A New Challenge!

Hi everyone,

Sorry that I've been quiet for the last couple of months, but as you might guess, it's because I've been busy.

I have a new territory in my role at Compuware-I will now be directing sales enablement activities for Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions, which means that I will be taking even longer, international trips. I'm hoping that this will actually translate into less total nights away from home, as you can't exactly just jump on a plane, fly 20 hours, and make a sales call.

With that, I expect that I will have even more interesting bits of travel wisdom to pass along! If I can keep the travel to a sane level, I think I'll really enjoy the new challenge.

Mom's Burma Travel Blog

Speaking of travel, my Mom has been traveling in Asia for close to a month now--mostly in Burma (aka Myanmar), where my sister is a school teacher. While Burma, which is controlled by a dictator, places tight controls on outside communication (particularly the Internet), we have been able to squeeze a few blog posts and pictures out during her visits. I thought you all might be interested in seeing them--there are some truly beautiful pictures in her blog, and it sounds like a really interesting place to visit.

Check it out by going to http://carolyns-world-travels.blogspot.com

The SunCell™ Solar Powered Battery Charger

A good friend of mine who knows the founder of EcoPowered Solutions here in Colorado recently lent me a SunCell Solar Charger recently to try out, and I am very impressed both with the product as well as the company. In fact, I will have a hard time giving it back--I may just have to buy one of my own!

The SunCell Solar Charger

The SunCell is, at its core, a rechargeable battery that can be used to recharge any number of devices, including virtually any USB device (like cell phones, iPods/MP3 players, digital cameras, etc), plus a number of other devices with proprietary connectors (like Motorola and Nokia phones, for example). The battery holds enough juice to fully recharge a typical mobile phone three times. Unfortunately, it can't recharge laptops, as they generally require much higher voltages to recharge, and some (like Dell) also have proprietary charging mechanisms. The device comes with a selection of 16 "power tips" that can accommodate a wide variety of gadgets. The device is small and lightweight: 5.5 inches x 4 inches x 1.4 inches and 0.5 pounds in weight, and it's available in a number of colors.

The product's "Inspector Gadget" feature is that it can be recharged using a number of methods, the coolest of which is two solar panels that are included with the unit (it opens using a 'clamshell design' to expose the panels. The SunCell can also be recharged using an external USB port (e.g. from a computer or a USB wall charger). It works as advertised--the internal battery fully recharges in 3-5 hours from an electrical outlet or a laptop and will recharge using solar energy (strong sunlight--outside is best) in 8-12 hours, depending on how depleted the battery cell is. The SunCell's battery capacity is 3600 maH (about what a laptop battery holds) and the solar panels can output a peak of 1.5 watts. The device has selectable output voltages that are sure to accommodate virtually any device, including 4.8v, 5.8v, 8.4v and 9v.

The SunCell retails for $125 US, including a full selection of power tips, and you can purchase the units directly from the EcoPowered website.

In addition to being very impressed with EcoPowered Solutions' product, I am equally impressed with their mission. As one might guess, they are very much into promoting renewable energy, which is admirable in itself, but they also have a higher calling--providing their technology, free of charge, to organizations that utilize it to save lives and increase the quality of life in the areas they serve. Currently, donations to their program go directly to providing SunCells to Partners in Health, which is an international health services organization. SunCells are currently being used by Partners in Health in many of the countries it has operations in such as Haiti and Malawi. They are used by the communities they work in to power cell phones in remote areas and they can be used as lighting systems for people that have no electricity. If you're interested in donating to this program, click this link.

This is a point to ponder. In addition to assisting organizations like Partners in Health, this device could very well save your own life one day. 15 years ago, I was an Emergency Medical Technician and volunteer fire fighter in a ski resort in the Colorado mountains. I also served on the local search-and-rescue, helping to locate and rescue people that had become lost in the wilderness.

There weren't as many radios and mobile phones then as now, but every time that I hear about people that get lost in the outdoors because 1) they relied on a GPS that lost power, or 2) their radio/mobile phone battery died and they weren't able to call for help, or 3) their camera ran out of juice and they couldn't save themselves by signaling to passing aircraft using the flash (you think that's funny? It works!), I think about this device. If you were to become lost or stranded, you could use the SunCell to recharge those devices that could potentially save your life, over and over. Pretty cool. It also has a built-in LED flashlight that will run non-stop for up to six days on a charge, which can also be used as a signal light. I think it makes a lot of sense to purchase a couple of these units to place in backpacks and car trunks--just in case--it could save your life some day.

New York City

Hello from New York City! I have been here all week at a trade show, and I'm also making some sales calls in New Jersey today and tomorrow while I'm out here.

Yesterday was a really nice day -- highs in the 60's (!) with just a little rain. I went walking with my camera last night and tried out my new mini-tripod; it helped a lot, particularly with shots of Rockefeller Center and Times Square. A mini-slide show of my pictures is below; you can also view all of them on flickr by clicking here.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

My First Experience with CLEAR Registered Travel

As I wrote earlier, I signed up for the CLEAR registered traveler program last August in Orlando and, until today, had yet to use my card. Fortunately, they just opened CLEAR lanes at Denver International Airport (I live in Denver), and I was finally able to use my card this morning.

Overall, the experience was great. Wait times for the "normal" security lines looked to be pretty long--Monday morning and all--probably in the 20-25 minute range. As I approached the CLEAR line, I had my CLEAR card, driver's license, and boarding pass out and ready to go. After the person manning the line determined that I was one of the few actual CLEAR members (there were a lot of people trying to access the line who didn't understand what it was all about), they directed me to one of their biometric scanners. I inserted my CLEAR card, put my finger on the scanner, and was informed that I was "CLEARED" in about 10 seconds.

At that point, one of the major advantages of CLEAR appeared--a "concierge" then guided me to the TSA ID checker, who checked my ID immediately. After the ID stage, the concierge then led me over to the security line (I got to cut ahead of the people queued up in front of the X-ray machine), and then proceeded to help me load my laptop, toiletries, shoes, etc., in the bins! Wonderful service--what a difference another pair of hands makes. After ensuring that all my of luggage made it into the machine, she wished me a "CLEAR day", and I was off to the metal detector. Total time, from entering the CLEAR line to getting my stuff through the X-ray machine: about 5 minutes flat....and it was far less stressful than usual, thanks to the helpful concierge.

All in all, my first CLEAR experience was great. Even though I can cut the security lines at DIA any way due to my United Premier Executive status, it still generally takes around 10 minutes to clear security. With the extra priority that the CLEAR concierge afforded me, I shaved yet another 5 minutes off of that time, plus a bit of stress. For the $128 a year that the service costs, I'm thinking that it will definitely be worth it in terms of a guaranteed security experience and lower stress levels. Plus, it's really, really cool to cut the lines just like the airline crews do!

I give CLEAR an enthusiastic two thumbs-up! Now, if they only were in every airport that I travel through....especially Detroit!

*** Thinking of signing up for Clear??? ***

If you are, please do me a favor and give them my Clear "referral code": SCA70678. This entitles me to some free months of service for everyone that signs up using my code. Thanks!

240 Me!

I was recently turned on to "Rule 240" by a friend of mine. The rule, which was created years ago by the old Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in an attempt to spell out some passenger rights. At the time, all US carriers were required to honor the rule--today, the large carriers still do, and the smaller carriers, while they may not be legally required to observe the rule, they know what it is--and will often honor it.

In a nutshell, Rule 240 stipulated that an airline facing a delayed or canceled flight had to transfer you to another carrier if 1) the second carrier could get you to your destination more quickly than the original line and 2) it had available seats. The rule did NOT apply to weather- or act-of-god-related delays, however.

I encourage you to read a recent article by Peter Greenberg of MSNBC, which does a far better job of explaining the rule, and when it should be invoked. Anyone who travels by air in the U.S. should be aware of this rule and how to use it. See below for several articles on it.

MSNBC: Stranded at the airport? Don't forget Rule 240
Independent Traveler: Rule 240: Read It, Know It, Use It
Consumerist: Don't Fly Without a Copy of Rule 240

I can't wait to ask United Airlines to '240 me' the next time a flight is delayed--and I'll be sure to report on how it worked (or didn't).

Protecting Yourself While Using Public WiFi

I was watching a segment on the news in Denver tonight, during which they attempted to give travelers "tips" on keeping their computers safe while using public (unencrypted) wireless (WiFi) connection. The news did a good job of really muddying the issues and even went so far as to state several things that were wrong, so I thought I'd write my own advice on the subject, most of which has been gathered from the school of hard knocks (as well as research that I have conducted over the years).

First, the source of the problem: virtually all "public" WiFi connections rely on unencrypted connections. In other words, when a laptop or other device connects to the public WiFi access point, the signal between the computing device and the access point is not encrypted or secured in any way. This means that a hacker with a device that is capable of "sniffing" the network packets flying through the air can pick up the signal, possibly gathering valuable data.

Keep in mind that although the packets flowing across the wireless network are not encrypted, it is still possible for the computer and the device on the other end of the internet that it is communicating with to encrypt the communication from end-to-end. For example, a web browser that uses a secure (https, also known as SSL) connection encrypts data from the browser all the way to the web server on other end of the connection--and that encryption also applies to the wireless data connection. Hackers will not be able to make anything out of the encrypted data flowing across the wireless connection.

The problem with this approach is that this only applies to data that is flowing from the web browser (or other SSL application), and it only works for the duration of the SSL connection--and only for the application using SSL. Other application data is still vulnerable.

There are a couple of general tips that you can follow to help protect your machine from being "hacked" while in public areas:

1. Only enable your wireless card when you actually use it (many laptops have hardware or software switches that allow you to easily enable/disable the WiFi signal).

2. Make sure your computer has a software firewall installed on it. Windows XP and Vista come with one--make sure it is enabled. You can also install even better firewall software on your machine (providing your corporate policy allows it)--I prefer ZoneAlarm, which is owned by CheckPoint software (one of the leading firewall vendors). There is a version of ZoneAlarm which is free for some types of users.

3. Set up your computer so that it does not automatically connect to "non-preferred" networks. This will prevent your computer from latching on to the first available signal. Some computers will also allow you to specify that it will connect only to access point networks. Some hackers will set up their computers to look like a WiFi access point, and an unprotected computer that connects to one could be vulnerable to hacking.

4. When do you decide to connect to a public WiFi network, use common sense before you connect to a network. Computers will allow you to see the name of all of the available networks in the area, and never pick one that looks too good to be true (like "Free Public WiFi", for example). Most public WiFi networks have intuitive names (like "panerabread", "concourse", etc). Also pay attention to the icon that shows the type of wireless connection--if it looks like another computer (or says "ad-hoc"), don't connect to it. Only connect to actual access points--the icon generally looks like, well, an access point--a box with an antenna on it.

5. It's not a bad idea to disable file- and printer-sharing on your computer, although a good firewall will prevent outside connections unless you specifically authorize them.

6. If you connect to a public network that requires payment, be very careful and judicious when entering your credit card information. Make sure that the connection is encrypted (remember the padlock icon on your web browser?), and make double-sure that you have connected to a legit wireless network.

Once you're connected to the Internet, one way to make sure that all of your communications are secure is to connect to a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. VPNs are generally provided to corporate users as a way to connect from any Internet-enabled location securely--and the way they accomplish this is by establishing an encrypted "tunnel" betwen your computer and the corporate network, across which all network traffic flows.

If you aren't lucky enough to have access to a corporate VPN, there is still an option. There are a number of companies that have launched VPN services to virtually anyone, so that non-corporate users can also benefit from the advantages of VPN security across an unsecure WiFi network. One company that I have used in the past is HotSpotVPN, which charges $8.88 a month for unlimited VPN access (their service even works from an iPhone).

I hope this helps you to make sure that your computer and data stay safe in the wild world of public WiFi networks. WiFi is an amazing technology that has opened up Internet connectivity from virtually any airport, hotel, or coffee shop--and it's a powerful tool, so long as you take care and use it properly.