Google Earth seems to get more useful by the day, and now you can plan more than just your next pool party using the free software.
South African Tourism worked with Google to develop a special batch of layers to hype the country. You can fly in over cultural sites and historic landmarks or click over to the nature and safari info to plan a wildlife-focused trip.
And of course all the locations for the 2010 World Cup are highlighted as well. Speaking of, tickets for the competition go on sale in February 2009, about the time, we'd expect, you'll start seeing a huge amount of press about visiting South Africa.
You'll only be able to try it at LaGuardia for now, but Delta has rolled out its first e-boarding pass. You'll now be able to check in and get past the TSA screeners using nothing more than your web-capable mobile.
Of course, a few airlines already have this service--including Air Canada, Continental and Japan Airlines. But it looks like it's really starting to catch on in the States, which begs an important reminder: Charge those phones before you head to the airport!
One of the great things about Google's pantheon of services is that you can access them from any computer, anytime, anywhere. But Google Earth has always been an exception to the rule--until now.
The search company has just announced that 3D, pan-planet maps will be coming to a browser near you via a Java plug-in. (For now, it's only available for Windows machines.)
You probably already know why we're so excited about it: Now we can virtually fly around our Kid Rock Fight Venues Map!
It's been a while since we've held a real, paper ticket for a flight, but they do still exist... for the next couple of weeks, anyway. The industry's given themselves until June 1, 2008, to change over to completely paperless tickets.
Estimates are that around 90 percent of plane tickets are issued electronically at the moment, and that might not change too much before the deadline. Routes where they're having trouble changing over include some to China, Vietnam, India, Africa and South America, and bringing a baby along on an e-ticket is also still problematic; some round-the-world routes are also only issued on paper.
All hail the paperless ticket world, we say, not just because we like trees but also because it's much harder to leave an electronic ticket at home. We're gunning for paperless passports and baggage-less baggage, too.
Of course we also had the full rundown on airport WiFi, including why some places have free connections while others charge. And if you're wondering about in-flight internet, we've got the full scoop on what to expect this summer right here.
WiFi Week 2008 may be a wrap, but we've already started thinking about next year's report. But you know we can't do it without your help.
It's WiFi Week, which means we're investigating the state of wireless internet on the road. Today, getting online in anti-internet destinations.
When we covered the state of international WiFi on Tuesday, we didn't mention that not every country would give you access to the same internet. In other words, just because you've found a signal, you might not be able to do whatever you want online.
A number of countries limit certain sites and certain content. Among them are China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Syria and Tunisia. Reporters without Borders maintains a list of "Enemies of the Internet" that includes these and six other nations. Myanmar famously shut down all internet access during anti-government uprisings last year.
What can you do when you need to log on and your connection is compromised? After the jump, some options.
It's WiFi Week, which means we're investigating the state of wireless internet on the road. Today, getting online at the airport.
We've had plenty of luck picking up WiFi signals at airports all over the place. And just as often we've had nightmarish experiences, tinkering with settings and missing out on the chance to get online before departure.
The general trend in airport WiFi is toward free and open networks, as officials realize that business travelers will make their flight plans around which airports make them most productive. (Leisure travelers are starting to do the same.) And though there are still some holdouts on the East Coast, we're always adding airports to our free WiFi map.
We've got more on why airports go free and some workarounds for those airports that still insist on charging you after the jump.
It's WiFi Week, which means we're investigating the state of wireless internet on the road. Today, getting online when abroad.
If the state of domestic WiFi is fantastic, the situation outside the US is still, let's say, developing. Depending on where you're headed, you could pick up a wireless signal instantly or struggle with your connection all trip long.
A little advance planning, though, can take care of some of your woes. To figure out the best strategies for taking your laptop abroad, we tapped our well-traveled contributors for their on-the-road horror (and success!) stories.
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by pbb
