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Cell Phone Tips
September 26, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Which phone can meet your standards and keep you in touch no matter where business takes you? How useful is your phone domestically? Okay, but how about internationally?
The type of phone you need greatly depends on where you will be and how you intend to use it. Just as the type of smart phone or picture phone you choose reflects what you'll be using it for, the band frequency capabilities should also be a factor. As far as GSM phones, which most countries use, there are four band frequencies that are widely used. In the US, there is a 1900MHz and an 850 MHz frequency. While 1900 is the more common band, 850 is also valuable and will increase coverage in some of the less-serviced areas. Internationally, the 900 and 1800 frequencies work throughout most of the world. All together, these 4 bands can get you coverage almost anywhere at anytime, wherever you travel.
The problem is that getting a phone with all 4 bands can be expensive, but 2 or 3 bands might not give you the coverage you need. The two most prevalent bands are 900 and 1900. For use in the US, the 850 is a definite plus and for international travel, you retain best service with 1800 in some countries. Therefore, a domestic tri band phone that has some international capabilities would have the 850/1800/1900 frequencies and an international phone that can also give you access in most of the US would have the 900/1800/1900 frequencies. All three is ideal for frequent travel both domestic and abroad. You know your travel schedule, so where do you spend most of your time?
However, many phones in the US, including Verizon and Sprint, do not use GSM phones and instead work with a CDMA system. This does not use any one specific frequency, but instead uses a broad spectrum of frequencies and calls are encoded with a pseudo-random sequence. This allows for more conversations to take place simultaneously. This system is great for solely domestic use, however it falls short internationally since the only countries to use it are the US and Canada. While Nextel has been using iDEN, another system, it will be phasing this out and switching to CDMA as a result of its merger with Sprint.
Many US carriers are throwing their hat in the ring as far as international coverage options in addition to domestic. T-Mobile has tri and quad band phones as well as a roaming agreement with Cingular that gives better US coverage and international capabilities. Verizon has recently announced that it is teaming up with Vodafone to offer international coverage and Sprint also offers international roaming options. So whatever your travel phone needs, you can find a phone and a service that will fit them.
Internationally capable cellular phone information and phone reviews:
Katrina Housing
September 8, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Extended Stay Hotels is working to support the hurricane relief effort by helping people find available temporary housing at guaranteed standard rates. While most Extended Stay locations directly affected by Hurricane Katrina are full, there are others in outlying metropolitan regions that still have vacancies. If you are looking for a place to stay with a kitchen and on-site laundry facilities, Extended Stay Hotels is here to help with affordable hotel rooms in this time of need.
For up-to-the-minute information on hotel vacancy, contact the property directly but for now there is currently hotel availability in the following metropolitan regions:
If you don't know where you will be in the near future, don't sign a lease and pay inflated prices for an apartment. You can stay at an Extended Stay Hotels property for as long or as short a stay as you require since they are experienced in short term housing. With more room than an average hotel, Extended Stay can help provide the conveniences of home at a difficult time such as a refrigerator, stove, sink, coffee maker, toaster, iron and ironing boards.
The most economical brand is Home Town Inn, while other budget accommodations include Crossland Economy Studios, Extended Stay America and Homestead Hotels. More upscale rooms can be found at Extended Stay Deluxe and StudioPLUS.
In this time of crisis, Extended Stay Hotels has the space and is ready to help, working to bring you the latest updates in hotel vacancy.
Travel Planning
September 6, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Road warriors know that a little preparation can save a lot of time and aggravation. Planning ahead makes a difference and it's always nice to know, as you pull into a new city, that there's a bed waiting for you. No matter what you need when you arrive as far as accommodations and transportation, it can be received ahead of time over the Internet. This can be more than convenience, too. Often there are decent rewards and incentives to pre-booking online.
To know where the deals are and get the best deals that Extended Stay Hotels has to offer, become a Suite Savings subscriber to their hotel newsletter. While you are there, book your hotel and find a place close to where you need to be at a modest price. To get reviews of specific places that you intend on visiting, Trip Advisor has some good consumer reviews of lots of locations.
Planning ahead can save time and headaches upon arrival. And staying with Extended Stay Hotels can take away even more worry and stress since you know the quality and comfort that will await you. Also, if you need to be in your location longer than intended, it's not a problem since our properties are designed with long-term comfort in mind. So whether a night, a weekend or more, Extended Stay Hotels has you covered.
As far as other aspects of your travel, you can look online as well at sites like Rental Car Express that can give you a price comparison on rental cars and Cheap Tickets can help you out with airfare.
