Jun 30, 2010
Top 10 geek destinations to visit this summer
As summer approaches, our thoughts turn to taking a break. Rather than bring you boring beaches or tacky theme parks, we're planning pilgrimages for our inner-geek. From the birth of Silicon Valley, to the inception of Twitter, we've pinpointed ten places across America that should be of particular interest to those with a passion for tech and social media.
Whether you're an Apple fanboy, mad for social media or just a retro gaming fanatic, our top 10 places to visit this summer will give you some great geek-themed road trip ideas and destinations.
Bon voyage!
1. 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014
While waltzing into Apple's headquarters and demanding a meeting with Steve Jobs won't get you very far, one place you are welcome is Apple's "Company Store."
A unique Apple retail space, the Company Store isn't your run-of-the-mill Apple shop, but instead sells Apple-branded products.
In the words of the company, it's "the only place in the world that sells Apple logo t-shirts, caps and accessories." We assume they mean the only place for official Apple logo t-shirts, caps and accessories.
Geek-vacation must: Pick yourself up an "I visited the Mothership" t-shirt.
2. 579 Endicott Street North, Laconia, NH 03246
At 579 Endicott Street North you'll find "Funspot," New Hampshire's "entertainment supercenter." But more importantly, within the Funspot premises can be found the The American Classic Arcade Museum.
The museum contains the world's largest collection of classic arcade games, from pre-war pinball machines, through "Pac Man," and up to "Time Crisis 3."
In addition to the arcade games themselves, you'll find written, audio, video and electronic data about the history of coin-operated games and the people who created them, making this a mecca for retro gaming fans.
Geek-vacation must: Play Donkey Kong on the same machine where Steve Weibe scored a million points.
3. South Park, San Francisco, CA 94107
Described as the "ground zero" of the dot com revolution, South Park in San Francisco has seen many a web entrepreneur eat lunch on its grass over recent years. It's most notable for being the location where Twitter, or "Twttr" as it was to be called, was first conceived by Jack Dorsey.
Dom Sagolla described the Odeo brainstorming session that saw it born:
"'Rebooting' or reinventing the company started with a daylong brainstorming session where we broke up into teams to talk about our best ideas. I was lucky enough to be in @Jack's group, where he first described a service that uses SMS to tell small groups what you are doing. We happened to be on top of the slide on the north end of South Park. It was sunny and brisk. We were eating Mexican food. His idea made us stop eating and start talking."
Geek-vacation must: Tweet from the top of the slide!
4. 15010 NE 36th Street, Redmond, WA 98052
If you venture to Redmond on a week day, you can head to Microsoft's 300-acre corporate campus where, in Building 92, you'll find the official Microsoft Visitor Center.
The blurb for the center promises "the vision, products, culture, and history of Microsoft," with exhibits ranging from an Xbox 360 that you can play on a giant screen to the first personal computer.
You can also hit the Microsoft Company Store, which, in a similar vein to the Apple Company Store mentioned above, offers all manner of Microsoft-themed clothing and trinkets.
Geek-vacation must: Have a go on Microsoft Surface.
5. Kirkland House, Cambridge, MA 01238
It's common knowledge that Facebook was conceived and launched by Mark Zuckerberg while studying at Harvard in 2004, but did you know the whole thing started as "thefacebook.com" from his dorm room in Harvard's Kirkland House?
Kirkland's online mailing list was how news of the fledgling service debuted. After Zuckerberg told his friends about the site, one suggested putting it on the 300-strong mailing list. As legend goes, within 24 hours of the list hitting inboxes, between 1,200 to 1,500 students had signed up.
You can easily see Kirkland House on a visit to Harvard independently, but if you want a better perspective on its history, then the student-led walking tours can offer more insight.
Geek-vacation must: Tag Kirkland House in a photo on Facebook.
6. 367 Addison Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94309
While Hewlett Packard might not be the sexiest consumer electronics company around, it has played a very important part in the history of the industry. Proof of their contributions are marked by California Historic Landmark No. 976: HP Garage -- dubbed the "birthplace of Silicon Valley."
Way before today's tech giants were even twinkles in our eyes, college friends Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started their business in the late 1930s from a 12 by 18-foot garage on Addison Avenue.
Hewlett Packard began restoring the garage in 2004 -- complete with authentic tools, furnishings and equipment -- in order to preserve the tiny property as a historical landmark. Sadly, it's not open to the public but you can view the garage from the sidewalk. While it's in a residential area, HP urges visitors to respect the privacy of neighbors.
Geek-vacation must: Grab a pic of the historical garage plaque.
7. 2615 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063
To those ignorant of the tech world's current affairs, this is just a nice German-themed shop and beer garden. But to those in the know, it's so much more. The place where the iPhone 4 made its unofficial and unintentional public debut has to be on the Apple fanboy's must-see list.
The Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, California offers a vast selection of German beers on tap. Who knows, maybe you'll find an iPhone 5?
Geek-vacation must: Make sure you have all your belongings before you leave.
8. 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA 94043
Offering one of the world's largest collections of computing artifacts, the Computer History Museum is another must-visit attraction for any geek.
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the museum currently showcases some of the stories behind local corporate giants like Adobe, Apple, Cisco, HP, Intel and Sun Microsystems, as well as a model of the Babbage Engine and a look at the history of computer chess.
New exhibits are planned for 2011, so you might want to check what is showing before you take the trip.
Geek-vacation must: Check out the "Hall of Fellows" awards honoring individuals who have made great contributions to the industry.
9. 241 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025
The Homebrew Computer Club's place in the history of modern computing cannot be understated. Back in the late 70s, for example, a 26 year-old Hewlett Packard employee nicknamed Woz debuted a machine called the Apple I during a meeting.
Although early meetings took place in a garage in Menlo Park (a la Google years later) Homebrew's other staging area, according to a member, was "The Oasis," a bar and grill on El Camino Real.
Today, The Oasis is still going strong as a bar and burger and pizza joint, so you can visit and stand in the gastronomic footsteps of the computing greats.
Geek-vacation must: Eat! The BBQ chicken pizza is popular now, but the classic "O" experience calls for a burger.
10. 232 Santa Margarita Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
In 1998, in an inauspicious garage in Menlo Park, Larry Page and Sergey Brin created what is now one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Page and Brin rented the "Google garage" from Anne Wojcicki -- a future Google employee -- for $1,700 a month, helping Wojcicki pay her mortgage and giving Google its first ever official premises (the search engine had previously been run from the Stanford website.)
Google bought the house and garage in 2006, claiming the purchase was "to preserve part of our legacy."
While we'd fully expect the garage to be given the HP treatment (see above) in years to come, right now you can view it in its unassuming natural habitat by moseying down Santa Margarita.
Geek-vacation must: Rollerblade past the garage for the true Page/Brin experience.
Jun 29, 2010
Best Adventure Travel Ideas
If you’re after an outdoor adventure, look no further. In this excerpt from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we bring you the white-knuckle tour of six continents.
1. Ski touring the Haute Route, France and Switzerland
Strap on the skins for one of the world’s great ski experiences as you tour between the famed Alpine resorts of Chamonix and Zermatt. Most skiers take around a week to complete the 140km, hut-to-hut route, crossing 20 glaciers and savouring views of many of the Alps’ highest and finest peaks. Expect more than a leisurely jaunt: the terrain is challenging, and climbs along the route total more than 10,000m. If you prefer feet to skis, you can always wait for summer and hike the Walkers’ Haute Route. Guided tours depart from Chamonix; expect to pay in excess of US$2250 depending on group size. Basic mountaineering skills and the ability to ski off piste are essential.
2. Cycling the Icefields Parkway, Canada
Stretching 230km between Jasper and Lake Louise and following a lake-lined valley between two chains of the Rocky Mountains, the Icefields Parkway is considered one of the world’s most scenic roads. Cyclists also know it as one of the great mountain-biking tours. The impatient can ride it in two days, but well-spaced camping grounds and hostels mean it can also be lingered over for four or five days. Expect mountains, lakes and a menagerie of mammals – goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose and perhaps even black and grizzly bears. Check the route map at www.icefieldsparkway.ca; you can hire bicycles at shops in Banff , Alberta, for around C$40 a day.
3. Bungee jumping at Verzasca Dam, Switzerland
They call it the Golden Eye jump, as it was on this Ticino dam that Pierce Brosnan, aka James Bond, fell so far that in order to recreate the stunt you must submit yourself to the world’s highest commercial bungee jump, a leap of 220m. Make the classic swan dive or leap backwards, then endure a 7½-second fall that will border on eternity. Only later will you appreciate the fact that you’ve just relived the stunt once voted the best in movie history. Jumps are conducted between Easter and October. The Golden Eye jump costs €170 the first time and is half price if you do it again on the same day. You know what Bond would do.
4. Mountain biking in Moab, USA
Moab is the mother of all mountain biking destinations, its fame riding on the slickrock (smooth, wind-polished rock) that makes mountain biking in this Utah town unique. Top of the pops in Moab is the Slickrock Bike Trail, arguably the most famous mountain-biking route in the world. This 20km loop crosses sandstone ridges above the town, a roller-coaster route of supersteep climbs and plunging descents. If you’re nervous about whether you’re slick enough for the Slickrock Bike Trail, you can always pluck up courage on the 3km practice loop. One-day or multi-day tour options are available. Bring your own bike or rent one and go for broke; for sample rentals check out www.poisonspiderbicycles.com.
5. Rock climbing at Krabi, Thailand
Fancy a tropical beach that’s more about cams than tans, and where the closest thing to a thong is your harness? Then you should come to Krabi. This city on Thailand’s Andaman coast is blessed with spectacular karst formations, even in the middle of Krabi River, making it one of the world’s great climbing destinations. If you’re serious about scaling a cliff, you’ll want to head for Railay, west of the city. This peninsula’s steep, pocketed limestone cliff s offer a liquorice allsorts of climbing features, including good overhangs and the occasional hanging stalactite. You’ll find accommodation, guides and gear for hire at Ao Nang and Railay East Beach; over 650 routes have been pioneered in the area since the 1980s.
6. Kayaking on Glacier Bay, USA
The name alone ought be enough to tempt any sea-kayaker, but the reality goes beyond even the moniker. In Alaska’s Glacier Bay, 10 glaciers flow down from the mountains, filling the sea with an assortment of icebergs. The tour boat MV Spirit of Adventure can drop kayakers at various points in the bay, so you can pretty much paddle where you please. The truly hardy eschew the boat and paddle from Bartlett Cove to the glaciers of Muir Inlet (allow about two weeks). The blockbuster ‘bergs are in the West Arm, though camping there is limited. Beach camping on the Beardslee Islands allows you to extend your time with nature; kayaks and guides can be booked at www.glacierbayseakayaks.com.
7. Walking in Kruger National Park, South Africa
What better way to mingle with a hungry horde of lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants and giraffes in South Africa’s most famous park than on foot? Kruger has seven wilderness walking trails, along which you can take guided overnight walks with armed guides. Of the trails, the Napi Trail is noted as the best for spotting the big five (black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion). Most of the walks last for two days and three nights, covering around 20km each day at a leisurely pace… unless, of course, you notice a lion behind you. A four-day walking safari costs between US$800–1000 for groups of no more than eight. For more details visit www.krugersafari.com.
8. Hiking the Larapinta Trail, Australia
For 223km of desert delights, set aside a fortnight to walk the Larapinta Trail through central Australia’s West MacDonnell Ranges, one of the oldest mountain chains in the world. Stretching between Alice Springs and Mt Sonder, the Larapinta winds through oasis-like gorges, over sharp quartzite ridge tops and across desert plains. Regular camp sites and water tanks mute the desert’s ferocity but not its beauty – this is the Red Centre at its finest. Food drops can also be arranged to ease the load on your back. The full expedition costs AU$3960; book at www.treklarapinta.com.au.
9. Trek the Torres Del Paine, Chile
Like a fistful of broken fingers, Chile’s Torres del Paine rise more than 2000m from the Patagonian Steppes. For ‘real’ trekkers these ‘Towers of Pain’ are one of the most instantly recognisable features on the planet. The classic walk here is the so-called ‘W’ trek, which takes about five days. Beginning at Laguna Amarga, the W climbs to the spectacular Torres del Paine Lookout, immediately below the towers, and continues via Los Cuernos and Lago Pehoé to Lago Grey, famed for its flotillas of icebergs – some as big as houses. Trails are well marked; trek in autumn or spring to avoid crowds. The ‘W’ trek can be completed in six days, including the return bus trip from Puerto Natales. Sunrise illuminates the Torres del Paine one by one, transforming them into slabs of gold.
10. Swimming with killer whales, Norway
Close your eyes and think of friendly dolphins and you might find it easier to roll overboard and into Norway’s Tysfjord. For three months each year, orcas settle into this fjord, chasing a feed of herring. Hard behind them are the whale-watching boats and the few hardy snorkellers prepared to brave both the Arctic waters and their visiting killer whales. For something marginally warmer, you may prefer to hire a kayak for a paddle among the cetaceans. To play with the orcas check out www.orcasafari.co.uk; tours depart from the UK.
lonelyplanet.com
Riddle me this part 2
2. I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?
3. What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?
3. At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?
4. There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies. What is it?
5. What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes but not in decades, years or days?
6. Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses every day. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is.
7. The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that he's using it. What is it?
damn, I love riddles..
Jun 18, 2010
iPhone 4 Confirmed to Have 512MB of RAM (Twice the iPad and 3GS)
Since the launch of the original iPhone, Apple has made efforts to hide some of the actual tech specs of the device from consumers. Apple has never advertised or even published the processor speed or amount of RAM found in the iPhone. Arguably, Apple is trying to shield customers from these technical distractions and instead trying to focus on overall functionality.More technically inclined customers, however, still love to know what they have to work with. The original iPhone and iPhone 3G contained 128MB of RAM, while the iPhone 3GS was boosted to 256MB of RAM. Similarly, the iPad contains 256MB of RAM. This discrepancy offers a technical explanation why Apple is not supporting iOS 4 features such as multi-tasking on the original and 3G iPhone -- there simply isn't enough RAM.
We have since heard that the upcoming iPhone 4's RAM has again been upgraded. This will bring it to a total of 512MB of RAM, twice as much as the 3GS and iPad. This number actually contradicts tear down photos of a prototype iPhone 4 that was leaked to the internet. An analysis of that prototype device showed it only carried 256MB of RAM. The 512MB figure, however, does agree with a Digitimes report from May 17th that confirmed a 960x640 screen resolution, thinner display, and indeed 512MB of RAM. We had heard that Apple confirmed this 512MB figure during one of the WWDC sessions last week, and have now verified this. The session it was revealed in is now available (Session 147, Advanced Performance Optimization on iPhone OS, pt 2) for registered Apple developers.
The added RAM should help overall performance and multi-tasking on the new iPhone 4. It could also explain why the iMovie App that Apple introduced at WWDC will only run on the iPhone 4. Apple has said iMovie will only run on the iPhone 4 and not the 3GS or even the iPad. It seems conceivable that it actually makes use of the extra RAM offered by the iPhone 4.
macrumors.com
Jun 8, 2010
iPhone 4
Apple today official unveiled the iPhone 4 featuring FaceTime, which makes the dream of video calling a reality, and Apple’s stunning new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, resulting in super crisp text, images and video.
In addition, iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 processor, a 3-axis gyro and up to 40 percent longer talk time—in a beautiful all-new design of glass and stainless steel that is the thinnest smartphone in the world. iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 100 new features and 1500 new APIs for developers. iOS 4 features Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on June 24, starting in the US at just $199 for qualified buyers with a two year contract.
“iPhone 4 is the biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “FaceTime video calling sets a new standard for mobile communication, and our new Retina display is the highest resolution display ever in a phone, with text looking like it does on a fine printed page. We have been dreaming about both of these breakthroughs for decades.”
FaceTime is as mobile as your phone, so you can see your loved ones and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Using FaceTime is as easy as making a regular voice call, with no set-up required, and you can instantly switch to the rear camera to show others what you are seeing with just a tap.
Apple’s stunning 3.5 inch Retina display has 960 x 640 pixels—four times as many pixels as the iPhone 3GS and 78 percent of the pixels on an iPad. The resulting 326 pixels per inch is so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when the phone is held at a normal distance, making text, images and video look sharper, smoother and more realistic than ever before on an electronic display.
iPhone 4 is the thinnest smartphone ever—9.3 millimeters—with an all-new design and build quality like no other mobile device. The front and back are made of aluminosilcate glass, chemically strengthened to be 30 times harder than plastic, more scratch resistant and more durable than ever. The front and back glass have an oil-resistant coating that helps keep it clean, and encircling iPhone 4 is a highly finished stainless steel band made of a custom alloy that is forged to be five times stronger than standard steel.
iPhone 4 features a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a 5x digital zoom, a backside illuminated sensor and built-in LED flash that allows you to take amazing pictures even in low light and dark environments. iPhone 4 lets you record and edit incredible HD video and the popular tap to focus feature now works while recording video. You can use the iPhone 4‘s LED flash for both still photography and video recording. The new iMovie app for iPhone lets you combine movie clips, add dynamic transitions and themes and include photos and music, and users can buy it for just $4.99 through the App Store right on their phone.
iPhone 4 is the best mobile device ever for games and entertainment, with access to tens of thousands of games and entertainment apps on the revolutionary App Store. Every iPhone 4 has a built-in 3-axis gyro that when combined with the accelerometer provides 6-axis motion sensing such as up and down, side to side, forward and backward and pitch and roll, making it perfect for gaming. Developers can access the gyro using the new CoreMotion API to make games and other apps that go well beyond what other mobile devices offer.
iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. With over 100 new features, it includes Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. With Multitasking, users can now instantly switch between any of their apps while preserving battery life. With Folders, users can easily organize their apps into collections by simply dragging one app on top of another. A folder is automatically created and named based on the category of apps selected. Users can change the name of any folder at any time. In addition, users can now customize their lock and home screens with an array of supplied wallpapers or with any of the photos on their phone.
The new iBooks app will be available for iPhone 4 as a free download from the App Store and includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBooks app will sync your current place in a book, along with any bookmarks, highlights and notes you have created, between copies of the same book on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. iBooks users can also now read and store PDFs right in iBooks. There are now over 60,000 books available in the iBookstore, and users have downloaded over five million books in the first two months.
More than five billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 225,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries. Almost 100 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
iPhone 4 delivers an amazing seven hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and up to six hours on 3G, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback. iPhone 4 is powered by Apple’s new A4 processor that provides exceptional processor and graphic performance along with long battery life. iPhone 4 features a second microphone and advanced software to suppress unwanted background noise for improved call quality when in loud places. iPhone 4 also offers 802.11n Wi-Fi networking and adds quad-band HSUPA to provide 7.2Mbps downlink and 5.8Mbps uplink capability.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4 comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on June 24 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4 beginning Tuesday, June 15 from the Apple Online Store or reserve an iPhone 4 to pick up at an Apple Retail Store. iMovie for iPhone will be available on the App Store for just $4.99 (US).
Also on June 24, a new iPhone 3GS 8GB model will be available for just $99 (US). iOS 4 software will be available on June 21 as a free software update via iTunes 9.2 or later for iPhone and iPod touch customers.
iPhone 4 will roll out worldwide to 88 countries by the end of September. iPhone 4 will be available by the end of July in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
WWDC 2010
- Netflix, Farmville, and Guitar hero for iPad and iPhone
- iPhone 4 with many features
- iMovie for iPhone
- iOS4 ( iPhone OS 4)
- Apple added Bing to iPhone for another search engine
- iBooks for Iphone
- iAds
- Face Time
Steve Jobs live from WWDC 2010 (engadget.com)
Jun 7, 2010
Calibrating your mac battery
1. Plug in the MagSafe Power Adapter and fully charge the battery.
When the battery is fully charged, the light on the MagSafe Power Adapter connector changes to green and the Battery icon in the menu bar indicates that the battery is charged.
2. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for two hours or longer.
You can use your computer during this time as long as the power adapter is plugged in.
3. With the computer still on, disconnect the power adapter and continue to use your computer.
4. When you see the low battery warning, save your work and close all applications. Keep your computer turned on until it goes to sleep.
5. After your computer goes to sleep, turn it off or allow it to sleep for five hours or longer.
6. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged.
You can use your computer during this time.
Use this software to see you mac battery capacity.
Jun 6, 2010
Where to go in July
Have some free time this July but don’t know what to do with it? Check out these top destinations from Lonely Planet Magazine’s ‘Perfect Trips for 2010′ (January 2010 issue):
Indonesia
The wet season long gone, July is the best time to explore Indonesia. Start at Borobudur in Java, a lush region of paddy fields, swaying palms and the country’s most remarkable Buddhist monument (indonesiatourism.com).
Rwanda
When even David Attenborough wells up at the memory, you can be sure that the experience of coming face to face with a gorilla is pretty mind-blowing. July is the midpoint of Rwanda’s dry season, and so the ideal time to search the rainforests that veil the defunct volcanoes of the Parc National des Volcans for traces of our hairy-backed cousins (rwandatourism.com).
Norway
After a winter of near constant darkness, Norway really begins to see the light in July. Clamber up to the northernmost point of continental Europe, Knivskjellodden, to enjoy the midnight sun at what feels like the world’s end, or head for the energetic cultural hotspot of Tromsø for a social scene that lasts all night (visitnorway.com).
Canada
The depth of Canada’s big freeze in winter is matched by its agreeability come summer. Vancouver in July is at its best, with pleasant temperatures. Check out the sea-to-sky vistas of Stanley Park and kayak along the city’s shoreline (tourismvancouver.com).
Where to Avoid: Mali
Rain measured in feet, not inches. Crashing thunderstorms. Miles of thick, sludgy mud. It’s Africa, Jim, but not as we know it. Or at least not like it looked in the brochures. To avoid disappointment, it’s worth steering clear of a soggy Mali this month.
10 ways to kill time at the airport
Your bags have been checked, your boarding pass issued… and now you’ve got hours to wait before getting on your plane. What can you do with an airport layover?
Plenty, as it turns out. Here are some of Lonely Planet's suggestions:
Exercise
Feeling your muscles atrophy from all those flight delays? Hit the gym! Many airport hotels have fitness centres in them with day passes available for the public; some are even open 24 hours. Don’t have a spare set of workout clothes? Get on your feet and take a brisk walk around the terminal, mall-walking-style – but avoid running if you don’t want to risk getting tackled by security.
Spoil yourself
Airport day spas and massage shops have become ubiquitous at international airports. Have a fear of flying? Melt away your jitters with a muscle-tingling back or foot massage, or treat yourself to a facial treatment and a mani-pedi. Just don’t get so relaxed that you forget your boarding time.
Lounge around
Once reserved for the hotshots in First Class, deluxe lounges can now be your home away from home – for a few hours, anyway – for a small fee. At minimum they usually have comfy seating, newspapers and magazines, a food buffet and free wi-fi (a real boon in those benighted airports that still charge for wi-fi access).
Some higher-end ones, such as the Plaza Premium Lounge in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, feature showers, free draught beer, movies and even a putting green. Fore!
People-watch
If there’s anything airports are rarely short of, it’s people. Take an interest in your fellow travellers: play detective and see how much you can figure out about them through your powers of observation (or play fashion police and judge their bad taste in clothing instead). If you enjoyed the film Love, Actually, reenact the opening scene by watching the emotional reunions at the international arrivals gate. Bring your own tissues.
Window-shop
Some airports these days almost seem like glorified shopping malls that just happen to have planes landing, and prices are high since there’s nowhere else to go. But you can have plenty of free fun playing with the travel gadgets and massage chairs at Brookstone, sampling moisturiser and testing fragrances at L’Occitane, browsing books in WH Smith and goggling at the price tags in Prada. Have some extra currency to get rid of? Spend it on some locally made souvenirs or sweets to bring home.
Get back to nature
If you’re flying through Southeast Asia, you can find a lovely green respite from the normal concrete-and-glass airport experience. Kuala Lumpur International Airport has transplanted a section of Malaysian rainforest inside the airport for visitors to explore, and Singapore’s Changi Airport has half a dozen different gardens throughout the complex, including an orchid garden with koi pond and a tropical habitat filled with butterflies, carnivorous plants and a waterfall grotto.
Take a day-trip
If you’ve got an extra long layover between flights, consider skipping the airport experience altogether and play tourist for a half a day. Many city airports have direct train service downtown, such as Chicago, Sydney and Hong Kong – where you can even check your bags and get a boarding pass at the station. Singapore’s Changi Airport offers free two-hour tours of town to passengers who have a layover of at least five hours.
Chow down
If you can’t bear the thought of tucking into a tray of single-serving generica on your flight, treat yourself to a good meal before you board. But forget a plastic-tray meal at the food court: airports these days have started featuring nice restaurants, often with celebrity-chef pedigrees. It can also be a good way to sample a bit of regional cuisine: if you’re a meat-lover transferring through Memphis, for example, try one of their four in-terminal BBQ restaurants.
Enjoy some quiet time
Most airports have chapels and ‘quiet rooms’ that are good for a little bit of solitary introspection, whether you want to pray, meditate or just contemplate your belly button in silence for a while. For those who feel like they need some pastoral guidance, London’s Heathrow Airport even has Anglican and Catholic chaplains and Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh ‘faith representatives’ on call.
Play
Singapore’s superstar Changi Airport pulls out all the stops in providing boredom-killers for its passengers. Besides a children’s playground, arts and crafts workshop, three screening rooms with free movies and an entertainment area with free video games and music-listening pods, they’ve recently installed a four-storey-high slide so you can relive your playground salad days, as well as a half-size version for anyone afraid of heights.
And of course if you have one of those new-fangled iPads handy, you’ll be able to while away your layover reading e-books, playing i-games or surfing the w-web on the airport wi-fi. (You could even check out our new 1000 Ultimate Experiences iPad app for some – well, a thousand – travel ideas.)
