Specifications

CONNECTED TRAVELER
Social Networking on the Go
Using Web 2.0 in your travel plans can help you save money and meet new people.
In the dim, dark past (in other words, a few years ago), travel could
be a lonely experience. Now, thanks to a slew of Web 2.0 social
networking sites, even solo travelers can be surrounded by new
friends practically at every stop of their journey.
If you’re flying alone, AirTroductions (www.airtroductions
.com) can make sure your seat neighbor isn’t a screaming baby, bel-
ligerent cocktail swiller, or a hogger of pillows, blankets, and arm-
rest. You fi ll out a profi le and fi nd someone simpatico to sit next to
on your fl ight or to meet in the airport for a chat or quick meal.
Saving money on rental cars or taxis is also a mouse click away.
Your local craigslist (www.craigslist.org) site has a ride-share sec-
tion under Community for fi nding someone going to the airport.
You can also check your destination’s craigslist to fi nd a ride back
to the airport or around town. An alternative for New York City is
a site called Hitchsters (www.hitchsters.com).
Even when you reach your destination, you needn’t be lonely.
Why bed down in a generic, overpriced hotel room when you could
be staying with a friendly local who is eager to show you around?
GlobalFreeloaders.com is a network of travelers who request a
place to stay in exchange for offering a couch or extra bed to oth-
ers in the network. You can search your destination and see what’s
available, along with a detailed profi le of the person you could be
staying with. A more relaxed version of this is the nonprofi t orga-
nization called the CouchSurfi ng Project (www.couchsurfi ng.com),
whose Web site connects people who want to open their homes to
travelers with those looking for a place to crash. If you want to meet
people at your destination but still return to room service at night,
you can also use the site just to meet up with locals for drinks or
walkabouts.—Aaron Dalton
Smart Travel Gadgets
 e coolest new toys for your trip.
Flip Video Ultra
2GB, $179.99 list
1GB, $149.99
www.thefl ip.com
Pure Digital Technologies hopes to make your
video experience more effi cient with the new
Flip Video Ultra Camcorder. It’s not just for
shooting video: You can organize and edit your
videos right on the device. The Ultra has one-
touch recording, one-click e-mailing of videos
and video greeting cards, still-photo capture,
and custom movie mixing; built-in software also
lets you upload to video sites like YouTube.—JLD
Microsoft Mobile Memory
Mouse 8000
$99.95 list
www.microsoft.com
The Mobile Memory Mouse
8000 may cost more than
you’d expect to pay for a com-
puter mouse, but it has 1GB of
fl ash memory built right into
the transceiver! This recharge-
able mouse also features
2.4-GHz wireless technology,
four-way scrolling, and a mag-
nifi er.—Jennifer L. DeLeo
Skooba Skin 1012
$27.95 direct
www.skoobadesign.com
The Skooba Skin 1012 is a customizable laptop case
that you can decorate with markers, pens, paint, and
glue. The only thing you can’t do is use heat (so no
iron-ons!), which will do terrible things to the fabric.
Some customer-designed bags are displayed on the
site—lots of creative, cool stuff. Art supplies are not
included.—Molly K. McLaughlin
Sleeptracker Pro
$179 direct
www.sleeptracker.com
The Sleeptracker Pro watch
monitors your sleeping pat-
terns. An internal accelerom-
eter detects the movements
associated with restlessness that
indicate we are in a light sleep
stage. You can also upload your
sleep data to your computer via
USB and review it by day, week,
or month. It’s even waterproof
up to 20 meters. Compared with
the fi rst-gen Sleeptracker, it has
a vibrating alarm, instead of
just the standard beeps, and a
sleeker design.—JLD
ULTRA-BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS At CouchSurfi ng.com,
users provide a profi le in hopes of a place to crash while traveling.
22 PC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 6, 2007