By Chris O’Brien
Just got my new iPhone 4 (Will the line at the Michigan Ave. Apple Store ever die down?!), and thought I’d share a few beauty shots of Chicago taken during my morning commute.
So, iPhone fans, do you notice the upgraded camera?
Articles Tagged ‘iPhone’
A view of Chicago from my new iPhone 4
Friday, June 25th, 2010Travel gear tips: Sam’s summer vacation essentials
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008By Samantha Chapnick
Airline baggage restrictions are just getting worse, and don’t look for them to get better 
any time soon. Smart packing for
href="http://www.orbitz.com">travel is now a necessity. Here are some of the ways my family manages to get clothes and gear for three into our one carry-on.
CLOTHES
Our main baggage survival strategy is double-duty. If an item can’t serve at least two purposes, it rarely makes it into our suitcase. For clothing, this means either being able to work for day and evening or warm weather and cold weather.
– If I could wear only one item for my entire vacation, it would be
Patagonia’s stunning
href="http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/product_focus.jsp?OPTION=PRODUCT_FOCUS_DISPLAY_HANDLER&catcode=MAIN_SP_US.CLOTHING_GEAR.WOMENS.DRESSES&style_color=20520-891&ws=">Morning Glory dress. Spandex and Sam don’t usually mix beyond the gym, until I met this dress. It’s just luscious! The tighter empire waist and halter neck make it sexy and formal enough for an elegant dinner, but the looser A-line skirt and forgiving fabric allow the freedom of movement for a day of sightseeing or mild sports. Then, I pair it with some black leggings (capris, thank you) for cooler nights.
– As they said in Casino Royale: "There are dinner jackets, and there are dinner jackets; this is the latter."
href="http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/product_focus.jsp?OPTION=PRODUCT_FOCUS_DISPLAY_HANDLER&catcode=MAIN_SP_US.CLOTHING_GEAR.WOMENS.JACKETS&style_color=84975-158&ws=">Patagonia’s Figure 4 shell jacket (in black of course) seems like an impossibility. It’s a shell with siliconed seams that weighs next to nothing (less than 14 ounces) and still keeps the wind and water out and just enough heat inside. I get eons of compliments both when I wear it casually over a tee-shirt and at night when it becomes a key part of my "little black dress" outfit. As much as I love my Patagonia, my fashionista mother and nothing-if-not-pragmatic husband love their
href="http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/search.jsp?N=0&Ntk=IALL&Ntt=adventure%20ripstop&Nr=REG%3aY&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&D=adventure%20ripstop&Dx=mode+matchpartialmax&cm_se=adventure%20ripstop_All&init=1#ppl=%7Btype%3A%22hide%22%7D">Eddie Bauer Adventure Ripstop Packable Jacket. She because of the color and cut, he because it weighs almost nothing and folds into its own pocket.
– When your husband is 6’4", one pair of shorts, or pants, can easily take up the length of a carry-on suitcase. To hog some more room for my stuff, I got him href="http://www.rei.com/product/746907">REI’s Sahara Convertible pant. During the day or for casual nights, he wears the just-above-the-knee shorts. But when the weather is iffy or we need to look a little more respectable, he zips on the bottoms and they’re a slightly upscale cargo pant. They’re light, don’t wrinkle and block UV rays. As a nice bonus, REI makes a petite women’s size that fit this 5"1′ woman just right. href="http://www.royalrobbins.com/product_details.aspx?ItemCode=34002&Sub_Cat_ID=20&sp=N">Royal Robbins makes a similar pair with a slighter lighter fabric, alas no petite version.
– I don’t need to say how great Crocs are for kids. And I love that cute logo as much as anyone. However, I shudder when I see those things on anyone too old to dread bedtime. A smart designer took what’s best about them, the ultra-light "croslite" material, and sculpted them into more mature styles. The result are two pairs — one of which I take everywhere, that take up almost no space or weight in my suitcase. For day into night, it’s the wedge
href="http://shop.crocs.com/pc-1174-4-cyprus.aspx?reqid=1174&reqProdTypeId=41p&subsectionname=footwear§ion=products">sassari. For a slightly sexier evening, it’s the
cyprus.
– href="http://www.teesforchange.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_20">Tees for Change make the ideal green href="http://www.orbitz.com">summer travel garment. Emblazoned with uplifting slogans in bright colors, they are conversation starters (mine says "Choose Happiness", help the environment (made from pesticide-free bamboo, they are 100% biodegradable), wash easily, don’t wrinkle and dry quickly.
GEAR
If an item can only do one thing, it better do it really well and be as light as possible. Most of our electronics fit into this category. We’ve whittled down to the ones that are the best in their class with lightness being a key success factor.
– href="http://store.randmcnally.com/category/id/100191.do?code=HP_FABMAPS">Rand McNally’s fabMAPs are one of those "Duh" products that are so smart you’ll wonder why you didn’t invent it, or at least I did. Not only do these handkerchief sized microfiber maps do double duty: I use them to clean our sunglasses, iPhone and computer screens, but they overcome a weakness inherent in paper maps: neither water nor folding can damage them. After three months, our South Beach and Midtown Manhattan maps are still in pristine condition. Popular pedestrian areas of major cities are available along with some museums, shops, hotels and bars.
iPhone travel tips
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
NEW in 2010: The Orbitz mobile app for iPhone! Download the free Orbitz app for iPhone now.
By Samantha Chapnick
Sure, the iPhone is a hip phone. But I think it truly shines as a travel tool when you take it on the road.
Watching movies
Watching movies on the iPhone is always fab, but when you’re waiting at the airport because your flight is delayed, it’s a lifesaver. Now that iTunes rents movies, getting films onto the iPhone is as simple as getting a song or podcast on an iPod.
Getting up-to-date travel information
You can use Safari to connect to Orbitz’ Mobile Access to check your flight status, get up-to-the-minute information about flight delays and also get news and tips about security wait times and more from other travelers.
Wayfinding
The Google Maps feature is far more than a location pin-pointer. Its
integration with the address book and Safari browser make it a powerful
travel tool. Type in an address (e.g. “300 Elm Street”) or a proper name
(“Disney World“). Once the spot comes up on the map, tap on it and
contact info including url, phone number, and address automatically
appears.
Better still, with one more click, you can get directions to or from the location,
add it to your bookmarks, or make it a contact in your phone book.
I think it works wonderfully in reverse as well. Click the address of a friend
in your contact list, and it automatically maps their location, from
which you can get directions to or from their location.
Top holiday gifts for road warriors
Monday, December 10th, 2007By Samantha Chapnick
November was gift-testing month for me. Of the hundreds of products tried, these emerged as my favorites for the frequent business traveler who already has it all. Some are perfect when you’re on the road, and some are just right for those times when you finally settle back into your own home.
For the light traveler: Chargepod
What’s the use of a one-ounce, 2 mm device if the charger weighs 800 pounds and takes up half the suitcase?
After being disappointed by the complications and weight of several other multi-chargers, the Chargepod has just about delivered me from tangled, transformer hell.
Taking a cue from nature, its hexagonal shape charges six devices at once via small and affordable tips and doesn’t weigh more than a pound (charger included). This makes it super easy to charge all of our family’s iPods, Nanos and iPhones at home and on the road.