As you page through travel magazines you often see ads for luxurious hotel suites, tranquil spa settings, someone sitting in a robe and comfy slippers, smiling as they sip what looks like a delicious beverage. Ahhh sleep is only minutes away. But in the real world, you just worked eight to five, sped to the airport and grabbed something to eat at the hotel (or if you are really unlucky from the local mini-mart). You finally make it to your room only to find your neighbor in the room next door blaring a Facts of Life rerun while a fellow business person across the hall is yelling into the phone, trying to vocally make up for the distance to his home. Even in the best of situations you are having trouble sleeping…

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We’ve been eyeing the Smart Car ever since rumors of its US debut. Living in the city can make you jaded when it comes to car ownership. Cars are often more of a burden than a convenience. However, Smart provides a strong solution for our car issues. The low cost ultra-ultra compact is nimble, parks just about anywhere and consumes approximately 45 miles per gallon. Could there be anything wrong with this car? Well, whenever we discuss the Smart Car the elephant in the room is safety…

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Passengers are moving closer to wide spread paperless check-in thanks to the work of Continental and a handful of other airline carriers. We look forward to downloading boarding passes to our mobile device and using that as our ticket. No more crumpled kiosk slips jammed in our pockets.

As the NY Times reports today, “First came the kiosk, a strange addition to airport terminals when Continental Airlines began offering it as a check-in option in 1995. It was followed by Web check-in, introduced by Alaska Airlines in 1999. Now, with 80 percent of passengers using these self-service options, the next step is electronic boarding passes, which essentially turn the hand-held devices and mobile phones of travelers into their boarding passes.” Click Read More for additional headlines and information in today’s travel briefing.

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