Travel Tech

KnowRoaming has reduced their unlimited data packages to $3.99 USD a day or $9.99 USD for the 3-day package.  Their packages can be used in over 200 countries and includes unlimited WhatsApp messaging and calls with every top-up.

Other packages include:

• USA 3-day – $5.99 USD
• Global SIM Card + 7-day Unlimited Data package – $22.99 USD
• Global SIM Sticker + 7-day Unlimited Data package – $34.99 USD

Best of all, with their SIM Sticker, you can use both your home phone number and an international number at the same time!

Use Promo Code “RAITA00” at checkout for a discount (on some sim packages).

So you’ve decided to invest in a drone, but with the popularity of the market leading DJI brand, discounts are hard to come by.  Unfortunately, direct discounts are next to impossible, but with some creativity it’s possible to save both time and some money the DJI Spark, Mavic, and Phantom!

Tip Number #1:  Don’t buy from traditional retail

Traditional retail means high markups.  Not to mention travel time, parking and sales tax.

Tip Number #2: Buy online and save the tax

Buy via Amazon for a chance to save the tax.  ‘Chance’ because it depends on which state/province you live in.  Also, ‘via Amazon’ meaning from a third party who lists on Amazon, but not direct from Amazon.  Assuming the third party isn’t in the same province as you, there shouldn’t be any tax (see below).  This in itself can save you hundreds of dollars.

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Happy New Year everyone!  It’s going to be an exciting year for travel.  To stay on top of it all, be sure to exploit the below hacks and technology trends to get the most out of your travel, money and memories.

Quadruple Dip on Cash Back/Points

Are you a points junky?  Then you’ll love this hack!  When booking a flight, it’s possible to get quadruple the cash back/points depending on your credit cards and how you book.

Step 1: Sign up for eBates
When you go through eBates for your online purchases (not just flights), you get cash back on your purchases (more here) directly from eBates.  Sites like Expedia and FlightHub are part of this site so if go through eBates to one of these booking sites, you will get cash back.  FlightHub offers $7.50 – $22.50 on almost all flight bookings.
Dip #1:  Cash back

Step 2: Book Your Flight
Booking your flight will get you the usual airlines points, whether it’s Aeroplan, Sky Team, or others, regardless of who you book through.
Dip #2:  Airline points

Step 3: Book With a Rewards Credit Card
Make sure you book with a rewards credit card like the American Express Gold Rewards card to get points on your card.
Dip #3:  Credit card points/cash back

Step 4: Site Specific Points
Sites like Expedia offer their own rewards program.  Be sure to sign-up for these reward programs (usually free anyways) to get even more points back!
Dip #4:  Website specific points or cash back

So in one purchase, you can get a trove of cash and points by getting a little creative with how you do it!

Drones

2017 is the year of the drone!  Companies like DJI are revolutionizing the type of footage you can take during your travels.  Nothing gets you retweets and Instagram likes like a beautiful aerial shot.  But be careful!  Regulations and insurance requirements are getting more strict around the world making drone affordability harder.  Companies like DroneTec Solutions are coming up with hourly on-demand insurance solutions to make drone insurance more affordable, but a lot of consideration should go into any and all drone purchases.  The drone that is likely to be most versatile around regulations is the DJI Mavic.  Weighing less than 1kg, the Mavic may be able to skirt some drone laws around the world, including Ireland.

Gimbals and Camera Stabilizers

Similar to drones, Gimbals and Stabilizers are changing the way videos are shot.  If you have ever moved around while filming, you know how hard it is to keep your camera stable.  These handheld devices allow even the most novice of users to shoot smooth, sharp cinematic videos with little effort.

International SIM Cards

All travellers know how expensive cellular roaming can be.  Thankfully, there are some new startups that are addressing this issues that are making roaming more affordable, including Toronto based KnowRoaming.  Unlimited daily data plans start at $7.99USD.  Use promo code RAITA81 to save 30% on your SIM sticker/card and get $5USD free.

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A quick update to my previous post on DJI Mavic and GoPro Karma.  The Karma has been recalled!  More details here.  So that really makes the DJI Mavic the industry leader for those looking for a powerful yet compact drone.

Get 30% off instantly here. Promo code: RAITA00

I recently teamed up with KnowRoaming to review its international unlimited roaming sim card/data plan throughout Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic and France). KnowRoaming has various plans, including its unlimited $7.99USD/day data plan. For context, the big cellular providers can cost $5+/MB when you’re overseas.

As anticipated, it worked well. At first, it was nice to be able to check email, tweet, and post like I was at home without the worry of overages or additional costs. But as I started to travel and move about Europe, it dawned on me that it was more than that. It’s not just about being able to check your email all the time, but more about piece-of-mind, safety, and being as efficient as possible while you travel.

That said, I decided to compile a list of not-so-obvious reason why a KnowRoaming international roaming sim is important for all travellers.

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Looking for ways to change the size of the Facebook Video Preview?  I recently discovered Enlargeify and use it regularly now for Facebook videos.  It’s a cool new free tool that allows users to take an existing YouTube link and convert it into a Facebook friendly format (i.e. larger Facebook video preview image) without the need to upload directly to Facebook.  So not only does it give you a larger video preview (which can lead to more views), but it also saves you from having to upload twice to YouTube and Facebook.