Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
Kings of Code Conference #kingsofcode
This week I went to the Kings of Code Conference, to “explore and discuss the latest trends, developments and best practices in web and mobile development technologies.” It included a hackbattle, lots of presentations and free beer.
HackBattle
Sawadee Travel – The Road To SocialTravel (@sawadeereizen) #travel
I was at the offices of Sawadee Reizen, a travel company which focusses on creating “unique” travel experiences, yesterday to discover the inroads they are making into the field of Social Media. Naturally I can’t comment very much on the specifics of their fledgling campaigns, but I could certainly see that they are making good headway in integrating their marketing campaigns, which are still old media based, into a new media world.
Much can be said for the steps they are taking, and the customer interaction which they are creating. Seen in the puur marketing sense they are better able to see the ROI in their Social Media campaigns, and are taking many opportunities to create buzz round the brand. What was specifically refreshing is to see the application of the Pareto Principle to the interaction with the customer. Although we didn’t get into the specifics yesterday it was clear to see that they discovered for themselves that the 80-20 rule relates also to the application of Social Media. For 80% of their customer attention the interaction is intended to add value to the customer experience, and only in 20% of the customer interaction do they spend on direct marketing specific products. And they are seeing this in the ROI with sales coming from their Social Media channels.
I also invited Ivelina Ivanova (@Ive_wannaknow), the Sawadee Social Media expert, to come onto the weekly show I am going to start hosting in 2011, so you may meet her for yourself.
The Essential Business Traveler #business #travel
I’ve been travelling professionally for a couple of years, I’m no expert like my friend Remco Hesper. He’s starting a blog on cultural differences when working in other cultures and how to mitigate the risks involved. (Something like that, right Remco.)
Inspired by his idea I put together a series of slides to help the first time and seasoned business travelers to prepare for their trip. Again a case of not being able to post this on WordPress, so find it on my Blogger. The Essential Business Traveler. Enjoy!
Making a knife in an Airport? #schneier
“The whole system is designed to catch stupid terrorists,” Schneier told me. A smart terrorist, he says, won’t try to bring a knife aboard a plane, as I had been doing; he’ll make his own, in the airplane bathroom. Schneier told me the recipe: “Get some steel epoxy glue at a hardware store. It comes in two tubes, one with steel dust and then a hardener. You make the mold by folding a piece of cardboard in two, and then you mix the two tubes together. You can use a metal spoon for the handle. It hardens in 15 minutes.”
By way of Bruce Schneier, The Things He Carried
Signs You Travel Too Much #travel
World66 sent round a list of telltale signs you travel too much. My favorite was:
When you wake up from a deep sleep during a red-eye and you have no idea where you are, where you are going, and comfortably fall back to sleep knowing that you will figure it out when you land.
You can read more on the FlyerTalk in Signs you travel too much
Technorati Tags: travel, flying
Airport Security on the 11th? #risk
In 2001, on the first anniversary of the World Trade Centre attacks, my father and I left New York on a Lufthansa bound for Frankfurt. I should even have the stubs somewhere. You would think that airport security would be heightened on the 11th or the days surrounding, as a precaution. Yet it isn’t. Added to this fact the [S]even in liquid bombs case to face retrial had occurred on the 10th.
On September 11th a friend of mine was travelling out from a UK airport. He had forgotten to put a 175ml bottle of liquid in his checked luggage, and without realizing the possible implications he had put it in his carry-on luggage. This wouldn’t be so funny if not for the fact that they made him take off his very long Dr Martin boots, which don’t contain any metal but a composite material. The bag and the boots went through the X-ray machine, and they then put the bag through a second time. They thanked him and he went on his way.
The problem? The bag contained 175ml bottle of a high quality nitrogen based liquid fertilizer in it’s original packaging.
Jobs in Social Media
You can get into Social Media now with Social Media Jobs. Do you want to earn money writing, blogging, microblogging, making video’s and social networking? Want to travel in the US, Caribbean and South America. You could apply to become a Travel Writer/Social Media Guru for Viscape.
Have a look, there are lots of other possibilities.
technorati tags: jobs, socialmedia, social, busines, networking, blogging, microblogging
Airport to scan laptops for “illegal” downloads
Thanks to Jeremiah Cornelius who send me the article Airport scans for illegal downloads on iPods, mobile phones and laptops
“iPods, mobile phones and laptops could be examined by airport customs officials for illegal downloads under strict new counterfeiting measures being considered by G8 governments this week”
In the Netherlands it is perfectly legal to download “illegal” content, but not to upload it. It falls under a copy for personal use, whether you have the original or not. So when I travel my computer has some “illegal” data on it. According to a recent consumer program on Dutch TV since the actual downloading takes place in the Netherlands where it is legal to download the rest of the EU can’t do anything about it.The problem is that they will try to enforce it even when the illegal act took place in a country where it wasn’t illegal.
Another problem is that I can make copies for my personal use in most European companies, I’m not going to bring my collection of movies and music when I travel I want to bring my music. How can they proof that I downloaded it?
technorati tags: piracy, download, torrent, ipod, travel, airport, security, risk
New Subscription: Air Charter Journal
I suddenly find myself subscribed to the Air Charter Journal, I wonder what good news I’ll get from them. Here are other Primedia Business Newsletters.
technorati tags: aviation, air, charter, newsletter
