International Travel, Technology & Cell Phone -Tips | Ideas | Advice.

International Cell Phone Rentals - A Trap or a Genuine Money Saver

2012-02-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Renting an international cell phone can be a good and cost effective option to stay connected, if your travel duration is brief. There are many companies offering international cellphone on rent with alluring plans, but I recommend caution before putting yourself in a trap with some trickster.

You will find many companies when browsing through Google but make sure you check their reviews before deciding the purchase. I have shortlisted some companies based on multiple reviews, based on the personal experiences of many.

Recommended companies for renting an international cellphone or SIM card:-

Telestial – Offering prepaid SIM cards, unlocked GSM and satellite phones for international travelers. Has the largest market share of North America’s market
Cell Hire – Save over 70% on your calls abroad with free incoming calls!
Mobal - No contract cell phones which are affordable & easy to use
Cellular Abroad - National Geographic International cell phone rentals and travel SIM cards

You can do a sim card only purchase, if your phone is quad-band, simply meaning it support 4 frequencies. Please check your phone manufacturer or check out the product catalogue for confirmation.

Please ensure that you purchase or carry adapter for foreign AC converters. This will allow you to plug your charger into European / international electrical outlets.

The Europe emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance is 112 and 911 works only in states. Outside Europe, emergency numbers will vary by country.

True Places are never on the Map – Happy Traveling !!

Smarter phones emerging in the future

2012-02-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Cell phones are getting smaller and more powerful each day. The disposable Concept and Conduit cell phone is already patented and being manufactured; it is a mere two by three inches, with the thickness of three credit cards, and is made entirely of paper (the circuit board is printed with metallic conductive ink). Such phones, in volume, will likely cost less than a dollar each, with the air time for educational uses likely subsidized by carriers and others. Some already see mobile bills shrinking to only a few dollars as the mobile companies pay off their investments in the new networks.

Although we often hear complaints from older Digital Immigrants about cell phones' limited screen and button size, it is precisely the combination of miniaturization, mobility, and power that grabs today's Digital Natives.

They can visualize a small screen as a window to an infinite space and have quickly trained themselves to keyboard with their thumbs.

Despite what some may consider cell phones' limitations, our students are already inventing ways to use their phones to learn what they want to know. If educators are smart, we will figure out how to deliver our product in a way that fits into our students' digital lives—and their cell phones. Instead of wasting our energy fighting their preferred delivery system, we will be working to ensure that our students extract maximum understanding and benefit from the vast amounts of cell-phone-based learning of which they will, no doubt,

soon take advantage.

Preferred Ways To Call Home When Traveling

2012-02-15T23:28:00.000-08:00

If you are a globetrotter, you will understand that it can be quite spendthrift to be in touch with friends, family or colleagues back home.

Companies today are offering tons of different options, but the hardest part is deciding which option is the best for you. Get it right and your trip will be a breeze, get it wrong and it could turn into an awful trip you would want to forget!

We have done a research on the available options and have few tips for the international travelers.

1. Can you use your own cell phone when traveling?
2. Should you rent a cell phone?
3. Local SIM cards — the hidden costs!
4. Using hotel phones — doing it the old-fashioned way!
5. Using the Internet to get free calls!
6. Why all World Phones are not the same!

Now, let's discuss them in detail.

Option 1. Can you use your own cell phone when traveling?

Currently, it is estimated that over 70% of cell phones in the US are not capable of working abroad, so the chances are, you will be one of the 70% who need a second solution if you want to keep in touch while traveling. Only quad band phones work outside US.

Please check with your carrier if it provides an international service?

What are the call charges?

Will there also be a rental involved?

Does my cell phone handset use the right technology?

Option 2. Rent a cell phone?

Renting a cell phone for the brief period of your trip has traditionally been the popular option to
keep in contact.

You can buy your own international cell phone for the same price as between just one and two weeks' rental charges! For the rental you have to:

1. You contact a rental company to order your phone
2. You pay a deposit and rental charges for the period of your trip
3. You arrange for a collection day before you travel and sign for the delivery
4. While you use the phone on your trip, the charges for your calls are deducted from your credit card
5. You arrange to return your phone when you arrive back home

Please consider the following options before choosing a cell phone rental company.

The cost of cell phone rental.

Minimum rental period

Minimum daily call usage

Delivery charges

Charges for itemised invoices

Insurance

Option 3. Using local SIM cards?

Pros	Cons
Get local call rates	They are expensive to buy
Get a local number	It can be expensive to buy the cell phone
Pre-pay for your calls	The SIMs will expire if unused
	You may pay for calls you never use
	You can get cut-off during conversations
	You can get cut-off during conversations
	Foreign-speaking customer support

You may think that local SIM cards offer a great deal due to the fact they offer local call charges, however, you must look into both the extra costs in setting yourself up with everything and the extra inconvenience it brings.

Option 4. Hotel and Public Phones?

Its a traditional approach and a only positive thing i can found is that you don't need to invest in a cell phone. However the main problems with using hotel and public phones are; you need to organize times to be contacted, You will have no idea how much calls will be costing you, You may have to go through a foreign operator.

Although you may be tempted to just take a chance with hotel and public phones, the reality is that it could prove to be more expensive, and a lot more hassle, than investing in your own international cell phone!

Option 5 . Using the Internet for free calls?

My personal favorite, you can get free, unlimited calls to potentially any other computer with an internet
connection. You may need;

1. A computer/ mobile phone with Internet connection
2. A headset, or microphone and speaker
3. The correct software to be installed on the computer (the most popular is called Skype and can be downloaded for free)
4. The person you want to contact must have the same set-up

The problems you might face in this option: You need to pre-arrange times to call, You may not be able to find a computer with the correct set-up, The line quality can be poor.

Option 6. World phones?

World phone is an international cell phone that works in many countries using just one SIM card. Many companies are providing world phones with tempting plans, however you need to ensure that you choose the right company.

As you can see, there are a number of different options, and in reality, only you can decide which option is best for you.

Bon Voyage!

Life in Delhi Metro

2011-06-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

I like to start by stating that this post has nothing to do with a popular Bollywood movie with a similar title. It is all about my experiences of a Metro ride, which i felt is few interesting hours of my life that's why i termed it as Life in Delhi Metro.

Few Emotions:-

•    Revenge:-A guy after having an argument with another person pressed the emergency button which stalled the train by half an hour, pretty frustrating.
•    Unity:- A stronger guy slapped a teenage guy as he thought he is not giving him space to enter the train(there wasn’t any space left ) the guy after being slapped stood still & didn’t respond ; later everybody in the coach united & asked the stronger guy to apologize or he would be pushed out of the train.

•    Ignorance:- Ladies, old men, first timers struggling to understand the system, Ladies generally straddling on the elevators(still) as they feel their sari would come in the elevator. Old man struggling to understand how to enter into the platform, what to do with the token basically, First time boarders struggling to understand the route and where & when to board & deboard.

•    Desperation: Young majnus trying to enter the women’s compartment or least stand near the rear end of the coach seeing their act of desperation was actually funny but no doubt should be dealt seriously.

Life in Delhi Metro is interesting, where people of varying background, class, strata & age fight for a place to sit, not everyone though but most of them. Where people want to show their macho-ness by standing anywhere they want to & create their own line (I think they have taken the dialogue “Robert hum jaha khade ho jaate hain line wahi se shuru hoti hai” very seriously).

Where people give their seats to person who needs it more than they do, where people are always ready to guide & help any non-delhite who approach them, the metro ride is fascinating & full of surprises for sure. Any Person coming to Delhi must take a ride, my personal recommendation free of charge.

Metro’s Ride! Delhi’s Pride!

Twitter Advertising turning BIG

2011-06-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

Twitter has been struggling for years since its inception in 2006 to build a robust monetization system but failed every time, but that was history Twitter has recently acquired AdGrok , a web advertising start-up to build a self-service advertising program for the micro blogging giant.

AdGrok helps setting up Google adwords advertising campaigns, came out of beta mode just 2 months ago, when twitter made the sparkling offer which they were unable to refuse.

The Twitter advertising space is hotting up right now with a number of players venturing into it. A lot of interesting news coming up for the publishers & advertisers.

Stay Tuned; coz the excitement has just begun!

Know more on Twitter Marketing.

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Watch Online Free on MegaVideo

2011-06-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Watch Kung Fu Panda II (2011) Online for Free on MegaVideo.

The movie completes the first part ans starts the plot for the III part, pretty Awesome. Having mastered the art of Kung Fu, Po now needs to master the concept of inner peace, something he doesn't understand initially, but is destined to find out with the emergence of a new formidable villain The Peacock who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kungfu forever.

USP:- One liners which Po gave while having a deadly battle, which makes him a real star, doing awesome things with complete humility. Po is by far the coolest SuperHero i have ever see.

i don't know what critics have to say, but i would give it 4.5/5 rating.

KungFu Panda II on Megavideo :- Download or Watch Online

Enjoy and Share !

The Museum of Me: Your Facebook Account turned into a Museum

2011-06-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

Intel has just launched a wonderful app, a showcase of everything you have been doing on Facebook in a form of a museum naming it: “The Museum of Me”.

Start by authorizing the app by logging into your account and within seconds it will take you to a video tour of your account, with specific rooms for friends, places & messages with a huge screen displaying your status updates.

The graphics are breathtaking and would give you a instant ego boost & better you can share the link with your friends too. If you haven’t checked out it yet, here is the link to Intel’s Free Facebook App Museum of Me

Gmail Made Easy! - Gmail Tricks | Shorcuts

2011-01-29T14:20:00.000-08:00

Gmail is hugely popular for personal emailing, i am sure we open our personal account at least once in a day henceforth i thought sharing some tricks & tips about using Gmail would be fun & valuable for the readers, So Enjoy!

Search shortcuts for Gmail: Type the query in the search box for the following results.

is:read for Read mails
is:unread for Unread mails
is:starred mails U have marked
is:chat Chat mails
is:label_name label_name you can replace with other label name like personal
in:inbox search in Inbox
in:trash Search in Recycle Bin of mails
in:spam Search in Spam box
in:anywhere use to search any where in your mail box

SNAPSHOT:- in:spam

So now finding something on Gmail is easy & fun.

Another tip: Gmail does not recognises dot (.) in your username for example your username is michael.jackson@gmail.com then you can login with michaeljackson@gmail.com. Google Mail cannot recognize it, Funny though.

Julian Assange - 21st Century Activist and Crusader of Truth

2010-12-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

America's worst nightmare and the Robinhood of the online world is a 21st century activist who has shown the world , the truth behind the US Government's diplomacy by unleashing it's darker side to the world.

US Government strong reaction to the secret diplomatic cables release by Wikileaks showcases its imperial arrogance and hypocrisy and contradicts its so called diplomatic principles. I believe the US leaders and politicians are smart enough to understand the already damaged reputation will worsen by their attempts to muzzle Wiki-leaks and Assange.

US Government in the past have criticized and accused China for obstructing the flow of information over internet but what have been rightly said that you may shout out loud about your principles but when it bothers you then there aren't any. "Operation Avenge Assange " has been launched from Dec 6, 7PM GMT onwards by the group of Assange supporters & Hacktivist.

The major beneficiaries of this leaks are the media industry which has not come out in support of Assange which is surprising, may be due to their Government's pressure. I would like to see the reaction of the President of US on the matter who has stayed away from making any comment on the leaks. Although Mr. Obama can speak on any issue in the world but it may interesting to know what he has to say about a controversy in his courtyard.

I personally like to congratulate Assange for his exceptional work towards creating more transparent society, But honestly i don't think he is a Hero nor he is a Villain ; He is actually a 21st Century Journalist who hails from no state.

One thing which cannot be denied is the fact that this is a major breakthrough which has happened towards more liberal world.

Long Live the Revolution!!

Watch Online Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ( HP-7 )on Megavideo

2010-11-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

In this astonishing week of Wiki-leaks releasing US Classified cables, i am also in the mood of providing free access of information to all my readers, i recently got a request for a movie. Here's posting a free link for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (HP-7) Part 1 .

Plot- Harry's search to destroy the Horcruxes, to kill the evil lord. The movie is ok, as it only creates a curiosity for the second part where we see the end of Voldemort.

Watch Online on Megavideo Single Link:

http://muchshare.net/wz70slf5kffk [Hindi Dubbed Version on Demand]

Enjoy!

Disclaimer:- The link posted only 2 weeks after the official release.

Apple iPad Review : iBad for Consumers

2010-11-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Apple has a long history of imposing restrictions on its uses in the form of stating them as security measures to combat theft. Latest one under DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) prevents users from installing what they want or tinkering with their devices.

DRM will give Apple and its partners the power to disable features, block any competing products, censor news, and even delete books, videos, or news stories from user’s computers without any notification.

iPad is actually iBad as it has DRM all over it, with complete control on the user device. DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) is an access control technology to limit the usage of digital content and applications.

There are some DRM Removal software’s available in the market which are legally removing DRM restriction from I Pad & I Tunes.

In the current scenario, apple is trying to put restrictions on users is a big issue for all I-Pad users. I hope Mr. Jobs do something about it soon.

Global Climate Crisis - Deepening

2010-11-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Global Climate Crisis is actually linked to Global Financial Crisis as we are always stimulated to achieve higher monetary value creation at a level far beyond our assets or capital available. Although we may recover from Financial Crisis but we need to keep one thing in mind i.e. “Nature does not provide bailouts”.

We need to understand that its an planetary emergency to cut the carbon emissions, raise ourselves to a higher level of consciousness and take a unified step in achieving our goal, without a deliberate and intensive effort from all nations the purpose won’t be solved. Our atmosphere can't tell the difference between emissions from a Chinese factory, the exhaust from a American SUV, or deforestation in Africa. It may be interesting to know that some emissions in china are affecting temperatures in Europe and vice versa.

Religion is not about belief it’s more about behavior, same is the case with Optimism. So rather being optimistic that nothing will happen and terming it a paranoid fantasy we must act on it and make the earth a better place to live in. Mahatma Gandhi once said “Be the change you want to see in others”.

US is the highest emitter of the green house gases in the world & a non signatory of Kyoto needs to led the world in the race for human existence. Although the country is taking +ve steps in introducing EDA as a Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund which will strengthen the linkages between economic development and environmental quality a lot still needs to be done.

There are plenty of concerns associated with Global Climate Crisis like Global Warming, Ozone depletion, Fresh Water Crisis, Dramatic rise in CO2 & more. For every expert that says humans are the cause of "climate change" there are 10 more who say we aren't. Hence the only way to solve this crisis is by taking a moral value and stand for it and remembering that every step counts, how small it may be.

Go GREEN

Google Search : Tips, Tricks and Ideas

2010-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Google has made it possible to reach not just publicly available Internet resources, but also to some that should never have been revealed.

We are fortunate to be living in the era of Internet + Google where information has been commoditized to great extend, now what we really need to do is just type a query in Google and most of the time you would get what you are looking for.

Table below shows some queries which can be useful in your search:-

Operator	Description	Sample query
site	only results to sites within the given domain	site:google.com International will find all sites/Pages containing the word International, located within the google.com domain
intitle	only results to documents whose title contains the given keyword	intitle:Travel will find all sites with the word Travel in the title
allintitle	only results to documents whose title contains all the given keyword	allintitle:International Travel will find all sites with the words International and Travel in the title, so it's equivalent to intitle:International intitle:Travel
inurl	only results to sites whose URL contains the given keyword	inurl:International Travel will find all sites containing the word Travel in the text and International in the URL
allinurl	only results to sites whose URL contains all the given keyword	allinurl:International Travel will find all sites with the words International and Travel in the URL, so it's equivalent to inurl:International inurl:Travel
filetype, ext	only results to documents of the given type	filetype:pdf Travel will return PDFs containing the word Travel, while filetype:xls International will return Excel spreadsheets with the word International
numrange	only results to documents containing a number from the given range	numrange:1-100 Travel will return sites containing a number from 1 to 100 and the word Travel. The same result can be achieved with 1..100 Travel
link	only results to sites containing links to the given location	link:www.google.com will return documents containing one or more links to www.google.com
inanchor	only results to sites containing links with the given keyword in their descriptions	inanchor:Travel will return documents with links whose description contains the word Travel (that's the actual link text, not the URL indicated by the link)
allintext	only results to documents containing the given keyword in the text, but not in the title, link descriptions or URLs	only results to documents containing the given keyword in the text, but not in the title, link descriptions or URLs
+	specifies that a keyword should occur frequently in results	+Travel will order results by the number of occurrences of the word Travel
-	specifies that a keyword must not occur in results	-Travel will return documents that don't contain the word Travel
" "	delimiters for entire search keyword (not single words)	"International Travel" will return documents containing the keyword International Travel

My advice looking for something "Just Google it"

Oktoberfest “The Beer Fest” – Get Ready to Raise the Toast

2010-09-24T02:11:00.000-07:00

“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure.”

Oktoberfest is a 200 year old Beer Festival held in Munich, Germany. You may call it a controlled Mayhem where around a million people ingest huge quantities of Beer while singing & jumping on the benches. Apart from drinking Beer people can indulge in lot of other activities as well like there are Bavarian music and Dance, Food court, Merchants, Non-Profit groups, Arts & Crafts Vendor & more.

Oktoberfest 2010 is starting from Sep 17th to Oct 4^th . This year the fest would be celebrating it's 200^th anniversary hence the organizers have special in store for the visitors. Oktoberfest will be held on the Village Green and the Mansion lawn at 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is also a event for traditional country fashion where the men traditionally wear lederhosen with suspenders and Bavarian farmer hats, while ladies dress in colorful dirndl dresses with matching aprons. Don’t worry about looking silly or out of place in your trachtenmode - you’ll fit right in with the locals. Although there is huge Beer flowing but still Oktoberfest is a Family event.

Once you will enter you see big tents filled with People & Beer ; it's like a Party in a Big Tent. You need to come a little early to get a table and also do carry some cash in order to give Tip to the girls giving you beer , If you don't tip them they won't come back so Tipping is Must. You may pay them on an average a Euro/Beer but if the girl is really beautiful or you wish to get a royal service throughout the day pay them 5 Euros on the first order itself. Raise your glass on when the band plays and says “Oans, zwoa, drei, Gsuffa!” meaning “One, Two , Three Drink!” . You must sing this song, and drink after each song. It’s the law.

There is a Free iPhone application known “ The Munich Guide” for Sights, Restaurants, Bars & Clubs where you will find the best location for every occasion! The application can be downloaded for Free at i Tunes Store.

Google Voice Launched , Skype Take a Deep Breath

2010-08-30T02:32:00.001-07:00

Google's new internet telephone service would allow its Gmail users to call Landlines and Mobile phones from their email inbox , thereby putting Google in direct competition with Skype. It uses Gmail as an interface and optionally can integrate with Google Voice to receive calls as well.

Skype Vs GVoice

To attract new users calls to US/Canada would be free for the rest of the year initially. Calls to other countries will be as low as 2 cents per minute, and will not include a connection fee. Google is very smart at what they do. The question is will Google would able to wipe out Skype or not?

The Key features are when somebody calls on your mobile, your computer would rang as well. Google Voice also allows all voice messages to be turned into text which will then be sent either through an e-mail or an sms. Transcribe voice-mails and convert it into text and put it in your inbox so that it's searchable and you will always have a record of that voicemail.

Google pleasantly tweeted on Thursday announcing that 1 Million users called on the day of launched of the service. Google has huge resources but it's too early to celebrate the success; and also to take into account Skype users are tremendously Loyal. Lets see the Price War which is soon about to start would lead to something.....but whatever is the outcome the users gonna love their cheap calls.

Google's Voice : Calling Rates

Dec 2012 : Awaken, Empower, Ascend

2010-08-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Lots have been said & told about Mayan Prophecy which says Dec, 21, 2012 is the day when the earth changes to see it's end and that it happens every cycle of 26,556 years.

Let's say all of it is true , then what we do to tackle the situation,I know we cannot do anything to change it so what else, some would do things they always wanted to do, some would start worshiping god, some would start exploring things, etc. etc.. the point is, who is stopping you, to do it right now! , all of this because some prophecy has given a date for the end of this world i.e. preposterous. If you agree to the above statement then you have become a machine my friend working and reacting on a particular time and date. Don't worry this is the case with majority of us.

I personally think this whole 2012 story is a Marketing wash, I recommend not to fall for it and just see it as a transition where we might experience a change only for good. 2012 is just a date there is nothing to fear and worry about the so called “doomsday or mass exit” hypocrisy, these things are purposely created to develop fear among people ; then to cash on that fear factor. The businessman, so called religion gurus, have mastered that art and can do it with their eyes closed.

I recommend Live Life ; as you are Born Daily. When you woke up tomorrow thank god for an additional day in your life, do the things you always wanted to do complete them as you would be dead tomorrow , in the night party like you are dying tomorrow. I know this is an unusual case but if we try to implement 10% of it we would be an happy individual.

I know this story is out of context, but really want to add it ; if a single person is awaken by reading it I would feel blessed.

God Bless Us ALL!

Stay Connected while on Flight

2010-07-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Technology has made our lives easier and there is no limit what more technology can add in all sphere of our lives. Here comes another Revelation! now you can use your cell phones in the sky and stay connected while on the move.

Emirates is the first airline which has launched mobile phone usage in its planes while Qantas is exploring opportunities in the similar option.Traditionally we used to make calls built behind our airplane seats which costs us more than $10 plus a connection fee. Now the same call can be made between $1-2 /Min as International Roaming rates still apply, In case you think i have a World SIM , then my friend you have to be in this world (earth) to use it, at 3000 feet above the surface you cannot expect more at this point of time.

U.S. carriers don't allow in-flight cell phone calls, although the Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing the safety concerns associated with mobile calls made in the air? Conducting a study looking at whether portable electronic devices like cell phones interfere with aircraft navigation systems or not.

Dying US Airline service needs a new add on service to survive and to attract new customers.I think airlines should partner with Telecom service provider to provide services on board. At this moment of time this feature actually doesn't have any any incentive for the Airlines.

All Sites Directory - Get URLs at the free All Sites Directory for a new link exchange.

PICK OF THE WEEK:

zBoost YX-510 Cell Phone Signal Booster Dual Band unit for Home or Office

Apple iPhone4 - Reception Issues

2010-07-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone 4, the much hyped phone of the decade is under criticism from consumer reports for it's reception glitches.The market but has been plagued by complaints of poor reception which sold 1.7 Million units in 3 Days after launch.

When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side , the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection. Although iPhone 4 scored high on other testing grounds such as battery life, sharp display and high-quality video camera.

The Signal issue only happens when you hold the phone a certain way and if you put a case on it, you won't have any problems. This is an hardware issues so Apple can't fix them, till they come out with the next generation iPhone.

The second minor issue is of yellow spots,(Shown in a red circle) is a temporary issue which i think would fade away when you use it.

Fix:- just get any pair of gloves, latex, cotton/acrolyic/wool and keep in handy with you. When you need to make a call ,put them on, the phone will work with no dropped calls.

Get your FREE iPhone4 Case now.

International Travel - Watch Out! for International Roaming

2010-07-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Travelers, Let me start from a quote from Thomas Fuller "Travel makes a wise man better, and a fool worse". Traveling is a best way to learn new things, keeping your mind always freshen up, to do things with full creativity.

International Roaming is a bomb which you carry with you in a form of a cell phone which will burst your wallet anytime you call using your present cell phone while Traveling abroad. Roaming is an extension of connectivity service when you go beyond the boundaries of US, Roaming means when you are not using your default carrier ; you are actually on a foreign one. Best way to save yourself from these stupendous charges is use an International SIM Card. Being a Traveler myself i want to make sure my colleagues are not slipped with huge money by the Service providers. As the world is converging the service carries should bring a cost effective plan for the international travelers. The only prerequisite of using a International SIM, is you need an Unlocked Cell Phone.

Benefits of International SIM:-

Free Incoming (Calls + Text)
Low Call back Charges to US
Follow me Service
Outgoing calls same as Local outgoing rates.

Trick for Saving money on International Travel:-

Use skype for calling, put your cell phone in flight mode, In Flight mode your cell phone would stop communicating with the service provider; your cell phone signal would be dead. You won't receive or make calls and would not receive any Data too. Use airport Wifi or any other Wifi for browsing and stay connected using any social media platform like Facebook.

International Travel – Local SIM Vs International SIM

2010-06-05T03:28:00.000-07:00

In order to save yourself from stupendous Roaming charges from your present US Carrier the options that comes to our mind are of purchasing a Local SIM card from the local mobile retail store after reaching your destination which is quite common with most travelers. Local SIM Cards seems a convenient option but in reality they aren't, specialty when you are on a foreign country.

Local SIM Card

Some of the inconvenient facts about Local SIM card as follows; Local retail stores first would ask for a photocopy of your passport for verification, with new SIM you would receive a new number which would cost your friends & family an international call to reach you, this also means that international calling rates apply to you as well if you call from the country where you're traveling to the U.S. , Some of the features like voice mail, call-waiting, e-mail and Web surfing won't be available, And you will not be able to receive calls, voice mails, text messages, or e-mails sent to your U.S. phone number while using another carrier's SIM card.

Pros:- Lowest Rates for local calls, incoming would be free and it would be easier for people to call you although they would pay for an international call your call would be free.

Cons:- Have to Spend precious vacation or business time in searching for a local SIM, The instruction and prompts would be in local language and can be difficult to understand.

International SIM Card

Having said that using a local SIM can save you money, especially if you are using it to make only local calls or Texting. So, if you can live with only local calls or text messages then Local SIM can be a good option. If you are looking for more then lets see what an International SIM Card can provide you. International SIM can be purchased before starting from US or when planning your trip hence you know your cell number prior to leaving & can exchange and distribute your new number easily, you get an Local SIM of the country to are traveling to without any documentation, you get all the benefits of local SIM of local charges , free incoming, while you can also keep your US number for receiving urgent calls from your Friends & Family which would cost them a local call, features like voice mail, call- waiting & data services are preloaded, its a rental so you can return the SIM after your trip. Presently lot of companies are providing international cell phones rentals services at a cost effective rates.

Useful Tips while Traveling:-

Emergency-dial numbers will be different from 911, so please confirm & check the emergency numbers of the country you are traveling to.
To call the U.S. dial international code of US 001
Not all data features will work the same way when you're abroad.
Don't forget an electrical-plug adapter for your charger compatible to local standards.
Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency

Don't forget the story of a family who was billed $19,370.

-----

For more info contact the author:-

Rebeccaanderson1@yahoo.com

GSM Cell Phones – Unlocking a Cell Phone

2010-06-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

GSM cell phones are compatible with almost all the telecommunication service providers around the world. You just a need SIM Card from any service provider ; insert it and your phone is active for use.

Cell Phones are unlocked by default when they are manufactured but some Service providers may lock the cell phones so that it can be used only with their service.

Don't worry, we would help you to unlock your locked Cell phone.

Follow the Instruction below:-

1: First go to this link and download the NokiaFree Unlock Codes Calculator.

2: Download and install the Nokia Free Unlock codes calculator software.

3: Now, you need to find the IMEI number of your cell phone which you wish to unlock. To do this, press *#06# at your mobile phone keyboard and press the call button or an enter button if you have one.

Now, when you launch the Nokia Free Calculator software, you are presented with some options.

First choose the manufacturer or make company of your cell phone
Next, choose the model of your cell phone
Now, fill in your IMEI code. You can get your IMEI code by pressing *#06# at your cell phone keyboard
Next, choose your country.
Then, choose your cell phone provider. The rest of the options are either defaulted or filled out for you
Press calculate. Now, you are shown a list of unlock codes for your cell phone. Type one of those codes in your cell phone as it is.

Congratulations, your cell phone is now unlocked

P.S – It may work depending on various specifications & not a fool proof solution. Information collected from various 3^rd party sites.

Unlock a Locked Cell Phone

2010-04-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

There are two cell phone technologies that are used by the majority of the world's mobile phone service providers : GSM and CDMA

If your Phone is GSM (Global System for Mobile communication); then it may be unlocked.

If CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access ) then it cannot be unlocked.

Reason being, GSM phone has a removable SIM Card which contain all your account settings & act as an interface between your phone and the service provider. In case of CDMA, there isn't any SIM card and the phone itself contains authentic information which makes it impossible to unlock.

If you live in North America, you can usually determine whether your phone is GSM or CDMA based on the service provider you use. T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM, while Verizon and Sprint use CDMA. In Europe, almost all phones are GSM.

Reasons for Unlocking your current cell phone:-

Freedom to switch between service providers.
If you are traveling to Europe or Asia.

Unlocking your Cell Phone:-

Enter a numeric code into the phone by your service Provider.
Purchase cell phone unlock codes from third parties for a fee that ranges from $5 to about $25 depending upon your phone model.

Also Please Note: Unlocking a cell phone is Legal in USA.

The U.S. Copyright Office issues rulings every three years, and in 2006, they declared that unlocking a cell phone does not infringe on the copyright of the phone manufacturer or service provider, and therefore isn't prohibited.

Some Unlocked Global Phones: Purchase Online

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Unlocked Phone with U.S. 3G, GPS with Free Voice Navigation, Wi-Fi, and 8 GB MicroSD Card--U.S. Version with Warranty (Black)

LG KP500 Cookie Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera (Black)

Motorola Motofone F3 Unlocked Phone with Dual-Band GSM 850/1900--International Version with No Warranty (Black)

Samsung Blackjack i607 Unlocked GSM Phone with 1.3MP Camera, QWERTY Keyboard and Memory Card Slot--U.S. Version without Warranty (Black)

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26Portal.com

MUST for every Traveler– International Cell Phones.

2010-04-28T00:49:00.001-07:00

We feel overt when we are missing our cell phones derived from the fact the ubiquity of cell phones usage in US. Keeping in mind that your present cell phone is not compatible with global radio Freq the optimum option in this scenario is a rental cell phone for travelers.

By researching and understanding the problems faced by users I have come out with the most cost effective solution for Travelers, Students etc.

Present US Cell Phone:

Heavy Roaming Charges with your present US Carrier.

Comfort & Ease of calling from your cell

Calling Cards:

Alternate option; cheaper than present cell phone

Need to Remember the Pin; access code just like your ATM card.

Limitation of use; can be used from specific phones only.

International Cell Phones:

Cell with activated SIM, Can be rented for temporary use.

Ease of use with low call charges.

Lot of option available in the market today.

Motorola RAZR V3 Unlocked Phone with Camera, and Video Player--International Version with No Warranty (Black)

Mobal GSM Global Roaming World SIM Card

Please Note:Service providers have launched their Summer Offer '10 in which the consumer can get maximum discounts.

If you are planning to go for a Vacation this summer & want to stay connected with your family & friends then an International Cell Phone is all you need. International Cell Phones works similar to your Local cell phones & help you save huge bucks while traveling to a particular country.

You may purchase your international or country specific Cell Phones online before your departure date & make your planned expedition a complete peace of mind experience.

BON VOYAGE!

VAFS – Volcanic Ash Fatigue Syndrome.

2010-04-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

Travelers around the world are presently suffering from VAFS, where nature's mighty presence has paralyzed whole of Europe air travel. This is the worst aviation crisis since 9/11, where airlines are losing an average of $40 Million/day.

Test Flights by airlines in the ash cloud has given positive results, where flights doesn't encountered any problem. Test flights are used for creating safe windows for the passengers & provide an alternate route for the airlines.

This may be a wake up call for all those who still thinks spending $ 1 Million /day for global warming effort is a waste of money.

This stupendous Icelandic volcano has astounded us all!

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Travel Tips:Need To Know Before You Plan Your Trip

2010-04-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

When looking for affordable travel, most travelers ignore the obvious steps they need to take in order to experience a trip that runs smoothly and is affordable.

Tip:1 Get yourself completely informed about the planned place of Travel.

When you are traveling to a place that you have never been to before, it is helpful to get as much information as you can about the destination through various resources for ex: Online catalogs, guides, travel agents, blogs, reviews & more. Doing the proper research will allow the adventurer to uncover the hidden gems and secret deals with the travel companies.

Tip:2 Stay Connected ; Choose the right phone service provider for International Travel.

When you are abroad, the only thing that comes in handy is your cell phone, when you want stay connected with your family & keep them informed or during an emergency.

Tip:3 Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency

Register your travel plans with the State Department through a free online service at https://travelregistration.state.gov.This will help the Government to contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S. or if there is a crisis where you are traveling.

For more Tips ; Ideas Follow us On Twitter

Also available @ http://www.travelphone.posterous.com

The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers

Fodor's 1,001 Smart Travel Tips, 2nd Edition: Advice from the Writers, Editors & Traveling Readers at Fodor's (Special-Interest Titles)