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Travel Time
May 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
We have all heard of the benefits of vacation. Taking time off can improve productivity and general health. But according to Business Week, more than half of American workers do not take any vacation time. This can be a big problem, as detailed by CNN. A 2006 study by the American Institute of Stress showed that job burnout costs the U.S. economy an estimated $300 billion a year in accidents, employee turnover, diminished productivity and medical costs. So go on and do something good for yourself and your business, take a vacation.
With summer already here and the travel season starting, this is the perfect time to get away. Lock up your BlackBerry in the safe at any Extended Stay Hotel location and unwind. You can take advantage of the numerous affordable hotels situated conveniently near major attractions such as theme parks, museums, zoos, golf courses, casinos, and sporting events. Efficiency hotels are often the way to go for the frequent business traveler taking some much deserved vacation time becasue they give you more space and more options. Extended Stay Hotels is a great place to stay in comfort at an affordable price while being close to attractions offering fun and relaxation.
EVDO, GPRS, EDGE, and Other Cell Phone Network Acronyms
May 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
By now you have probably are aware of the many mobile broadband options for both phone and computer. You probably even have a phone or laptop with these capabilities, allowing you to get broadband coverage in a long list of cities. But how do these systems work and what should you look for in your mobile broadband access?
There are a number of ways to get Internet to your mobile device, either cell phone or laptop, and these are known as 3G (third generation) wireless telephony. Nearly all the US carriers have some variation of this option. To give you a better idea of what each 3G option is and how it's used, we're giving you a brief run down of the alphabet soup of mobile Internet.
EV-DO – Evolution-Data Optimized – A wireless radio broadband data standard used by phone services such as Sprint and Verizon that is quickly becoming a widespread standard due to the inexpensive IP network infrastructure. This technology is being used on technology such as the Palm Treo.
HSDPA – High-Speed Downlink Packet Access – This 3G protocol is an upgrade for UMTS networks and offers fast data transfers. 171 devices currently use this technology, including the Motorola Razr2 V9 and the newly released Nokia N95.
UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System – The UMTS is designed to succeed GSM and the EDGE/GPRS systems currently used primarily by T-Mobile and AT&T. It works by using different frequency bands for uplinking and downlinking and allows broadband access through a cellular router. Phones such as the Samsung ZX10 use UMTS.
EDGE - Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution - a digital mobile phone technology that allows to increase data transmission rate and improve data transmission reliability, usually used with a GPRS set-up. This, along with GPRS, is the prefered option of T-Mobile and AT&T.
GPRS - General Packet Radio Service – A mobile data service that acts as an alternative to complete mobile Internet access, offering minimal access to the web and including options such as accessing email and sending instant messages. T-Mobile uses a combination of GPRS and EDGE to offer mobile Internet access with the Sony Ericsson PC card, the GC89.
W-CDMA – Wireband Code Division Multiple Access – Offering high-speed transmission, W-CDMA is an alternative to EDGE and is yet another 3G technology. It works with EV-DO and is being used by companies such as Verizon and Sprint. This method of Internet access was pioneered by Nokia with their 6650 phone back in 2002.
Data Protection Tips
May 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sometimes the most valuable possession a business traveler travels with is the data on their faithful laptop. However, this business data is very vulnerable, especially during travel, because of the possibilities of mishandled luggage, computer crashing, dropped laptops, or even theft. Backing up your files is always recommended, and essential while on the road.
Fortunately, backing up your data has never been more effortless. There are now backing up services that run in the background of your computer, automatically protecting your files so you don’t even need to think about it. Carbonite is software that encrypts your data before it leaves your computer and automatically backs up your files to secure servers, allowing for an unlimited amount of files to be stored. I.B.M’s Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files is another service that will automatically back up changed files, sending them to a remote server at your home or business headquarters or offering the ability to save the information on a USB Flash drive.
Both of these real-time data protection options provide easy access to your backed up files via the Internet. With affordable high-speed wireless Internet access at every Extended Stay Hotel your protected files can be easily accessed anytime during your stay. Lost files will not be the stuff of nightmares anymore.
Cheap Travel
May 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Earlier, we had reported about airlines rolling back a summer fuel surcharge and travelers sighed in relief. That wasn't the end of the airfare savings, as some passengers are quickly discovering. According to a recent article on the ABC News website, the new Skybus Airlines is currently offering 10 seats on each flight for only $10 apiece. You read that right and you can get that price to the US destination of your choice…if you hurry. But even if you aren't among those lucky ten, the prices are still comparable to the Southwest deals.
It sounds too good to be true, so there must be a catch. And there is, but it may be one you're willing to accept. Instead of flying into the major airports, Skybus focuses on smaller ones. This airline will fly into smaller regional airports that may be an hour outside of a major international hub so that they pay less in landing fees and the customer avoids the hassles of the long security lines and busy runways of the alternative destinations.
And since this airline is based in Columbus, it is absolutely perfect for anyone headed out that way, with lots of inexpensive, direct flights to choose from. And that's not all. Once you get there, you can enjoy the nearby Extended Stay Hotels options. This combination is a great deal for the traveler whose itinerary includes Columbus.
While it may not have all the frills of your standard airline, it does have dirt cheap fares, making air travel more reasonable for even the most budget-conscious traveler. It may not be the ideal option for everyone, but it certainly will be a bargain for many. With airfare now available that is a fraction of the price of a tank of gas, it may be time to take to the skies.
Summer Travel
May 17, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The heavy summer travel season is almost upon us. While vacationers abound, business travel also keeps up the pace. But with this warm and sunny time of year also comes some travel woes like having to deal with larger crowds of people and soaring fuel prices.
Road warriors never fear, now is still a great time to travel. As USA Today reports, major airlines that had raised their fares due to high fuel costs have now scaled back those increases due to Southwest Airline’s failure to match the higher price. This temporary rollback of the price-hike can help make summer travel that much easier and with the Memorial Day weekend approaching, now is the perfect time to take advantage of these reasonable airfares before they inevitably go up.
Another great way to make the best of summer travel is to beat the crowds by staying tuned to the Suite Savings offers from Extended Stay Hotels. Take advantage of the week’s Hot Markets and stay at an Extended Stay Hotel for a great discounted price.
Las Vegas Trips
May 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What happens in Las Vegas does not always stay there. Some great business ideas, networking, and partnerships can begin in Las Vegas and be taken back with you to the boardroom. Catch interesting events like the Money Show for expert advice on the market, or the International Council of Shopping Centers conference, both coming up in May. There are plenty of events of all kinds in Las Vegas that can be important for your business. Las Vegas is a booming business destination with venues large and small to host any kind of conference or exposition.
The Las Vegas Convention Center is a big draw for the city and can host a variety of different types of business events. For an affordable convention center hotel, Extended Stay Hotels has a convenient location close by to this business attraction. Extended Stay Hotels offers efficiency suites and business amenities like kitchenettes, on site guest laundry, and high-speed wireless Internet in every room, the likes of which are harder to find in Las Vegas’ trademark casinos. And don’t forget that your Extended Stay Hotel is also close to many of Las Vegas’ famous shows.
Business Networking
May 8, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Social networking sites are some of the most popular destinations on the web. Capitalizing on this, many sites have sprung up to cater to the business traveler niche. These sites offer social networking features that can help improve your travels and even your business by connecting you with others in your field.
What if you could compare flight deals with other frequent flyers or use that in-flight time to make a business connection that could take your company to the next level? There are a variety of sites that aim to help you do just that. Some of these business travel oriented social networking sites like Flyertalk.com offer spaces for business travelers to swap tips and personal insights. Others like Ning.com allow users to make their own network for any topic they choose, like frequent business travel.
To help take this online networking to the next level of meeting in person, some sites offer searches tailored to the pace of your business travel. Sites like AirTroductions.com and PairUp.com can maximize the productivity of your in-flight time by actually letting you search for people in related business fields who will be on your flight, connect with those wanting to network, and even help with seat choice to be near them. You can also use it to meet people who want to talk shop when you have already touched down in your destination city
With more and more business travelers looking to compare notes with other like-minded people and make networking connections efficiently and creatively, travel oriented social networking sites like these can be a big help. Make the most of your business travels and meet or chat to people you wouldn’t normally have a chance to interact with at the conference.
Wi-Fi Gadgets
May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
While the business traveler is no stranger to the delights and benefits of Wi-Fi, there are some great new ultra portable devices that can help you stay connected, and even go beyond what may be your most common uses of Wi-Fi technology. Most of us frequent travelers use our laptops to wirlessly connect to the Internet to stay on top of work. Now there are some other interesting ways to take advantage of portable Wi-Fi gadgets in addition to your laptop.
There are numerous Wi-Fi gadgets that can make your time on the road more enjoyable and productive. Share pictures directly with loved ones at home or your colleagues at the office with the Wi-Fi enabled Sony DSC-G1 Cyber-shot digital camera. This camera eliminates the need to download pictures to your computer before sending them over the internet. Make good use of that subscription outside of your car with the SIRIUS Satellite Radio Stiletto 100, which offers the ability to listen to recorded or live radio through its Wi-Fi connection. Listen to the shows that keep you up to pace with your industry wherever you are. Also, the Microsoft Zune MP3 player can share podcasts and songs with other users in your Wi-Fi network radius. This Wi-Fi gadget allows you to instantly beam a podcast of an important presentation to co-workers around you.
You can use all these great gadgets in the comfort of your own room with the high-speed Wi-Fi connection avalable at all Extended Stay Hotels at only $5 for the duration of your stay. The world of Wi-Fi is ever expanding with future gadgets and prolific access points promising even more benefits for frequent business travelers.
Wireless Travel
May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
We live in a Wi-Fi world where connection offerings are ever increasing. This is good news for the business traveler who needs to stay connected. Finding an Extended Stay Hotels hotspot in your suite at the end of a long day can be a great comfort, allowing you access to work as well as friends and family. But sometimes when you are not in your room you may need to connect wirelessly. What better way than with an ultra portable device to keep you in communication without weighing down your luggage.
Many road warriors have already been using their laptops to connect to the internet wirelessly for years. Sometimes when a Wi-Fi network is not available while you are out and about, the best solution can be to establish one via your broadband connected laptop and a Wi-Fi gadget. When you want to keep your computer online with minimal gadgetry required, try the Apple AirPort Express. This ultra portable gadget plugs into a wall outlet to create a wireless access point to the Internet and even can send information to a printer. Also, the handy IOGEAR WLAN USB Adapter plugs into your laptop’s USB port, creating access to or locating a Wi-Fi network and allowing you to also connect with other computers in its range.
These gadgets provide easy wireless travel and can fit in your pocket. Many business travelers are dependent on this kind of portability and ease when needing to connect to the internet. Creating your own Wi-Fi network access using one of these devices and your own laptop is one good solution for your connection needs.
