International Aficionados will appreciate Travel Tips by Season’s Away Kevin Abel, Virtuoso Member, of Luxury Villas Typical overseas bank or ATM machine

Kevin Abel, Seasons Way Virtuoso Member, has economical saving tips worth recognizing when traveling:

Use ATM machines wherever possible to get cash.  Remember that the bank machine will be dispensing cash in the local currency, not US dollars if you are overseas. While there are some transaction fees involved, invariably you will get the best currency conversion rate.

Currently there is either a 3% transaction fee or a $5-10 US charge, whichever is less, charged by most banks for overseas ATM cash withdrawals. For this reason, take out a reasonable amount of cash on each withdrawal to “dilute” the impact of the fees. Some banks may waive these fees if asked and if you do a substantial amount of business with the bank.

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HAUTECH | More HauteOC Travelers on the Cloud! Latest iPhone 4 Review from TechRoom’s CEO James Coleman

With the new iPhone 4, take even more with you, and carry far less (and three killer apps for the ultimate Hautech Traveler iPhone 4 experience) With all the storm of news over a Verizon-powered iPhone 4, everyone’s asking:  ”What does it mean to me?”

For the Hautech Travelers, it’s an exciting turning point. The first iPhone release woke up a boring, complacent mobile phone industry. Even with a five-year exclusivity between Apple and AT&T, the mobile phone industry players began moving fast to catch up, launching dozens of new and reinvented devices, including the Droid and new Blackberries. Now, with the iPhone 4′s imminent release on Verizon, the smartphone industry appears braced for an outright war with new competition … Continue Reading

HAUTECH TRAILBLAZER | “iPhone 4: the Ultimate Haute Travel Tech?” by James Coleman, CEO of TechRoom

With the wait almost over and as people line up for Apple’s new iPhone 4, HAUTEOC gives Travelers yet 5 more reasons to get excited (and none of them include making a phone call):

1. Stay in Touch: If a picture is really worth a thousand words, iPhone 4 may just be the ultimate mobile communication tool. With iPhone’s new FaceTime, you can keep in touch with video chat with family and colleagues from any WiFi hotspot in the world- with no cell phone reception required.

2. Step On It: Ever imagine giving directions to a Japanese cab driver? In Japan. I did just that – with my iPhone. With WiFi or on roam, Maps and Compass features can get you to your destination fast.

3. Oui, Je Parle Français: With voice recognition, iPhone can translate languages- Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese to name just a few, in just seconds and on the fly. … Continue Reading

HAUTECH TRAILBLAZER | The Wearable HD HERO is One Helluva Camera . . Give Your Audience a Rush Go Pro’s Top 5 for Techs

Finally, a climactic and cinematic way to show your friends and family what a heroic adventurer you are: the Go Pro’s HD HERO wearable digital camera, which can shoot photos or, if you really want to give your audience an action movie blockbuster experience. Thanks to the cameras’ small, ultra-light construction, HD picture quality, ability to survive virtually any weather condition, and various mounting options, your critics will be awed to silence. They’ll see exactly what it was like when you skied that ultimate black diamond slope, parasailed the Caribbean or even pulled into that massive Hawaiian tube.
Every Go Pro package contains the company’s award-winning HD video and still photo camera, which is able to record cinematic and broadcast quality video in 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions as well as shoot five-megapixel stills. A polycarbonate housing protects the camera from rocks, shocks and waterproofs it up to 60 meters, and replacement housings and lens kits are available … Continue Reading