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Network with other travelers using PairUp

PairUp launched today at the Demo 07 conference. The service helps business travelers network with others going to the same event or locale. PairUp imports your Microsoft Outlook contacts, or you could also add them by name and e-mail address. You then enter basic trip information like hotel name, flight numbers, and the purpose of the visit, along with privacy options for how much of that information will be shared with others. When it finds connections with other PairUp users, it lets you know. From there you can contact those with similar travel plans and potentially save on shared expenses … Read more

Travel bag for gadget fans

Here in the CNET editorial cube farm, we're usually not too fond of receiving random, unannounced packages from tech vendors. Not that I'm afraid of anthrax or suspiciously ticking boxes. No, it's more that I prefer to be aware of the products I'm receiving to ensure that they're not being sent to me in vain--there's not a lot this San Francisco-based MP3 editor can do with a digital camera accessory except ship it to the camera editors in New York. But every once in a while, I receive an unexpected package that contains something … Read more

Parentography finds family fun

This one isn't exactly rocket science, but it looks like it could blossom into a useful service: Parentography. This is a user-generated directory of things to do with kids. It reminds me of Chowhound (now a CNET property), a restaurant reviews site written by foodies for foodies. This is pretty much the same thing but for parents (sadly, few venues are good bets for parents who are also foodies).

Parentography has reviews of museums, parks, restaurants, and other venues that its members recommend (or don't) for families with kids in tow. It also has a section for "… Read more

Get me translation, stat!

How many times have you been in a foreign country--or even your local Chinatown--and wished you had an expert translator on hand? Travel dictionaries take too long to flip through; by the time you've figured out how to order those sweet-and-crispy fried plantains (what Cubans call platanos maduros and Puerto Ricans call amarillos), the waiter has drifted off to the next table.

Enter the next best thing to a brilliantly multilingual best friend: Franklin Electronic Publishers' Speaking Global Translator, a handheld gadget that packs in more than 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases in 12 languages: Mandarin, Dutch, … Read more

Business travelers: one less excuse to be jaded

Sitting on the floor of LAX last summer, my cell phone plugged into an outlet that looked as if it might catch fire at any moment, I thought to myself, "There must be a more civilized way of doing this."

Turns out, there is. This month 50 mobile charging stations with four outlets each will be installed at JFK airport in New York for this express purpose, and--bonus--it's free. Travelers will have access to the outlets to recharge their laptops, phones, PDAs, etc. in every single terminal at the airport.

The original idea was to use the … Read more

TagMaps makes geo-tagging useful

TagMaps is an exploratory mashup/science project from Yahoo Research Berkeley that mixes Yahoo Maps with Flickr's geo-tagging features to create a neat-looking photo browser. Locations show up on the map as large tags, and mousing over one will populate the corresponding Flickr photos to the right. Clicking any of these photos will give you the title and photographer information, along with the option to visit the photo page on Flickr.

What's really cool is that you can toggle between day and night modes. Both the map and the photos change dramatically depending on which mode you're … Read more

Not an ordinary thermos for you

"I'm picking out a thermos for you...Not an ordinary thermos for you..."

If a thermos really does mean true love, then get The Jerk in your life one to keep coffee hotter longer, but not actually scald.

According to Jolex, its Brugo thermos has a chamber that adjusts your coffee to an ideal sipping temp before it reaches your lips. Double-walled insulation keeps the rest of the coffee hot, until your next sip.

The $20 Brugo coffee thermos, which comes in an array of colors, is also spill proof.

Book of Joe pointed out this handy … Read more

Bon voyage with the i-Trunk

What would a true Mac loyalist want if stranded on a desert island? The "i-Trunk," of course. (Presuming that a solar charger or other power source was available.)

French designer Pinel & Pinel not only makes luggage but delivers its pieces fully equipped and "custom-finished to your specifications and preferences," according to Cool Hunting--in this case, with a 20-inch, iMac, JBL speakers and Canon printer. But the best part is the design of the case itself, which resembles a giant iPod when open.

Other models, which come in 51 colors, are outfitted with such equipment as … Read more

GeoBeats: YouTube meets the Travel Channel

Designed to provide jet-setters with independently produced video content about international destinations, GeoBeats is a new travel site with professional-quality movies about subjects from the Finnish delicacy lamprey to social etiquette in Hong Kong. All the videos on the site are hosted and filmed by relative unknowns, but the movies are surprisingly well produced. Split up by topic, the videos attempt to cover basics like public transportation, seasonal festivals, and local culture. The site has launched with only a dozen countries, not as many as competitor TurnHere (see our coverage here). However, there are already more than 100 movies available … Read more