Air New Zealand Has Nothing To Hide

Last month Air New Zealand released a TV ad with a catchy tune where you can see different employees from flight attendants to cargo crew all stripped down and body painted to let you know that their fares have nothing to hide (no unexpected surprises or additional fees). This month they also decide to redo their safety video with crew (and some actors) all body painted. Maybe this will make passengers listen to the video ? You can watch both clips at the bottom of this post:

Safety Video:

TV Ad:

How to Reach Gold Status After Two Flights!

I reached Platinum status with Continental in the last 6 years easily with the amount of flights that I used to do. Some years I even reached Platinum before June, however this year with the economical situation and the fact that business is simply down I figured this is the year that I won’t make it to Platinum. Earlier this year Continental announced a “Double EQM” promotions which simply said that you will earn double EQM on any CO flight that is flown before June 15th. I wasn’t sure if it will make much difference but decided to register anyway (it’s free so why not?).

So like I originally thought I didn’t have a chance to fly too much this year (yet) for business. I had a couple of flights to NY and two flights to Israel. To my surprise this was enough to make it to Gold already which means I still have a great chance to complete 25,000 EQM more before the end of the year

So how did I cross the magical number of 50,000 EQM using this promotion?

Flight	EQM
RDU-LGA (Delta)	250 (50% with partners)
JFK-RDU (Delta)	250 (50% with partners)
RDU-TLV	12,384 (double EQM)
TLV-RDU	12,384 (double EQM)
RDU-EWR	1,000 (double EQM)
EWR-RDU	1,000 (double EQM)
RDU-TLV	18,576 (150% EQM * 2)
TLV-RDU	6,192 “only” since I returned after 6/15
Total	52,036

Who Needs a Bluetooth Headset Anyway?

I had my share of Bluetooth headsets. I think my first one was a Sony Ericsson that I got to pair with my Sony Ericsson t68i 8-9 years ago (the first cell phone with a color display ). The last one I bought was the Jawbone II which is nice but they all suffer from the same problems:

1. You need to take them with you in addition to the phone.
2. You need to charge them as well (at least ones a day).
3. Voice quality is never good (no matter how much it improved over the years).

I ended up going back to the regular headphone that comes to the BlackBerry when I’m on a conference call (instead of holding the BlackBerry for an hour…) and pretty much gave up on using a headset while driving (it’s still legal in NC).

I know that cars came with Bluetooth connection for a few years now, but I never thought it’s worth investing in it. The Acura TSX I got comes (by default) with the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink which allows you to make and receive calls keeping your hands on the wheel (or even using voice commands).

Before I left the dealer’s lot, the sales manager paired my BlackBerry as part of the “training session” he gave me and I never really thought about it again. The nice thing about this is that as soon as I get into the car, the BlackBerry connects with the system automatically – You don’t need to take a headset out of your pocket, turn it on, wear it etc. The first time I received a call was a little strange. All of a sudden, the XM radio (comes free for first 90 days) muted and for a second I didn’t understand what’s wrong – and then I heard the ring . You can see right in the display of the car who’s calling you and then either accept or ignore the call without taking the BlackBerry out of the holster. I must say that the voice quality is great. Both sides hear perfectly and it doesn’t sound like you are on a Bluetooth headset at all. Now all that is left for Acura to do is embed the email functionality in the messages system they have. Just like the car reads to me the messages received from the Acura satellite with tips and service reminders it would be great if it would read to me the incoming emails .

Jimmy Fallon Tests Project Natal

Last week I blogged about the amazing Project Natal from Microsoft. Jimmy Fallon had a chance to test this great interface last night on his Late Night show. If you haven’t seen this, you can check the clip. Pretty cool stuff

Goodbye Z, Hello TSX-Tech

After almost 6 years of driving and enjoying my Nissan 350Z, I decided that it’s time to replace it and move on to a more “adult” car. I’ve been doing some research and tested different cars. I even considered getting a small SUV, but then decided that you live only once and you might as well enjoy it while you can.

I liked the Acura cars from the beginning. What I like about Japanese luxury cars is that their “standard” trim comes loaded with more toys than any other car including their European competitors (a.ka. “Ze Germans”). Unlike other car companies that have more options than cars on the lot, the only “option” you have here is the “Technology Package”. Simple, clear – You get what you want for the price you see instead of starting with one price and ending with $10,000 more out the door by time you get everything a luxury car should have.

I tested both the TSX and the TL. The technology in both is pretty similar (the TL has a few little things to its advantage). The TL has 2 inches more of leg space in the backseats and a little bigger trunk – the driver space is exactly the same. The TL has also a bigger engine (3.5L V6 vs. 2.4 4 Cyl) which means more fuel consumption and it drives more like a sedan while the TSX reminded me more of the 350Z. After some thinking and consideration I decided to go with the 2009 Acura TSX and also add the technology package (with the current economical situation you can get a great deal).

The Acura is a technology heaven for gadget freaks. The “standard” model comes with more technology than even the Lexus. When you add the Technology package, you make sure you’ll enjoy the ride even more and have enough toys to play with .

These are the main things you get with the Tech package:

• Acura Navigation System with voice recognition and Zagat Survey ratings and reviews.
• Rearview camera
• Acura/ELS Surround 415-watt 10 speaker audio (instead of 6 in the standard) system with 6-disc in-dash CD, DVD-Audio, MP3, WMA and DTS changer, Dolby Prologic II.
• AcuraLink satellite communication system with real-time traffic and weather.
• GPS linked, solar sensing, dual zone automatic climate control system.

I must say that the buying experience in Acura is great. The sales consultant spent probably an hour with us in the car going over all the features and how to use them. This included pairing my BlackBerry with the Bluetooth hands free system. It was a “quick” training to get me started. I’ll keep on posting on my experience with the TSX and its different toys.

Milo: a Project Natal Game

Yesterday I posted about Microsoft’s Project Natal and it included a demo showing its different capabilities. Now you can also check Milo which is an amazing game being developed by Peter Molyneaux and show other great capabilities of the upcoming Project Natal. I’m not sure if this is cool or creepy you can check for yourself:

The Perfect Cappuccino

I love coffee I own a Nespresso for more than 5 years now. Very simple machine but you can make great espresso using their capsules. This machine, just like most of the espresso machines, allows you to froth milk to make cappuccinos, lattes etc. The problems is that it’s a pain to do so. If you have to hold the milk container, check temperature and make sure you get good results.

Last month I got the Nespresso Aeroccino. This little device froths milk perfectly every time in 50 seconds and all you need to do is just press the button!

This is not a cheap gadget (retails for $99), but if you like your coffee and have one (at least) every day – it is well worth it! You can get this online or at any Williams-Sonoma. Check their web site to see a flash video of how this works and how you can make different types of coffee.

Microsoft Unveils Project “Natal”

Microsoft unveiled yesterday at E3 its upcoming motion sensing system codenamed project “Natal”. This amazing system takes the innovation introduced by the Nintendo Wii to a whole new level. The system will work with every Xbox 360 and will be available on all new systems. It has a full body motion control by tracking 3D movements and it also recognizes voices. Maybe it’s time to finally upgrade my old Xbox that I didn’t use for the last 3 years…

Check out the official video showing the different capabilities: