Gadling

For those fans of America's favorite pleasure-cruisers-turned-castaways, the New York Daily News is reporting that a movie treatment of the beloved show Gilligan's Island is in the works -- though there are not many details right now to report.

Who's going to play the title character? Michael Cera, he most recently of "Superbad" and "Juno" fame, has reportedly agreed to play the hapless first mate of the ill-fated S.S. Minnow.

No word yet on casting choices for the Skipper and the Professor, but the original creators of the TV series are also involved in the film and are reportedly trying to tempt Beyonce Knowles to take on the role of Ginger.

So I suppose this is one "travel movie" we can expect to see sooner rather than later.

I've already looked back at the best gadgets 2008 had to offer, and in this list I'll take a look at some of the travel technologies I expect to take off in 2009. Come back next year to either laugh in my face, or remark how amazingly clever I am.

Computer/data bundles on sale

Back in November of last year, Radio Shack started selling a bundle including an Acer Netbook computer, an integrated 3G modem and a 2 year AT&T data subscription. This combo would normally retail for about $430, but the inclusion of the 2 year subscription lowers the price to just $99.

This practice is not new, and bundles of hardware and mobile subscriptions have long been the norm in many European countries. What is new, is that these deals have finally made their way to the USA.

I predict more of these promotions in 2009, and for the deals to become much more widespread. Offering one laptop at just one store is hardly going to change the way we subscribe to mobile data services, but it is a great start.

You don't here often about those charged with DUI when taking tourists around on horse-drawn carriage rides.

But in Vienna this week that's just what happened. A carriage -- or Fiaker, in local dialect -- driver was nailed for being drunk. How? Police gave him a breath test after his horses broke away from him and took a 39-year-old tourist and her two children on a wild ride through the Austrian capital.

The driver was just opening the carriage door to let his guests out when the horses broke free.

The Associated Press is reporting that the horses then preceded to run from Vienna's Third District over a bridge above the Danube into the city's Second District. In the process, the carriage hit two cars, which broke the horses loose. The horses continued running, while the carriage hit a third car and came to a rest.

The tourist and her children were uninjured in the incident. Police say the driver did not take proper precautions securing his horses.

The world's hot spots have become hotter, according to MSNBC's Christopher Elliott. He lists Cuba, Iran and North Korea among the countries that are attracting American tourist interest and offers some smart advice for anyone interested in taking the plunge. These and other countries on the U.S. State Department's list of travel warnings dangerous destinations are fun, though, specifically because they're forbidden. Hmmm, like Kabul. And, there's nothing like saying a place is off limits to make people want to go even more. So, if you want to take your life into your own hands, at least take calculated risks.

The most critical lesson is to remember that there is "no such thing as safe." Any country that does not have diplomatic ties with the United States provides limited options if trouble arises. So, plan ahead. If you're going to see the Mass Games in North Korea, note that the Swedish Embassy is the lone outpost for westerners in Pyongyang. In general, take steps to keep yourself safe. For once, calling home to let your mom you landed safely won't seem like age-instigated paranoia.

Also, learn from those who have been already. Even if the part of the world you want to see is off-limits, there's a good chance you won't be the first American with a Canadian flag stitched to his backpack to tread the local turf. Be prepared to carry cash, as your ATM card may not get you far, and be prepared to be scared as hell while doing so. Hey, there's nothing quite like cruising the Bakara Market in Mogadishu with a few thousand dollars forming a lump inside your shoe.

When you get home, keep the pictures to yourself. Travel to Cuba, for example, is generally illegal. So, forcing someone to sit through an endless carousel of slides could sow the seeds that will get your behavior reported to the Feds. Unless you live in California, Massachusetts or New York, your swing through the remaining outposts of Communism could be interpreted as unpatriotic! So, savor the memories alone ... or at your next workers' rights meeting.



[Via MSNBC.com]

[Photo by Brian Sayler]

18 years after the United Nations imposed a ban on all commercial air traffic destined for Iraq, a Swedish charter plane has landed at Baghdad International Airport.

The charter was operated by Nordic Leisure and their 150 passengers were mostly Iraqis.

This is just the beginning of what should become a fairly popular route, as many Iraqis are in Europe waiting to return to their homeland. KLM/Air France recently signed an agreement for direct flights to Baghdad from several European locations.

Baghdad airport has seen a slowly increasing number of other flights in recent years, though most of it involved cargo flights. Regular scheduled passenger flights have greeted the airport from destinations like Jordan and Dubai since 2003.

Pre 1991, most major airlines in the world had Baghdad on their schedule, including weekly flights on British Airways from London. BA had originally planned to return to Baghdad in 2003, right after President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished", but when violence on the road to the airport reached an all time high, the plans were delayed.

(Via: Google News/AFP)

Yesterday, not long after Scott posted about the American family who are Muslim were removed from an AirTran flight at the Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C., I heard an interview on NPR with Atif Irfan, one of the family members.

Irfan explained in more detail what happened to create the misunderstanding. Because there were nine of them, the family had booked the last rows of the plane so they could all sit together. As they were walking down the aisle, he and a sister-in-law were discussing which part of the plane was the safest. His wife recalls that a "couple of girls" who heard their conversation thought they were talking about doing some sort of terrorist act. Federal marshals escorted them off the plane for questioning.

As Irfan explained, the men in the family have beards and the women have head coverings, but other than that they were wearing western style dress. He also said they had three small children with them. Usually, he is very careful about what he says as to not alarm people, but this time they weren't thinking much about their conversation.

What amazes me about this story is not that the family was questioned, but that after the FBI cleared the family and asked AirTran to allow the family to fly, AirTran refused. Who did AirTran think the FBI were? Certainly the FBI had badges and obvious credentials. If the FBI aren't listened to, that's startling? Maybe there was a snafu in communication.

Irfan, by the way, has nothing but good things to say about the FBI who did get the family on a US Airways flight. AirTran has since offered restitution in a free flight home and reimbursement for the family's US Airways flight and an apology.

After listening to Irfan, I was reminded about the importance of civility. For the family who, from what I can tell, stayed calm and collected throughout their experience, bravo. I'm wondering just how many other passengers would have behaved so well? It's also a reminder that passengers do listen to conversations. What you say could be held against you.

By the way, Atif Irfan was born and raised in Detroit and now is a lawyer who lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

All across Europe, increasingly health-conscious governments have been banning smoking in public places like hospitals, train stations, bars and restaurants. Austria, one of the few remaining countries in Western Europe to not yet institute a ban, will be tightening their anti-smoking rules beginning in 2009.

The halcyon days of carefree European smoking look to be a thing of the past, right? Apparently not. As the Wall Street Journal reports today, European businesses and citizens are fighting back against the bans, lobbying desperately to hold on to their precious fire sticks.

Instead of creating across-the-board smoking bans as originally hoped, countries like France, Italy and Germany have allowed a variety of exceptions to the new rules. Federal lawsuits in Germany have allowed many restaurants to stay cig-friendly, while in Italy the Health Ministry reports there are nearly as many smokers now as when the country-wide bans went into place in 2005. It's hard to blame them when the Italian model of sanctity himself, Pope Benedict XVI, has been known to light up on occasion.

So what's really going on here? Is it that smoking is truly an inextricable component of European identity, as iconic as that Parisian cafe and a cup of coffee? Or is this something more political, a fight for personal rights in the face of governments that want to penalize us for our indulgences? Whatever the outcome, expect European rules surrounding public smoking to be clouded in a choking haze of indecision for the foreseeable future.

My daily deal for today is the kind of product you should buy first, then decide whether you really need it.

The APC UPB10 is a small external Lithium-Ion battery pack suitable for charging most USB powered devices. This includes most Blackberry devices, iPod devices, the iPhone and almost every other smartphone on the market.

The device comes with a standard USB cable for charging off your PC or existing USB charger. To charge your device, you simply plug it into the UPB10 and let it do its work.

The 10Wh capacity of the battery is sufficient to fully charge most devices once or twice.

A device like this can be a true lifesaver, if you have ever found yourself stranded at an airport with a dead phone , or mid-flight with a dead iPod, you'll learn to appreciate the ability to breathe some life back into your gadgets. Just remember to carry your USB cable wherever you go, or to buy a spare.

The UPB10 normally retails for about $50, but Frys.com has it on sale for just $14.95. Shipping is about $6 for most destinations, and lucky readers with a local Fry's store can opt for in-store pickup to save the shipping costs.

The Times Online had all the details on what you can expect from this adventure, which will require two solid days of climbing. Most adventurers who take on Kinabalu a UNESCO World Heritage site, spend their first night at Laban Rata, a mountain lodge located 10,738 feet up the mountain. Then, after a brief sleep, they're up early to make the final push on the summit, where they hope to arrive at, or shortly after, the dawn, to catch a breathtaking view of the island below.

The article says that roughly half of those who set out for the summit actually make it, as a combination of exhaustion, altitude sickness, and bad weather tend to take their toll. Those that do complete the climb will pass through several climate zones on their way to the top, with colorful rainforests giving way to an alpine zone populated with confirs, oaks, and rhododendrons, which eventually fall away as well, leaving just the open mountain around them.

Climbing Kinabalu is compared to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa in the article, but at 19,340 feet, Kili is a much more demanding climb. However, for those looking for an alternative, that will still challenge and delight, the Malaysian mountain is great choice. And when you're done with the climb, you can head back down, and lounge on pristine beachs before heading home.

First off, Happy 2009!

As we marked the passage of time, Heather graced us with a look at the New Year from her angle in the sky. I loved looking through the gallery of her last trip of 2008, particularly her details about the passenger who made origami birds for her to pass out to kids. Sweet.

Here are five more posts that offer a mixed bag from humorous to helpful to downright deep.

• Anything free gives me a sense of well-being. Alison pointed out that on January 10, Winter Trails Day, there are several opportunities to snowshoe or cross-country ski for free.
• Planning ahead can give the feeling of having some semblance of control. To help you out with that, Scott offers 10 travel resolutions geared for getting your 2009 travel on the right track.
• Kraig offered a story about how an iPod saved a skier and a snowboarder from freezing to death in the Swiss Alps which, as he stated, is as good a commercial as any for getting one.
• If SkyMall Monday doesn't warm your heart with a belly laugh or two, I don't know what will. Reading Mike's top 10 list of SkyMall Mondays is a great way to pass some time. I still like the Flair Hair Visor the best.
• Cemeteries might not seem cheery to some, but I love them. As my husband said the other day as we were driving by a small, intriguing cemetery in northern Ohio, they are filled with stories. The stories remind us that time is fleeting so don't waste it. Jeffery's look at New York City's famous cemeteries presents a glimpse into the past and how New York preserves the resting places of those who came before us. If there's any indication that life has value, here is proof.