Nomiya

Wow. Now that's a view of Paris.
http://www.nomiya.org/

(spotted on SeeSaw Designs)

Free Airport WiFi courtesy of Google

Along with the exciting news that Google will be providing Free WiFi to 47 airports throughout the holidays, comes the need to protect yourself from hackers and identity thieves. Click here for a list of participating airports (LAX, O'hare- no, Austin and San Diego- yes!) An excerpt from PC World on how to protect yourself...

Public hotspots, which by nature are open and unencrypted, are notoriously insecure. Information you transmit via laptop, smartphone, or gaming device may very well fall into the wrong hands. There are ways to stay safe, however. We asked Edgar Figueroa, executive director of industry trade group the Wi-Fi Alliance, for some hotspot safety tips. They are:

1) Configure your Wi-Fi device to not automatically connect to an open network without your approval. By doing so, you'll be aware when you're connecting to an open Wi-Fi hotspot. "Many devices either come out of the box or are later configured to automatically accept any available Wi-Fi connection," Figueroa says. Auto-configuration is most popular on handsets and some consumer electronics products like gaming devices.

2) If there's a storage device or another PC on your home network, you may have sharing enabled on the laptop you've brought to the airport. "When you're connecting to a public hotspot, make sure that you disable sharing," says Figueroa.

3) If you're conducting business or sharing sensitive information, it's best to use a virtual private network (VPN), which creates an encrypted, private link across a public network.

4) Use a personal firewall, either the one that came with your Mac or Windows PC, or a third-party app from a reputable security vendor like Symantec. Firewalls come with a range of configurations. "You can configure a firewall that is somewhat impermeable, and then there are times you can have it pretty open," Figueroa says. "At a minimum, you'll want to know when an incoming connection is attempting to gain access to your system."

5) Should you pay bills and shop online at a hotspot? Well, it's probably not the smartest idea. If you must, however, "it would be best to do these types of transactions over a VPN connection," Figueroa says. At the very least, use a hotspot that has WPA2 security. Not every public hotspot offers WPA2, though.

GetReadySetGO

"UPcycled Vintage Luggage"

What a brilliant idea.

GetReadySetGO

When I was little, my family had the entire set of bright orange Samsonite luggage as seen above. Never had problems spotting our luggage on the carousel.....the bags were practically blinding. I'm loving these vintage totes and cases coming back into style .

spotted over on Absolutely Not Martha

Blue Holes

Found on both land and in the ocean throughout the Bahamas are deep circular cavities known as Blue Holes which are often the entrances to cave networks, some of them up to 14 kilometres in length. Divers have reported a vast number of aquatic creatures some of which are still new to science. In addition, they’ve recorded chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites which only form in dry caves. For the explorers this was proof that at one time, nearly 65,000 years ago, when the world was in the grip of the last major ice age, the sea level of the Bahamas was up to 150 metres lower than it is today. Over time the limestone of the islands was eroded by water and vast cave networks created. When sea levels rose again about 10,000 years ago some of these collapsed inwards and the Blue Holes were formed
(via: here)

Route 66

How fun would it be to take a "Retro Traveler" across the US via the historic Route 66? Maybe it sounds like more fun than it actually is but I'd still like to do it. The National Park Service launched an informative website with essays, maps, highlights and tips. Check it out here. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/route66/

Read more about the Retro Traveler over on the Tiny House blog

Texas Longhorn Cake Wrecks

Eek... from one of my favorite blogs, Cake Wrecks

Hotel St. Cecilia

This past weekend I headed back to Austin and caught up with friends from college, watched UT beat Tech (hook 'em!), and was reminded about how much I miss that amazing town. Needless to say, those three days flew by way too quickly. So quickly in fact, I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of our beautiful hotel.

Hotel Saint Cecilia is right off of South Congress (right by Docs!) and the property is incredible. From the car parked out front to the vinyl collection in the lobby, Hotel Saint Cecilia embodies the spirit of Austin in every way possible.

Hotel Saint Cecilia
pics from Maggie's Austin - a great blog about Austin

Word's Weirdest Hotels

A refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 airframe—which looks as if it crashed into the Costa Rican jungle—is now part of the Hotel Costa Verde. (Courtesy Vincent Costello)

At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. This one was designed to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. (Courtesy Lars Stroschen)

Jules' Undersea Lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room. (Courtesy Jules' Undersea Lodge)

See more at Budget Travel's "World's Weirdest Hotels Part Deux" slidshow

Villa Permutih

"An Extraordinary Escape is waiting for you in Bali. A Spectacularly designed House in a stunning Balinese Ocean Front setting, Villa Pemutih provides equal measures of Pure Indulgence and Relaxation. The Rural Retreat you've always dreamed of but within easy reach of Bali's hustle and bustle."

How I would love to be there right now...

San Diego Rooftop Pool Parties

INTERVENTION AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL
interventionsd.comPros: With an honest effort to make the pool area and its surroundings look and feel like a rock star haven, Intervention is the place for music lovers and wannabe idols.
Cons: Although it might seem like an oasis marked with gorgeous women and men who idolize the likes of Rafael Palmero and Barry Bonds, if you aren’t ready to be seen or judged, don’t come here. This is a haven for those who want to flaunt what they have, so be sure you are bringing something to the table.

EUPHORIA AT IVY HOTEL
envysandiego.com
Pros: If you’re into contemporary furniture and contemporary company, Euphoria is the place to be. With wrap-around views of downtown, it’s a haven for the hipsters who want nothing more to relax with big sunglasses and a mojito in hand — and the staff here understands that.
Cons: Price, cost and affordability are three words you should never even think about when coming here. If you do, it could be torture. Any money you bring is already lost, so just suck it up and have fun with it. So what if a drink is $15? At least you’re drinking it next to the go-go dancers that make the top of the bar their home.

SHINE AT KIN LOUNGE, MANCHESTER GRAND HYATT
kinlounge.comPros: As if the beautiful clientele wasn’t enough of a reason to go, the view of the harbor is second to none. Partying poolside with ocean views in the distance is the way to go, but if you don’t care too much for standing, you can try reserving one of the many daybeds or bottle-service tables.
Cons: It’s brand-new, so it has something to prove and has to do it fast. Only open a little over a month, Kin Lounge has already added a Silent Disco (partiers wear wireless headphones while they dance) to its event calendar, which was a bust, but hopefully SHINE will be able to pick up most of the slack for this new, lavish and colorful rooftop oasis.

SIRĚN POOL AND UBER LOUNGE AT SÈ HOTEL
sesandiego.com Cons: It’s brand-new, so it has something to prove and has to do it fast. Only open a little over a month, Kin Lounge has already added a Silent Disco (partiers wear wireless headphones while they dance) to its event calendar, which was a bust, but hopefully SHINE will be able to pick up most of the slack for this new, lavish and colorful rooftop oasis.
Cons: If you’re young and looking to get wild with your friends, this isn’t the place. Don’t expect skimpy bikinis and an outrageous clientele — this pool is reserved for people who simply want to enjoy their day in style. If you live anywhere close to the water, getting here is quite a challenge as well; expect a taxi fare.

via: san diego magazine

Airline Industry Price Comparisons

(via Lifehacker)

SWA is having a huge sale through tomorrow!

Every city on sale... $30(up to 400 miles), $60(401-750 miles) and $90(750+ miles) flights from September 9- November 18th! Booked a flight to Austin in September for the Tech game and my parents booked a flight to visit me here in LA in October. Quick... Click here to check out airfares!

A Flight Attendant's Story

An eye opening excerpt:

Okay, this is serious stuff. I retired last month from American Airlines, after thirty years as a flight attendant. I did this mainly because I could not bear the safety infractions that were consistently ignored. Far too many times, aircraft were allowed to fly with passengers, although the logbook had serious malfunction issues regarding the aircraft, that were simply ignored by personnel in station after station.

On one of my last trips, the captain confided to me that the airplane we were taking en route from JFK to Buenos Aires should never have been allowed to leave the gate; there were so many broken systems with this particular 767, including a fuel guage that was busted. The pilots had a fuzzy idea how much fuel they had as we neared our destination, which would be very important information in case we had an emergency over the Amazon, or if several fly-bys were necessary if the landing gear were to malfunction, or if an unscheduled stop in another Latin American airport were called for.

continue reading here

45 Best New Hotels of 2009

London, Rough Luxe

Newport Beach, California
Resort at Pelican Hill

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Encantado

Mane-en-Provence, France
Le Couvent des Minimes

continue with the list here...

Road Trip USA

Warm weather puts me in the mood for road trips!
Check out some suggested trips from Road Trip USA

#11 - Route 66
The romance of Route 66 continues to captivate people around the world. Running between Chicago and Los Angeles, “over two thousand miles all the way” in the words of the popular R&B anthem, this legendary old road passes through the heart of the United States on a diagonal trip that takes in some of the country’s most archetypal roadside scenes. If you’re looking for great displays of neon signs, rusty middle-of-nowhere truck stops, or kitschy Americana, do as the song says and “get your kicks on Route 66.”

#1 - Pacific Coast
For some reason, when people elsewhere in the country refer to the Pacific Coast, particularly California, it’s apparent that they think it’s a land of kooks and crazies, an overbuilt suburban desert supporting only shopping malls, freeways, and body-obsessed airheads. All this may be true in small pockets, but the amazing thing about the Pacific Coast—from the dense green forests of western Washington to the gorgeous beaches of Southern California—is that it is still mostly wild, open, and astoundingly beautiful country, where you can drive for miles and miles and have the scenery all to yourself.

#9 - Loneliest Road
Running coast-to-coast through the heart of America on a 3,200-mile odyssey from sea to shining sea, US-50 passes through a dozen different states and four state capitals, as well as the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Along the route are some of the country’s most magnificent landscapes: the Sierra Nevada and the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, the endless farmlands of the Great Plains, and the desiccated deserts of Utah and Nevada. It follows the footsteps of pioneers, and gives a reverse time line of national development. Heading west to east, you can travel back in history from the cutting-edge high tech of contemporary Silicon Valley, across the Wild West frontier of the mid-1800s, and through lands the likes of Daniel Boone and countless others pioneered in the 1700s, before arriving at the Atlantic Ocean near some of the oldest and best-preserved colonial-era landscapes in the United States.

Read more here at Road Trip USA

South African Hotel

Makanyane Safari Lodge

via: here

Coolest Hotel Designs in California

Good Hotel in San Francisco
Designed by Joie de Vivre






















Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles
Designed by Philippe Starck and Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz



















Custom Hotel in Los Angeles
Designed by Avi Brosh

Hotel Frank in San Francisco
Designed by Thomas Shoos

Viceroy in Palm Springs
Designed by Kelly Wearstler

Ivy Hotel in San Diego
Designed by Powerstrip Studio



















Thompson Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills
Designed by Dodd Mitchell


The Standard Hotel in Los Angeles
Designed by Shawn Hausman

The Parker Palm Springs
Designed by Jonathan Adler

Hotel Tomo in San Francisco
Designed by Charles De Lisle and Joie de Vivre

via: chd magazine