Tech Tuesday :: Fotopedia

[trip style = any]

An image tells a thousand words, no? Preview the world from multiple angles.

Question What happens when you add a passionate traveler with the former Apple Apps CTO and a budding photographer?

Answer Fotopedia. The first collaborative, web-based, photographic encyclopedia---an upside down Wikipedia with more photos than words---compiled with user-generated photos sourced via seven different apps. Browse 27 shots of Machu Picchu's peaks and terraced land like you're there or 30,000 photos of UNESCO world heritage sites. Take a rare glimpse into North Korea via 117 blow-your- socks-off photography or gaze at 14 sequined and spicy costumes of Rio's Carnaval {just don't look at photo 7, it's a little too saucy}.

{Trip Styler Tip :: Foto fanatics, check out the site's daily magazine to browse sets like The City Of Angels, Venice Of The North or The Birthplace Of Jimi Hendrix.}

More Tech Tuesday Hipmunk Gets Organized Urban Dig City Guide Travelstormer {Group Travel Planning} Virtual Shopping Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct

[image via Fotopedia website]

Tech Tuesday :: Hipmunk Gets Organized

[trip style = any]

Earlier this year we wrote about a new flight search tool called Hipmunk that organizes results in a visual timeline format by agony---a measure of price, duration and number of stops. Why is this significant? Most traditional travel meta search engines show flights in a list format, meaning you have to scroll through hundreds of options. This takes time; Hipmunk's version is a little more user-friendly for the right-brained among us.

If you haven't had a chance to check out the travel search engine {with a chipmunk wearing flight goggles as the mascot}, take notice because you'll appreciate some recently added, time-saving features: - First, they now offer a hotel search in addition to their popular flight search. - Second, they are the FIRST to integrate your Google Calendar into their search.

For both hotels and flights, Hipmunk now automatically shows information from your Google Calendar that’ll help you pick the right trip, based on your availability. This new technology is perfect for the person who has more coloured blocks in their calendar than a lego castle. Integrating your calendar requires you create a Hipmunk account, then follow a few easy steps.

Busy bees, take note. Organizing your flight time just got a little easier.

PS - Cool factoid: If you Google Hip Munk Trip Styler comes up as the second search result!

More Tech Tuesday Urban Dig City Guide Travelstormer {Group Travel Planning} Virtual Shopping Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct

[image via Hipmunk website]

Tech Tuesday :: Urban Dig

[trip style = urban + weekend getaway]

One of 2011's biggest travel buzzwords is curated: curated travel flash sales, curated restaurant picks, curated hotel lists. Every online travel site and guidebook have some sort of curated list. Buzzed about or not, the process of creating a niche product, then choosing a small number of hotels, restaurants or activities saves everyone time with immediate hot-spot detection---and I'm not talking wifi!

One urban city guide app that just launched is doing just that: curated lists in cool cities. UrbanDig is a Vancouver start-up with off-track lists---think truckspotting instead of Eat, or hidden art instead of To Do---aimed at the generation X and Y set {or super cool boomers!}.

How it Works When you first download the free app, you have to sign-up. With an almost mandatory social sharing component, it'll ask you to add a picture to your profile so you can follow and be followed. Two-minute sign-up process aside, it's the local picks for Vancouver, LA, NY, Portland and SF {with Austin, DC and Chicago coming soon} that are the app's version fall 2011 ladies booties and mens wingtips!

If you're an urban culture cat, this app's for you.

More Tech Tuesday Travelstormer {Group Travel Planning} Virtual Shopping Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct

[image via urbandig]

Tech Tuesday :: Unravel Group Travel

[trip style = any]

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Traveling with friends is a blast, but organizing-smorganizing a 10 - 20-person bachelorette, mancation or family trip can turn into a full-time job!

Fear not, like most travel conundrums, the internet has an answer. Tech Tuesday for the win!

Travelstormer Travelstormer likens amateur group travel planning to herding cats, so it helps group travelers get their ducks in a row from idea to itinerary!" I WISH this existed when my girlfriends went on a 14-person triple-bachelorette to Vegas. Sure, we made 'do' with email and phone planning {via hours of conference calls and gazillions of emails}, but this website would have made the process so much more organized and streamlined! Next time...

How It Works Sign up for an account and add friends. Every detail is coordinated from a central and simple dashboard {pictured above}. Brainstorm and discuss with the group or via private message, then enter your dates and destination, build an itinerary and track expenses. Genius.

I'm going to use Travelstormer for another girls trip in the works for 2012. I've already set up an account. For now, we don't know our dates or destination, but we'll input those details as the process takes shape. Time to brainstorm and discuss!

Happy planning.

More Tech Tuesday Virtual Shopping Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct

[images via travelstormer]

Tech Tuesday :: Virtual Shopping

[trip style = any] If you love shopping, especially finding the best deal, you'll love this app.

MyRegistry is marketed as a barcode-scanning, wishlist and registry app for moms or brides-to-be. Yet, I see its value more in the comparison shopping realm, particularly as it relates to shopping while traveling.

How It Works The app uses your iPhone as a barcode scanner, allowing you to scan anything shopping-related. Simply click scan barcode and the screen will register the product, then render a ton of online outlets {with pricing} where the item is available. I just tried the app for a teal-covered, pocket-sized HG2 Miami guidebook I had sitting on my desk. Within a second, I got pricing results from outlets like amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Target!

As long as you have a wifi connection, the app is golden. Say you're on a trip style = luxe trip in London shopping at Harrods or Harvey Nichols, and you want to buy a Hermes belt or Longchamp bag. Scan the price and see what the options are, then you'll know if you should exercise your credit card in store, or exercise yourself and hightail it out of there to buy it elsewhere.

This free app works with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

More Tech Tuesday Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct Airline Alliance Apps Google Hotel Finder