Personal Technology Tips in Plain English
Posts tagged travel
Wake Up And Remember By The Coffee
Sep 17th
So I was headed into Starbucks for my Grande Pike Hazelnut Cold Soy and plopped down onto one of the stuffy armchairs to take a load off my heels.
I cracked open my laptop and started to wince because I didn’t remember if I used my Starbucks registered gift card within the last 30 days or not and I just paid cash.
Why is this important? Because you get up to 2 free hours of WiFi daily at any Starbucks if you just use a registered Starbucks prepaid card within the last 30 days. Otherwise, pay up pal.
But then it hit me and I remembered!
And in fact, there was no real need to remember, because my browser screen told me everything I needed to know right then and there:

YUP, Starbucks finally got rid of that last forced-loyalty obstacle and is giving away free one-click WiFi to anyone that seeks it out.
The connection is still on the AT&T Wireless network — which means my iPhone gets free coverage anyway there. But my laptop can now jump on the net instantly without any authentication nonsense.
Whew. One less thing between me and my emails.
BONUS TIP: When you’re out and about, Starbucks isn’t the only national chain to offer completely free WiFi these days. Check out McDonald’s too — you now have access to free AT&T WiFi at those locations as well. That’s not enough? How about Barnes & Nobles? More you say? Ok, stop by any Office Depot or Staples or even Panera Bread nationwide. Heck, you don’t even have to go into a store many times — like when you’re in the NYC metro area, you might find yourself in a free wifi zone in town. Enjoy!
QUESTION: What other national chains are offering free WiFi?
Is Your Laptop Worth Pampering?
Mar 16th
AmazonI guess it was only natural.
We do live in an age where luxury products are being applied to anything that moves.
Are laptops considered in the set of “things that move” that need to be pampered?
I wonder if it really qualifies to be treated like a pampered travel guest or not.
Anyway, last week, I saw one of these for the first time.
And soon thereafter, I have been seeing them pop up in various places. Just today, I saw another 3 people using these accessories to live a pampered lifestyle. . .
Is this a new fad? Or was it totally random that I’ve never seen one in my life before and all of a sudden I see 4 in 2 weeks?

Supposedly, this item is pretty functional, (although it is debatable just how critical it is to carry one around):
- It protects the lcd screen from cracking if you accidentally put too much pressure on the laptop when it is closed — if you step on your laptop, if you put it into a backpack and stuff it with books, etc.
- The laptop keyboard cloth blanket would also prevent your fingerprint smudges from transferring from the keyboard to the screen every time you close your laptop up. If you notice, your screen is probably in need of a good wipe with one of those eyeglass microfiber clothes right now. You can keep a crystal-clear screen by using this keyboard cloth.
- If you wear glasses, you’ll always have clean, clear vision.
- It removes fingerprint oils residue from the keyboard passively every time you pack up. You’ll reduce the erosion on the keyboard keys so that they don’t become “shiny” in certain spots or have the letters of the keyboard wear off — all because of the acidic oil fingerprints you leave behind each time you type away.
I’m still pondering about this additional accessory you need to keep track of whenever you pull out your laptop.
Do you have a laptop keyboard blanket? Tell me about your experience! Would you pay again for another one if you had to do it over again? Please leave a comment below.
Where’s My Passport?
Jan 3rd
We’re just back from our Christmas vacation, but guess what, it was so hectic, that now we really need a vacation.
So we’re looking forward to our real spring vacation in the sun. However, since we’re crossing our own borders, we found out that we all need a passport now…
Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport.
That means that TONS of new passport applications and renewal request will be flooding the system.
But guess what? Uncle Sam is getting digital and customer-friendly!
You can check the STATUS OF YOUR PASSPORT APPLICATION online! No humans involved (except you!).
Bon Voyage!

I love tech, gadgets and the web. Hope you pick-up a useful tip or two here today that helps you use technology to your advantage! Better yet, why not share your own expertise in a comment on a post today to help the other readers that land here for answers!