especially when a city has established bicycle lanes. And with the rising cost of fuel, maybe it’s time we shifted to this mode of travel.

A secret drawer in your laptop

If you’re like me, you don’t have any use for that PC card slot in your notebook. It’s really a queer thing for notebook manufacturers to keep on putting something that very few people use regularly. Well, we can’t stop manufacturers from placing those slots in. But we can think up of different ways to make use of its space.

Well, there’s already one product out in the market that has thought of a way to use this unused card slot. Wireless Garden is now producing the Stash Card. The Stash Card is a secret compartment as big as a PC card. You can keep here all sorts of stuff like memory cards, money or photos. Interested? Check out the Stash Card here.

Travel and comfort

There are some things that you just can't leave home without. It may be as simple as a wristwatch or it could also be something more complicated like a foot massager. Comic book character Linus couldn't leave his blanket even when he was outside the house. There is also Baby Bop, a character who appears with Barney the Dinosaur. When she was first introduced as a character, she and her yellow blanket were inseparable.

Now, are security blankets and your wristwatch are miles apart? Well, the former has to do with feelings of comfort and warmth. The other one has to do with vanity. These things that we can't leave behind simply mean that we feel incomplete without them. Whatever it may be, no matter how big or small, for comfort, vanity or warmth, one thing is certain. You just have to bring it along.

What can't you travel without?

The bag debate: backpack or roller bag

What bag would you use if you are going to be away for just 2 days?

Advocates of the backpack would insist that the practicality of the backpack as a travelling bag for those 2 to 3 days away from home is unsurpassed. You just throw in 2 pairs of clothes, sleepwear, toiletries and you're on the road! It fits in anywhere, even in those tight situations.

But there are those who disagree. None, boast proponents of this sturdy travelling bag, can beat the efficiency of the roller bag. Your clothes remain crisp, your stuff remains where you originally laid them and everything is in proper order.

So which bag are you going to root for?

Top 5 Netbooks Today

Netbooks have become a part of our landscape ever since the Asus Eee PC 701 was released, starting a trend of low-cost sub-notebooks hitting the market, with other computer makers coming out with their own netbooks. This has confused us non-computer geeks even more with so many choices at hand. We want to have a netbook but with the varied choices out in the market today, it has become harder to make a choice.

So, what are the best netbooks around? Let’s consult the experts. Here are the five (5) top netbooks according to CNET Asia.

1. Acer Aspire One (Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM).
2. ASUS Eee PC 901 (Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM).
3. ASUS Eee PC 1000H (Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM)
4. HP Compaq 2133 (VIA Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM)
5. MSI Wind (Intel Atom N270 processor 1.6GHz; 2GB)

Welcoming the Netbook

Netbooks are everywhere, nowadays. You will see them in malls and in coffeshops, in classrooms and in restaurants. But what is a netbook and why has it suddenly become a part of our landscape?

A netbook is a laptop that can do 4 main tasks: e-mail, web browsing, Skype and word processing. Technically, the netbook is inferior to the laptop. it can't do any photo or video editing, games, and so on.

What makes it so desirable, though, is its low cost and light weight. These 2 qualifications are enough to make netbooks a bestseller. So now, it doesn't matter if the netbooks have a small screen, a cramped keyboard and a processor that's like a throwback to the year 2006. The need and desire to be online, and the low price for netbooks, all conspire to make it sell like ice cream on a hot Sunday afternoon.

So, do you know what kind of netbook is the best for you? Watch out for some suggestions on my next post.

Saving your audio cassettes.

I know you still keep your favorite audio cassette tapes in one of your drawers. But where to play them is a problem a lot of us are facing because this format is essentially dead and the cassette tape player is as obsolete as the Atari.

Recently though, the Alesis TapeLink U.S.B was released. This promises to play a cassette tape by plugging it into the USB port of your computer. The software it comes with (SoundSoap SE) will clean the sound and automatically classify the music into its proper genre. The music comes out really good – at audio CD quality – so you are somehow assured that your music is transferred without any distracting hisses.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I have to find that Pink Floyd tape I stashed somewhere inside my room.

Choosing an MP3

Almost every month, a new kind of MP3 player is released to the market. True, this isn’t a problem for those who know their music files. But what about the simple people like me who just want to be able to enjoy my kind of music wherever I go and whenever I would have the chance?

Well, after hours and days of research, I have come up with a list of things that you should consider when buying an MP3.

1. Design. You should have an idea of what you want your MP3 player to look like. Do you want it to be small? Medium-sized? With screen or without? Do you want it to have picture or video capabilities or not? Do you want it to have a radio? All of these should narrow down your MP3 possibilities.
2. Music file format (codec). Find out what file format the player uses. If it can play all formats/codecs, much better! But to be safe, choose the player that can play the file formats that you have in your collection.
3. Storage. You can find MP3 players that can store 4GB and even a whopping 120GB! Of course, the bigger the disk space, the pricier it gets.
4. Playback features. Almost every player offers shuffle, repeat, resume, and playlist functions. Some newer MP3 models are even capable of shuffling tunes with fade-in/fade-out.
5. Batteries. You would need to decide if you want the non-removable lithium-ion batteries, which typically last two to four years that have a longer life (but which you need to replace after 2-4 years so check the warranty agreement with the manufacturer), or those models which require AA or AAA batteries.

There are other features that you should keep in mind but these should be enough o guide you. Happy picking! :)

Top MP3 players this March

Planning to buy an MP3 player this month? Here are the top 5 most popular picks according to NY Times:

Most Popular MP3 players

1. Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 8GB)

2. Apple iPod Shuffle (third generation, 4GB, black)

3. Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 16GB)

4. Microsoft Zune 120GB (third generation, glossy black)

5. Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman (8GB, black)

Have a good buy! :)

Footwear foolishness (part 3)

Although footwear is worn and stepped-on, shoes have a special place in history. Through the years, people have followed and worn footwear that are popular even if they could hardly walk in them (this has assured the income of generations of podiatrists, you know).

But footwear is not only about fashion and looking good, According to the French, footwear was a very important part of their political struggle! French workmen used to wear a sabot – a carved wooden shoe. During the height of their protests, workers threw their shoes into machines they were working on and effectively put it out of commission. (Hmm…so this is where the word ‘sabotage’ originated.)

Footwear had had its own colorful history (and I could go on and on endlessly yakking about it). But one thing we can learn from history is that, good footwear will be worn from generation to generation (and bad footwear is for the podiatrists to rejoice about).

Footwear foolishness (part 2)

During the time of King Louie XIV, men’s shoes had heels. The King himself wore high-heeled shoes so that he would appear taller than he really was! Of course, his male courtiers soon followed his shoe style. Can you imagine men wearing high-heeled shoes today?

Some people, of course, were more sensible about their footwear. The Romans, who are known historically for having conquered most of Europe thousands of years ago, are also known for having given the world the “mules.” Women wear these soft-soled shoes. Originally, Roman patricians called them mulleus and used them on dress-up occasions.

What favorite comfortable shoes do you have in your closet (the one you don’t want to throw away---ever!)?

Footwear foolishness (part 1)

Considering the fragile construction of feet (26 bones, 19 muscles and 107 ligaments each foot) and the mileage expected of them (65,000 in an average lifetime), people have not been treating our feet very well. Most of us choose and wear shoes with designs that people are mad about and are popular.

But of course, people nowadays are not so foolish as to wear chopines (a platform shoe with a wooden sole that reached a height of 20 inches) that were popular in the 15th century. More and more people now look for shoes that are comfortable and can make them look good.

What kind of shoe do you prefer?

My Gadget World: A Chair for your iPod

Travelers today are still fine with the rough-and-ready style of going to places but with a sharp difference. They can’t leave without their GPRS tracker, mobile phone, iPod and all those other hi-tech gadgets that you would have thought only James Bond would have kept in his pocket.

Surfing through the web, I came across another gadget that any smart traveler would surely want to have one – the Load-ding. It’s just like having a chair for your iPod or mobile phone while it is charging from a weirdly placed electric outlet. The first time I came across this gadget I couldn’t help but exclaim – this is perfect!

Load-ding is made in Germany and costs about US$13 (PhP 637) excluding shipping costs. It comes in pink, red and black.

How to Make a Book of Goals

Everyday we are bombarded by negative news about what’s been happening in our country and all over the world. News about economic downtrends, increasing poverty, crisis and killings are our morning fare and give us a depressing outlook in life. 

We can still dream big and set goals to achieve despite the present grim economic outlook. Throw out the bleak outlook and look forward to the bright future ahead. A great tool for this is your Book of Goals. Visualize yourself achieving your goals with this simple scrapbook filled with pictures of your goals.  

Steps:

1. Write down your list of your goals and dream. Don’t be stingy with your goals. (FTW!).
2. Look for your best photo, have it photocopied, and cut it out.
3. Look for pictures in magazines, brochures, newspapers that are related to your goals and dreams.
4. Cut these pictures out and put your photo inside each one (for example, if you have a cut-out of the condo unit that you aim to own, stick your photo inside or beside it).
5. Write down quotations or bible verses that will help inspire and empower you to reach your goals in bright colored paper (you could write “I’m climbing my mountain one step at a time…” or "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" from Philippians 4:13).
6. Stick or paste all these pictures together with the inspiring quotes you have written in a scrapbook or even just a simple notebook. Make it colorful by decorating it with ribbons, cute scrapbook cutouts and colored paper.
7. Every morning, open your book of goals and reaffirm your goals. 

Why do batteries suddenly go empty when we need them?

Your aunt and cousin are going to meet you at the mall but you are running late. You hurriedly push the call button so you could talk to your aunt and tell her you are won’t be there on time when…toot-toot-toot…You’re cell phone’s batteries have run out!

This happens to the best of us – losing the battery charge even during the start of the day. What do you do in situations like this?

Recently, a lot of malls in Manila now have cell phone charging stations. Just ask the concierge or the information center and they will gladly guide you to the nearest charging station and you will be connected to the network in no time.. Cafes and coffee shops on the other hand, allow people to plug in their devices as long as you purchase their products.

So if your cell phone happens to fall victim to an empty battery, and you don’t have any spare batteries on hand, just go to the nearest mall. I’m sure you’ll find what you want.

Hats and Healthy Feet

Did you know that headgear is connected with healthy feet?

Now, before you shake your heads in disbelief and proceed to another website allow me to explain how headgear is connected to foot care.

Have you ever noticed that when your feet are cold, your skin tends to be dry? Yes, cold feet could lead to dry skin and these can produce cracks in the skin around your feet. For women who love to wear slippers, slip-ons or sandals, cracked heels are a no-no. Some women go to a foot spa regularly just to make sure that their feet look clean, pink and healthy.

So what does a body do to keep from having cold feet (and I’m not talking metaphorically here. I really mean COLD feet.)  

Keeping your head warm helps keep your whole body warm. Put on a warm, knitted hat that covers your ears and you’ll soon feel warm. Leave your head exposed to the elements, especially when there is a cold nip to the air, and you can be sure that you will be feeling the cold down to your toes.

So if your toes are cold, put on a hat, knit cap, or a buff. Not only will you feel warm, you are sure you’re going to have healthy feet.

Packing for Travel? Don’t Forget Your First-Aid Kit!

There’s nothing worse than your allergies attacking on your first day of vacation in an unfamiliar country. Things can get worse if you fail to bring along your medication. Don’t allow this to happen and ruin your well-deserved vacation. Make sure to include a first-aid kit in your list of things to pack and situations like this will never see the light of day.

But what stuff should make it inside your first-aid kit? Here are some suggestions which you could consider when preparing your own kit.

• Micropore bandage strips – good for cuts and wounds. Whether your cut is big or small, these bandage strips will be sufficient to close up the wound in the meantime.

• Iodine-Povidone solution – a small bottle for cleaning wounds. Infected wounds are caused by dirt. Make sure to clean cuts and wounds with this solution to avoid infection.

• Sterilized Cotton balls – for cleaning wounds. Be ready with sterile materials for cleaning (even a scratch merits a good clean!).

• Ibuprofen tablets – don’t let a headache or body pains ruin your holidays. Have your ibuprofen ready!

• Medications for allergies – make sure to stock meds for your allergies. Foreign places may cause you new allergies. You surely can’t have fun if you are sneezing your head off for most of your vacation.

• 2’’ elastic bandage – of course the last thing you would want is a sprain but, unfamiliar roads may cause you to make a misstep. A good bandage can help a lot in allowing mobility in spite of the painful predicament.

Choosing Clothes for Travel

The children’s story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” taught us all about foolishness and pride. It also taught us never to go out wearing inappropriate clothing, as the child honestly observed. This is one lesson that should never be set aside, especially among travelers.

Good, comfortable and practical clothes should be the top qualifiers when choosing what clothes to pack. But when do we say that a dress is good, comfortable and practical? Of course, this depends on where you are going and what your activities are going to be.

• Before choosing what clothes to pack, check the weather forecast of the place where you are going to. This will guide you as to what type of clothing to bring along.

• Travelers who are on business trips should of course bring their business suits. Taking along more than one coat would be too much. One black business coat should be satisfactory.

• Those who are traveling to tropical countries would do well not to pack any heavy, thick coats and warmers. Light-colored cotton shirts and pants should suffice. Bringing along one thin coat just to be ready for a cold nip in the air will be adequate.

• Travelers who are going to countries with colder climates should bring an ample supply of warm clothes. Warm clothes do not necessarily mean lugging around heavy, large trench coats. Bringing along thermal wear and clothes made of wool will be sufficient to ward off the cold weather.

• Of course, women should bring at least one dress presentable enough for that sudden dinner invite.

Shoes? Now that’s a topic for another post. Happy traveling! :)

Music is Magic

Nothing can ruin a traveler’s mood better than music which intrudes rather than soothes a tired traveler’s soul. Walking along unfamiliar roads, dining in foreign restaurants, or even relaxing in the hotel lobby – good music should be a partner in all of these activities.

So that you can be sure to get a dose of your type of music fat anytime of the day or week, bring your iPod (with or without speakers). Or load your notebook computer with your stash of favorites. You may think this is trivial now but wait for the day you just need to rest and collect your thoughts. Your type of music will be the best mate during these times. Just plug in your music player and let it roll. Like magic, watch your tired blues float away.

Give Me Comfy Shoes Anytime

So you're about to travel. Well, if you want to enjoy your travel, you better pick good walking shoes. There's no sense in dampening the excitement of weeks or months of preparation just because your feet are aching. Packing along good walking shoes that are good-looking and versatile enough that it can match most of your outfits is a travelers 'must'.

• Good shoes should support the arc of your feet. Not all shoes are created equal. Some shoes fall short of supporting your arc. This is why it is important to try on the shoe for size, and walk around with it so you could ascertain its comfortability.
• Good shoes must be lightweight. Even if the shoe fits snugly into the arc of your foot, if you can feel its weight on your feet, you still won't be able to go on long walks comfortably.

Make the effort. Buy comfortable shoes and enjoy your travel!

Working Traveller

After the introduction of the $100 Laptop for every child by Nicholas Negroponte, other PC and laptop makers have been rushing to make their own small notebooks. Aside from small children, business travelers have also benefited from this explosion of mini-notebooks and UMPCs (Ultra Mobile PCs) in the market.

If you have plans of buying a smaller notebook, I made a list of the more reliable notebooks/UMPCs in the market. Read Val-E's personal list of travel-ready notebooks!

1. HP Compaq 2133. Has a spill-proof keyboard, a shock-resistant hard drive, and a sleek aluminum case. One of the best in the market.
   
2. UMPC Fujitsu U810. Has an ultra low voltage processor from Intel Core Duo so you can expect longer battery life (5.5hrs)d and is so portable, you can carry it around the city without any fuss.
   
3. Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook P1620. Quite expensive at $1788 but then, what do you expect from a sub-notebook that is 8.9in, has 1280 x 768 display and HSDPA/HSUPA 3G connectivity, and weighs just below 1kg!
   
4. Samsung Q1 Ultra. It one of the first UMPCs to hit the market,costs about $1100 and has an integrated keyboard, pointing stick and mouse buttons.
   
5. Asus Eee PC. The one that started the UMPC/Mini-Note craze. Weighs 2.2lbs. and costs less than $400.

So, which one will it be?

Tips for a Worry-free Travel: Pack Light, Save the Environment

After 9/11 and all the airport security measures that you have to pass through before getting on or off the plane, packing light will help reduce stress, save the environment (less luggage means less fuel consumption!) and give you the worry-free travel you deserve.

Below are some tips for packing light:

1. Make a general list (and stick to it!). Writing down all the stuff you plan on bringing will allow you to double-check and eliminate stuff you don't really need anyway.
   
2. Use clothing bags or packing cubes. Organize your stuff in the bag, especially when bringing kids along. Packing stuff neatly will allow you a better view of your stuff and assess what's needed and what's not.
   
3. Color coordinate your clothes. Mix-and-match clothes so you don't have to bring too many bags and footwear to match different colored clothes!
   
4. Hand-wash items. Wash socks and undies at the sink so you don't need to bring a ton of these in the luggage.
   
5. Choose the right bag. If the bag you choose is too big, you will try to fill up the space.
   
   
   

Travel and saving do not mix?

Hello, everyone! It's me, Val-E – your guide to the misty labyrinth of economical yet fun traveling.

Wherever you go, whatever your nationality or province, a distinct and general qualifier for accommodations whenever you travel would be comfort and price. With the present economic crunch, places where you can get both comfort and a lower price are few and far between.

PADS by Legend begs to disagree, though. Legend has always tried to put the needs and interests of the Filipino at the forefront. PADS is Legend's answer to the ever-searching smart traveler.

Affordability bundled with comfort, this is PADS. Travelers could choose from one or two-bed accommodations – each room having its own TV and bath. Yes, at PAD, you get hotel-type accommodations at a fraction of the price!

So I, Val-E says – Travel smart. Book at PADS by Legend.