travel

Get a Vizio 14-inch ultrabook for $598

Ultrabooks -- often regarded as the Windows camp's answer to the MacBook Air, but really just a marketing term to describe thin, lightweight laptops. (In my day they were called ultraportables, but whatever.)

Most ultrabooks start at $799, a hard price to swallow given that non-"ultra" laptops packing just as much power often sell for half as much.

So on paper, at least, today's deal is looking mighty sweet: While supplies last, Wal-Mart has the Vizio Thin+Light CT14-A0 ultraportable for $598, with free store pickup. Obviously you'll be on the hook for sales … Read more

Microsoft's best Windows 8 apps

Microsoft's Windows 8 apps are a decidedly mixed bag so far. But one group of apps shows how the new environment can shine with the right software.

I haven't been too impressed with many of the apps Microsoft has created for Windows 8. Some, such as Music and Video, are designed mostly to get you to buy stuff from the company, offering only minimal support for playing your own songs and videos.

Others apps, such as Mail, People, and Messaging, aren't bad but still seem half-baked and in need of further refinements. Mail, for example, still doesn'… Read more

Download great free travel guides to your mobile device

Smartphones and tablets make great travel tools, but many of their best features depend on reliable Internet service. World Travel Guide gives you a smart, lovely backup and may inspire a few side trips with its great overviews of over 200 nations and major cities. Here's how to use it:

Install the World Travel Guide app for Android and iOS here. Run the app. Browse the extensive listing of guides and select those you wish to download. Note that some are quite large, so make sure you've got room for them all. Check out the guides. They … Read more

HipGeo makes documenting your travels easy on iOS

HipGeo Travel Blog and Trip Journal (free) lets you tell the story of your vacation with images, videos, text, tags, and more all tied to your geolocation. You start by signing up through Facebook or Twitter, then you can choose people to share your travels with. If you just want to see the app in action before you take your trip (and see best practices from other users) you can use an explore button to check out blogs of popular or featured users, or look at posts from near your location.… Read more

Kayak sets IPO price at $26 a share

Facebook's teeter-totter on the Nasdaq has caused some to wonder whether it's a good idea for Internet companies to go public. After a little back-and-forth and a bit of careful consideration, the online travel agency Kayak has decided to take the plunge.

Trading is scheduled to begin on the Nasdaq tomorrow, with the company's initial public offering set at $26 per share -- above the expected range of $22 to $25, according to CNBC. Kayak aims to sell 3.5 million shares, it said in its regulatory filing last week. At $26, that would mean raising $91 … Read more

My Tracks records your runs

Perfect for outdoors enthusiasts, Google's My Tracks app records your path, speed, distance, and even elevation while you walk, run, bike, or do anything else that a GPS signal can follow. And for those who are a bit more serious about their training, the app even lets you hook up with a few third-party Bluetooth biometric sensors, including Zephyr HxM, Polar WearLink, and ANT+ monitors.

To get started, just open up My Tracks and hit the record button at the top of the screen. From there, so long as you have a strong GPS signal, My Tracks will plot … Read more

Wikipedia to debut revolutionary travel site?

Online travel information can be very difficult to gauge.

Sometimes, you have no idea if the person who posted about a hotel's supreme service works for the hotel itself or whether the person revealing the presence of cockroaches just happens to be a competitor.

Yet now the bastions of objectivity at the Wikimedia Foundation seem to be getting into the travel business.

For, as Skift.com tells it, the boys from Wikipedia are to set up their own, as yet unnamed, travel site.

It seems that this travel site will be a guide for all who wish to depart … Read more

Apple wins patent for iTravel application

Is Apple getting into the travel business?

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company today was awarded a host of patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. However, the one that stood out describes an application, called iTravel, that handles all of a person's needs when traveling. Patently Apple first reported it.

According to the filing, iTravel would allow users to make reservations for a trip and then share them with others. In addition, the application could be used to check in and handle checked luggage. The application appears to work with Macs, as well as Apple's iPhone, … Read more

Plan your next vacation with the Windows 8 Travel app

Those of you planning your next getaway can get a helping hand from Microsoft's Windows 8 Travel app.

Introduced in the Windows 8 Release Preview, the Travel app conjures up photos, articles, and loads of other data on vacation spots throughout the world. You can use the app to find the perfect paradise or look up information if you already know where you're going.

You can also get details on airports, hotels, and restaurants, and even book your air travel and make your hotel reservations by going through the app itself. Here's a quick look at how … Read more