Unlocking phones can be a pretty tricky affair, but with SIMable, the entire complicated business is simplified. This extremely thin chip, when attached to any SIM card, will fool the majority of cell phones into thinking that they have been unlocked within a matter of seconds. According to their site, you use their “cutting press” to cut a hole in your SIM, align the SIMable chip to your SIM card, and voila (so they say anyway).

I think this is a pretty sweet way to unlock your mobile phone. Best of all, you don’t have to jack with your handset to unlock. You simply cut the small hole into your SIM card and insert it into your phone with the SIM card. That’s not only easy it’s a better way to unlock your mobile phone without invalidating your phone’s warranty.You also can’t argue with the price of SIMable. The price for the manufactured cutting press and small chip is cheaper than more complicated software solutions which unlock your mobile phone. Best of all, it’s reusable, unlike most phone specific software solutions.

Tired of being mistaken for a terrorist?

CNN.com reports that the Department of Homeland Security unveiled measures Monday aimed at easing the aggravation associated with air travel, including new screening machines, clearer standards for identification, and a new effort to keep travelers from falsely being identified as potential terrorists.

Airports will be using new “millimeter wave” scanners are part of a system the department calls Checkpoint Evolution.

The scanners clearly reveal all the contours of a person’s body through clothing. Faces are obscured, and the images are not kept on file, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The staff monitoring the scanners sit in a separate room.

The department also announced standard criteria for accepting passenger identification: “Beginning May 26, 2008, federal or state-issued photo ID will be accepted if it contains: name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature.”

And the department unveiled a step aimed at easing frustration for passengers who, because their names are similar to those on the terror watch list, run into constant frustration and delays when they travel by air.

Well it’s about time they did something right? Let’s just see if it really makes air travel any easier…

To read the whole article visit New technology, rules aim to ease air travel aggravation.

Yeah I know, Earth day was last week but Fodors.com did the world a favor by posting tips on how you can keep your travels green and the Earth clean!

• Beware of Green Washing. Always book with hotels or tour companies who are legitimately touting either eco or sustainable tourism. If you’re not sure if they’re reputable, inquire with a watchdog agency such as Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) or Green Globe (www.greenglobe.org), or with a conservation organization such as World Wildlife Fund (www.worldwildlife.org). All of them have been actively promoting clarity in standards for green tourism.
• Ask about the company’s green philosophies. Do they recycle? Are they energy efficient? How do they address water conservation and waste management? Have local materials been used in building your lodge? Does the menu in the dining room where you take meals use local ingredients? Also find out whether the company provides economic opportunities for local communities. Many have established foundations that make donations to local peoples or wildlife, to which you can contribute.
• Look into offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. If you have a choice, take trains over flying. If you must fly, try to take a non-stop flight. You can calculate your CO2 footprint using several online tools. Atmosfair (http://atmosfair.de), Better World Club (www.betterworldclub.com), NativeEnergy (www.nativeenergy.com) all have CO2 calculators that will calculate your emissions for individual flights and ideas on how to offset them.
• Be Sensitive to Cultures and Customs. Be clear on the tipping protocol before you travel. Don’t take photos without asking first. Don’t wear revealing clothing, especially in Muslim countries. When visiting religious sites, behave appropriately.
• Never litter. Though you may see locals disposing of their garbage willy nilly, you should NOT follow suit.
• Think small. Stay in a B&B or locally owned accommodation that benefits the local community.
• Purchase local products whenever possible. However, purchasing tourist souvenirs made from animals (i.e. shells, horns, pelts, coral, etc.) is risky and aids in animal and environmental distinction and destruction. If you do purchase something, make sure you’ve checked that it’s legal and that you’ll be able to carry it through customs and back to your home country.
• Conserve resources. Use water sparingly and turn off lights when not in use.
• Do not feed wild animals. You may think you’re doing them a favor, but your interference will only do them harm.
• If you are camping, don’t leave anything behind but your footprint. This means using only biodegradable products like soap, toothpaste, etc. in streams, lakes, etc and carrying out what you carried in.

Visit YackieMobile.com for more travel tips.

International travelers will be surprised to know that Europe has recently approved the use of cell phones on Airplanes.

According to USA Today:

Midair service may be available as soon as this year on some airlines for passengers using European GSM technology. The United States and many other countries bar mobile devices in the air because of concern they could disrupt a plane’s instruments.

Under the plan approved Monday, cellphone users could make and receive calls through an onboard base station. They will be allowed to turn their phones on after the plane reaches 10,000 feet, when other electronic devices such as portable music players and laptops are permitted.

But a host of issues remain, from the cost of mid-flight phone service, to backlash from those who dread the thought of being trapped for hours listening to one-sided conversations.

Hmm… well for me the pros are that I’ll be able to use my Yackie Mobile SIM card while in flight but the cons are I think I will be dreading those 6 hour flights sitting next to the lady who doesn’t know cell phone etiquette. Can you imagine how disturbing it will be to have to listen to another person’s conversation while trying to get much needed sleep?

For more news on this topic check out the BBC News article: Europe clears mobiles on aircraft.

I was on Facebook today inviting people to come check out the blog and to add me. And I stumbled upon an interesting link. One of my friends sent me an invite to a group called Responsible Travel. Here’s a link to the site: http://travel2help.org/jml/About-travelling-responsibly

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, economic activity as it relates to tourism will top $7 trillion USD in 2007. That is a huge amount, many times the gross domestic product of almost the entire developing world… combined! Undoubtedly, a large percentage of this was spent on exclusive resorts, upmarket group travel and luxury, many times taking place in the aforementioned developing world. Cut off from the real local societies and dreadful living conditions, separated by high walls and security guards many tourists only meet locals when their food is served and rooms cleaned.

Travel abroad should help people to better understand their place in the world, not just as individuals affected by it but as catalysts for change. Travel should help people understand how political, economic, cultural, and social forces combine to shape the relationships among the members of a community. Travellers should be aware of the negative or positive impacts on those relationships that their presence will have during their journeys around the world.

Local communities should be involved in the process of welcoming visitors in a fair way. Travel should be undertaken in such a way that encourages cultural exchange and allows the local economy to reap the benefits of foreign visitors spending money locally.

Travel is about collecting authentic experiences you would not otherwise find if you stayed at home. The best possible way to collect such experiences is to immerse yourself in a foreign culture. You will grow as an individual and will understand the importance of living in a world that is made more colourful and vibrant by the many diverse different cultures within it.

Giving something back is not incompatible with travel. You should leave your destination better than when you found it, from the environment and the economy to the people and families that hosted you. Finally, do not forget that you created some extra CO2 in getting there and back, so try to do your best in offsetting your carbon footprint. For more on how you can do that, visit http://www.climatecare.org/calculators/flight/

As Euripides once said, travel is for some an “education in itself”. So try to think of travel as an investment into your future and the future of the communities you visit, a future of mutual understanding and respect. Take the road less travelled and discover the world more responsibly.

Check out my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Lauderdale-FL/Yackie-Mobile/1111469673
Add me as a friend “Yackie Travel” and join my face book group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=984411298
It’s called Travel with Yackie Mobile and save money while making calls abroad!