Author: Jim Ogden

Jim is an information technology strategy consultant who has traveled extensively for client projects. Despite having logged many miles for business, it is the personal travel he most values. When traveling for pleasure, Jim prefers to seek out the authentic soul of the places he visits. His favorite travel memories are not of the tourist-friendly areas but rather the places off the beaten-path. As an expat and foodie, Jim brings a perspective of writing based on maximizing the experience of traveling.
Fyre Festival Debacle and Five Travel Planning Takeaways
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Fyre Festival Debacle and Five Travel Planning Takeaways

As my flight cruises high above the California desert, passing near Coachella, I can’t stop thinking (and laughing) about the giant music-festival-turned-dumpster-fire known as the Fyre Festival. The #fyrefraud was targeted at high net worth Millenials. It was supposed to be a two-weekend “luxury music festival”. Event organizers claimed the location, a private island in…

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Will Apple Kill the Uber App (and Uber)?

Apple could effectively kill Uber by simply removing the Uber app from Apple’s App Store. This is exactly what Apple threatened to do after it learned the Uber app had been designed specifically to circumvent Apple’s privacy rules. Uber was able to track iPhone users even after they had deleted the app from the iPhone or iPad devices….

420 Friendly Travels

420 Friendly Travels

Yesterday was April 20th. Otherwise known, informally anyways, as National Weed Day. And it coincides with World Cannabis Week, a festival and trade show in Denver. While it’s illegal to smoke pot in most states in the US, there are a few global destinations which are becoming known for their support of “weed tourism.” First, There are Some Things…

Avoid Getting Zika While Traveling This Summer

Avoid Getting Zika While Traveling This Summer

Having spent a great deal of time living and working in the Caribbean, where it’s always mosquito season, I’ve had more than my share of bites. While generally just a nuisance, mosquitoes are actually the most deadly creature on earth. Mosquito-borne diseases affect more than 700 million people annually. And chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and malaria…

Cadillac’s Robocar is Coming Soon and It’s Watching You

Cadillac’s Robocar is Coming Soon and It’s Watching You

Cadillac just announced they will be introducing new technology in the pursuit of practical autonomous driving. Robocars are well on their way to ubiquity but they are coming to us in bits and pieces. Car makers have already introduced a number of these components such as automatic stopping, lane swerving warnings, and systems to maintain a safe…

Caribbean Golf Destination Travel
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Caribbean Golf Destination Travel

People ask me if I play golf. I always answer that I love to hit a small white ball around a golf course but that calling what I do ‘playing’ is extremely generous. But golf is all about being out in nature and there are many beautiful places in this world. The Caribbean is simply made for…

Onboard Calls Won’t Fly
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Onboard Calls Won’t Fly

In 2013, the FCC announced it was considering a proposal to allow fliers to make onboard calls while airborne on domestic flights. They requested input from airline pilots, flight attendants, carriers, and passengers. Not surprisingly, the opinions were overwhelmingly against the measure. Yesterday, the FCC chairman announced a halt to the proposal which would have allowed cell…

The A380 Isn’t Big Enough…Yet
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The A380 Isn’t Big Enough…Yet

As if the A380 seating layout wasn’t enough for some carriers, Airbus announced they were reconfiguring the plane’s layout to accommodate up to 80 additional seats. The modifications are in response to sales of the superjumbo aircraft which have been far slower than expected. “We are adapting the aircraft to meet evolving market needs,” said…

What Electronics Ban?
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What Electronics Ban?

Emirates is well known for providing outstanding customer service. Now they are showing the lengths they are willing to go to mitigate the negative effects of the TSA’s electronics ban. Starting today, travelers in First and Business class can utilize a carrier-provided tablet during their flight. Passengers can download documents onto a memory stick to work on…