Posted 10/27/09 at 11:30:00 AM by Veronica Belmont

If you’re anything like me -- someone who spends 95% of their days sitting in front of a computer -- the idea of planning a vacation can be daunting. The unfamiliar ideas of “relaxing” and “going outside to do something fun” are stressful enough, not to mention, you know, actually figuring out where to go. But fear not, my fellow keyboard lurkers! We can plan our days off in the bright sunshine without ever leaving the cold, blue glow of our monitors.

Step one, of course, is figuring out where in the world you want to go. Orbitz and Expedia tend to list some good deals on vacations packages, so if saving some money is high on your list of vacation priorities then those may be some good places to start.  However, listings are limited by their partnerships, so the number of options aren’t going to be extremely varied. However, if you’ve got some ideas about the kind of vacation you’re looking for, then using a site like TripBase or TripAdvisor can help whittle the choices down.

Read on for more tips!

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Posted 08/04/09 at 04:40:39 PM by Andy Salisbury

In between the random thoughts and pictures of people’s cats on Twitter, there are some gems to be found. Among those gems are celebrity feuds, our very own Will Smith giving things away, and now cheap airfare.

JetBlue and United Airlines have begun offering “Cheeps” and “twares,” respectively, in an effort to load off empty seats for low prices. JetBlue’s first Cheep was a $9 one-way flight from JFK to Nantucket, and since then they’ve have repeated success. “By promoting the Cheeps through Twitter, we give the already spontaneous audience of Twitter users a chance to grab great last-minute fares,” stated Morgan Johnston, a JetBlue spokesman.

Apparently these tickets have become quite popular, too. According to Robin Urbanski, a United spokeswoman, “Twares are all about surprising our customers with low fares for a very, very limited time. They sell extremely fast because the prices are unbeatable.”

If you’re interested in getting in on the fun, be sure to check out JetBlue’s Cheep Twitter account here, and United’s account here.

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Posted 06/26/09 at 03:28:48 PM by Andy Salisbury

The folks working over at the travel site Kayak have noticed some startling similarities between their very own site and Bing Travel.

If you’ll direct your attention to a picture here, you’ll notice that they’ve got a pretty good hunch, too. Given that just about everything in the picture (with the exception of the brand in the upper-left hand corner) is about the same.

Kayak’s Chief Marketing Officer Robert Birge has stated, “We have contacted them [Bing] through official channels about concerns about the similarities between Bing and Kayak. From the look and feel of their travel product, they seem to agree with our approach to the market.”

In a response, Bing’s Whitney Burke has said, “We are discussing the matter with Kayak. Bing Travel is based on independent development by Microsoft and Farecast.com, which Microsoft acquired in 2008. Any contrary allegations are without merit.”

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Posted 10/13/08 at 11:02:12 AM by Paul Lilly

You won't find Lord British ruling over Britannia anymore, and after doing all that he could for the Ultima universe, Richard Garriott has started exploring ours. Literally. Garriott blasted off into space today in the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft mounted on a three-stage rocket. The $30 million flight ticket buys Garriot a 10-day excursion to the International Space Station (ISS).

While he might be the first virtual Lord to blast into space, he isn't the first in this family. That distinction belongs to Richard's father, Owen Garriott, who spent three months on a U.S. space station back in 1973, almost a decade before the first Ultima game saw store shelves. Owen, now 77, will support his 47-year-old son from mission control in Moscow.

Richard won't be collecting runes in space, but he doesn't plan to sit idly by, either. To help pay back companies who he says have contributed a "meaningful percentage" towards the ticket price, Garriott plans to carry out an experiment on behalf of the contributors, which involves protein crystal growth.

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Posted 08/04/08 at 02:53:06 PM by Paul Lilly

We're down to the last month of summertime and retail stores have already dug out their back-to-school displays. If you've been putting off that dream vacation you had planned for 2008, you better get moving. Don't know where to go? Consider one of the top vacation spots for geeks as assembled by InformationWeek.

The news outlet has compiled an interesting list of unique getaway destinations suitable for the prototypical modern day tech and sci-fi enthusiast. Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? If so, book a flight for New Zealand and schedule a Lord of the Rings Tour. The brochure promises "breathtaking scenery captured on film by Peter Jackson in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Explore Middle Earth and other famous LOTR film locations".

If you're more of a Star Trek fan, stay stateside and get your geek on in a 50,000 square foot interactive tribute to the series that has spanned over 40 years. Destinations are yet to be announced, but the tour will travel to 40 cities in the next 5 years, with a list of 2008 locales coming soon.

Other recommended spots include the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a three- or six-day Space Academy program, a jaunt to Puerto Rico to view the 20-acre reflector on the radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory, and more.

Know of a geeky destination not listed? Let us know about it!

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