Table Topics To Go
The premise is simple: provide a list of open-ended conversation starters to promote dialogue among strangers… or even family members who live together, but who might not know intimate details or odd quirks about one another. That’s what Table Topics sets out to do with its clear cubes of 135 question cards; plop the box on a dinner table and let the conversations fly.
But when you’re on the road, these 4-inch acrylic cubes aren’t that easy to transport (and the easy-off tops make it easy for the cards to slip out). That’s where the “on the go” version comes in: they are 40 cards that slip into a plastic case and they aren’t much bigger than a deck of cards.
Topics are in themes — there are conversation starters for a honeymoon (I know, oxymoron) and some specifically to pull out at a picnic or tailgate. I have the Kids Table Topics To Go, and the cards offer questions for the whole family: “If you could be a super hero, which special power would you choose to have?” and “What do you love most about yourself?”
Some questions are a little silly and some are more poignant and thought provoking, but the bottom line is, these cards promote conversation, for sure.
The Table Topics To Go are $9 each for 40 cards. We whipped through the Kids’ questions quickly, and when my son tried to “re-ask” the questions on day 2 of a multi-state road trip, he was met with a resounding chorus of, “We did this already!’ from the rest of us. So, you could re-use the cards with extended family or friends, but once you’ve gone through the cards among your immediately family, you’re done.
Are they worth $9? It might be easier to just write up a bunch of conversation starters on your own index cards (which you can buy at the grocery store for $1.99). That said, for a novelty gift — they come in bachelorette and wedding shower themes — I think they’re great. These would also make fine stocking stuffers, too. For travel activities, specifically, check out the travel and road trip editions.
Posted by Kara in Kids and Family on June 11th, 2010
Score a Cute Little Lantern from Coghlan’s
Usually when we give away a prize on here it’s one big item and it’s an all-or-nothing affair. Well this time three readers will score a cool little LED Micro Lantern from Coghlan’s.
I first reviewed this item in 2008 (see the full review here) and I’ve been using it on camping trips ever since. I still haven’t replaced the two CR2032 coin batteries that came with it.
Despite the small size, I’ve found this bright enough to light up a tent or serve as the light source for a board game. In cheap hotels with dim lighting, this would be handy to have along. It sure doesn’t take up much space!
You can buy one of these at Amazon or your local outdoor gear store but how about a free one instead?
We can only ship to Canada or the U.S., but if you live in one of those places, you have two ways to enter.
1) Go become a fan on Facebook. Yes, it’s lonely in there because the page just went up this week. Be a pioneer. We’ll pick two random winners from the fans on June 25, 2010.
OR
2) Leave a comment below answering the following question: “Why is a weekend of camping better than a weekend of hanging out on Facebook?” We’ll pick one winner on June 25.
Your choice—conformist or rebel—but either way you can win.
***
Related post: Cheap travel and camping gear from Coghlan’s
Don’t miss out on any future giveaways – subscribe to this blog!
6/26 update – We have our winners! Congrats to the following, first two from Facebook fan page signups, last one from the comments below. All chosen via Random.org.
Rita Sams – from Facebook fan page
Véronique Mallet – from Facebook fan page
Christie – from the camping non-conformists
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on June 10th, 2010
FlightView: Flight Tracking Made Simple
There are all kinds of resources on the Web for flight tracking. But FlightView—which is being officially released tomorrow for the iPhone—makes it simple.
The folks at Flightview offered me a preview of their brand-new version for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. I can see lots of uses for this app. And no one should hesitate over the $.99 price.
The iPhone/iPod version is designed for easy use with one hand. New flights are simple to enter by selecting an airline, date and flight number.
Then, FlightView will show any delays, track the progress of the flight on a map and also show airport delays across the U.S.
One feature I immediately liked allows the grouping of flights for a trip. For example, if I’m flying to a city where I’ll meet others coming from different places, I can track all their incoming flights to see when they arrive. This would also be handy for vacations, where friends or family members are flying in from different places.
Besides getting information on scheduled and actual departure times, arrival times and delays, flights can be tracked on a map. This is a great feature for watching your route on planes equipped with Gogo Inflight Internet.
There’s also a place for notes for entering things like hotel or auto-rental reservation numbers.
And when bad weather starts disrupting flights—the kind of delays that can cascade across the country—FlightView’s airports map shows delays with a weather-radar overlay. This is very handy for checking the weather between departure and arrival airports.
FlightView isn’t just for those flying, either. It’s also very useful for showing arrival times when picking up someone at the airport.
As I said, this information is already available on the Web. What FlightView does is bring it together in an easy-to-use app that should be an essential for air travelers.
If you don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, versions are already available for the Blackberry and Palm Pre. Other smartphones can access some of the information on FlightView’s mobile website.
For those who fly a little or a lot, FlightView for the iPhone/iPod brings together a lot of useful information in an elegant and simple app. For less than a buck in the iTunes store, buying FlightView is a no-brainer.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on June 7th, 2010
Wrapsol Skins Protect Your Gadgets and Phones
Now that you’ve got that shiny and expensive new gadget in hand, how are you going to keep it from getting all scratched up and smudged? Do you really think your electronics are any match for the rigors of the road? A protective skin from Wrapsol can be a great investment in protection.
I haven’t jumped on the iPhone bandwagon for a lot of reasons. The main one is that in the U.S. the phone is sold locked into the AT&T monopoly, which is getting ready to drop its unlimited data plan (because it can) and they suck from your wallet like nobody’s business if you dare try to use it internationally. Another key reason is the truly sucky battery life. I do have an iPod Touch, however, which is almost an iPhone but without the phone part and the hefty ongoing charges every month after purchase. (Think of the iPhone as a timeshare with maintenance charges, the Touch as a condo.)
So when the Wrapsol people offered to send me one of their skins to review, I slapped one on my new iPod Touch and have been using it ever since.
I like these transparent skins a lot. They let you retain the sleekness of the original Apple design instead of mucking it up with something bulky, like a rubbery case. The screen touch functions work just as well as they did before the skin application, but with no fingerprints on the screen. I can wipe this on my shirt without any worries about scratches. And if I drop it, which is going to happen sooner or later, there’s added shock absorption built into these Wrapsol skins. If your kid drops food or juice on your expensive device, there’s extra protection. You can see a video of how they work here.
They don’t just make the skins for Apple products though. You can get one to fit a Droid, a Blackberry, a Nexus One, even netbooks, Kindles, and cameras. The skin comes pre-cut in the exact right dimensions, with all the necessary holes already in place. This template below shows what you get for the Droid Eris that Kara reviewed a while back.
As you’ve probably started to realize, the hard part of this is actually getting that skin perfectly aligned onto your device. I’ve tried this with three different brands now and I never seem to get it 100% right. This Wrapsol version is repositionable to an extent, so you can nudge it a bit one way or the other during the process, but it’s still hard to line it up perfectly, even on the sleek Touch.
That process involves wet fingers and a little squeegee too, so don’t think you can just pop this on as you’re walking out the door. (Unlike with the BodyGardz brand I reviewed before, there’ not a spare skin in the box with these, so you have to get it right the first time.)
If you’re patient though, you’ll get it close enough to be be able to get to all your buttons and then your fancy new device will stay scratch-free and protected. See the whole line at Wrapsol.com. If you buy direct they’re $25 to $30, but at online retailers the price drops significantly.
Get the iPod Touch version at Amazon.
Get the Wrapsol Kindle cover at Amazon.
Related Posts:
Posted by Tim in Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on June 3rd, 2010
Weather on the Go: Weatherbug Elite
One thing I need to know on every trip is the weather forecast.
It’s important if I’m working, especially if I’ll be outdoors. The forecast is just as important on a leisure trip to see if it will be sunny at the beach or snowing in the mountains, and to keep up with weather conditions that could affect driving or flying.
One of my favorite weather apps that I use on both my iPod Touch (it also works on iPhones, of course) and HTC Tilt2 smartphone is Weatherbug Elite. The Elite version of the app costs a buck or two, but it’s ad-free and keeps the information I need at my fingertips.
The first thing I noticed after installing Weatherbug Elite was the nice graphics for current conditions and the forecast. Just one touch drills down to more detailed conditions and forecasts.
The Weatherbug forecasts come from the National Weather Service, which I prefer over private services such as Accuweather. Accuweather uses computer models to generate forecasts over wide areas. While the NWS uses the same models, the agency also operates local forecast offices that can tweak the forecasts when needed.
Notice I didn’t say the National Weather Service is always right. But I still prefer their forecasts over private services and broadcast meteorologists, who are also known as weather guessers.
Weatherbug Elite shows hourly and 7-day forecasts, animated radar maps with zoom and live weather cameras. One nice feature is how multiple locations can be saved. That makes it easy to switch from looking at the local forecast to the forecast at your destination and any connecting airports in between.
Weatherbug Elite also offers a daily video with the national weather outlook as well as temperature and satellite infrared maps.
One thing that’s impressive about Weatherbug Elite is the wide range of supported platforms. Versions are available not only for the iPhone/iPod and Windows Mobile, but also for Android, Blackberry and Palm webOS phones.
The iPhone/iPod version is 99 cents, while the Windows Mobile version is $1.99. Free versions with ads are available, but I don’t mind paying a small, one-time fee for the ad-free version. An iPad version is also available.
With all the unusual weather we’ve seen in the last year—from floods to deadly tornadoes—weather apps are among my favorites for smartphones. Who needs the 6 o’clock news when Weatherbug Elite is there, anytime you need it?
Posted by JohnG in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on May 25th, 2010
