Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Friday March 12th 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal comes from Woot.com where you'll find the "wicked little buds" noise isolating headphones for just $2.99. Shipping is $5, but that still keeps these buds under $8. Click here for this deal.

Next up is the Dell Wasabi portable Bluetooth enabled printer. This tiny battery powered printer spits out little sticker from your photos. Not entirely useful, but still a fun way to show off your pics. On sale for a mere $29. Click here for this deal.

Today's third deal is for the Sony Webbie HD camcorder. This camera records HD video and 5MP photos on Memory Stick media. On sale for $88.14 (be sure to pick the silver version). Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup, is the Magellan RoadMate 1400 GPS unit. This model is refurbished, but that means it is also priced right - just $79.99 for a widescreen GPS unit with turn by turn directions. Click here for this deal.

It's an FAA violation to interfere with the duties of a crew member. So please, for the love of Gaga, when a flight attendant asks you to get undressed, get undressed! And don't argue about it.

Recently on an eight hour flight from London to New York, Lady Gaga's legs began to swell due to the restrictive clothing she wore on board. According to The Sun, when she began developing early signs of deep vein thrombosis, the cabin crew asked Lady Gaga to change out of her clothes - black and yellow tape - as well as a pair of blue platform shoes. Apparently LG was miffed about ditching the heels designed by an old pal, the late Alexander McQueen, which she wore in honor of him.

Am I surprised by any of this? Not at all. Crazy Gaga has been quoted saying she would rather die than have her fans not see her in a pair of high heels. Well the woman almost got her wish. Obviously Miss G does not realize just how serious DVT is, especially when wearing uncomfortable duct tape with snug platform shoes on a long haul flight!

I'll admit it, I'm a pretty big fan of the recording artist, so I'm quite familiar with her theatrical taste in fashion. And the thought of Lady G actually donning a pair of synthetic, airline, knee-socks is just not right. But research has shown that wearing flight socks can reduce the risk of developing DVT by 90%. Don't gag, Gaga. If anyone can make an ugly pair of compression socks look sexy at 30,000 feet it's you!

The Marriott International hotel group will open its first luxury hotel in Jordan in 2013.

The 264-room JW Marriott Hotel Aqaba will sit on the northern beach of the Gulf of Aqaba and provide easy access to top tourist spots including Petra and Wadi Rum. Marriott is boosting the "stylish, contemporary JW Marriott Hotel Aqaba will complement its exterior environs with public areas that offer space, light and excitement. It will feature a wide range of food & beverage offerings, including an informal, vibrant lobby lounge; a pool bar with a covered terrace; an all-day casual restaurant; a specialty steak outlet; a restaurant connected to the marina and a Champions sports bar."

Other amenities include on-site WiFi and Internet access, an executive lounge, a book shop, spa (featuring a Turkish bath), retail outlets and a business center.

In case you haven't heard, it's National Sleep Awareness Week. Yeah, I hadn't heard of it, either. But since we're being made aware of slumber, you should know about Western Mountaineering's Caribou MF microfiber sleeping bag.

Because I backpack when traveling for work, it was time to upgrade to something lighter and more compressible than my old-school down bag. I had several key criterion in my search for a new one: price (as in, as low as possible without sacrificing quality), size (I'm practically a midget, and why pay more for a bag that's designed for someone tall?), weight (I have a bad back, so shaving off even a few ounces is helpful), and three-season capability.

Gallery: Caribou MF gear review

Police officers handed out fliers at the Extended Stay of America in Huntington Beach, California, to let visitors know about five registered sex offenders living at the hotel. According to the Orange County Register News, the flier lists the offenders names, photos and ages.

"Because of the high number of these paroled sex offenders residing in such close proximity, the ... information is being furnished to inform and protect the community," the flier, which was obtained by the newspaper, says. "The purpose of the release of this information is to allow the public to protect themselves and their children from sex offenders."

According to reports, the five men have been accused of everything from lewd or lascivious acts with minors, to sexual battery and rape. The information was released under California's Megan's Law, which provides the public with certain information on the whereabouts of sex offenders in local communities. More information is available on the Megan's Law website.

The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martin Pérez, has announced that popular tourist destination Machu Picchu will reopen to visitors starting April 1st, marking a return to normalcy for the 15th century Inca fortress that is the focal point Peru's travel industry.

The UNESCO World Heritage site has been closed for nearly two months following torrential rainfall that caused severe flooding back in January. Those floods caused the famous railway to Machu Picchu to washout, stranding thousands of tourist at the site for several days. Since that time, crews have been working hard to restore access, removing major landslides from the tracks, and rebuilding sections that were completely destroyed.

With more than 800,000 visitors per year, Machu Picchu is easily Peru's top tourist destination. It is estimated that nearly $400 million has been lost due to the closure of the site, and with more than 15,000 Peruvians earning their living, either directly or indirectly, from Machu Picchu, the impact on Peru's economy has been nothing short of catastrophic. The news of the re-opening offers a ray of hope to those workers.

The over-emphasis of Machu Picchu by the tourism industry in Peru has become a cause for concern amongst officials there. Over the past two months, new plans have been put fourth to promote some of the other archeological sites in the area, including Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay, amongst others. Tourism experts hope that by encouraging travelers to visit these other locations, it will take some of the focus off of Machu Picchu, and diversity the industry to an extent.

Whether or not travelers can be convinced to visit these other sites remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, both the visitors and the locals alike will be happy to see Machu Picchu open once again.

Lonely Planet has just asked me to edit their annual literary travel anthology for this year. I edited the first three -- The Kindness of Strangers, By the Seat of My Pants, and Tales from Nowhere -- and each time it was a tremendous challenge and pleasure. One of the things I've loved best has been publishing a mix of authors spanning the spectrum from best-selling to never-been-published-before. I think this has added to the richness of each book.

The title this year is A Moveable Feast: Life-Changing Food Encounters Around the World. The fundamental premise is that the food factor unites every traveler and every journey. Wherever we are, we all need to eat. And because we need to eat, food becomes one of the traveler's fundamental fascinations – and pathways into a place. On the road, food nourishes us not only physically, but intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

I believe every traveler has some unforgettable food story – a larger-than-life feast, a mind-bending immersion in a rural market, the homemade, heart-opening treat shared by a stranger on a claptrap train, an adventure on the trail of an edible exotic. In all these tales, food is an agent of transformation, taking travelers to a deeper and more lasting understanding of and connection with a people, a place and a culture. And if they're really lucky, it tastes good too!

Roller coasters and other such thrill rides are fun, but imagine reaching speed of up to 100 miles per hour on a metal cable, with nothing more then a harness, a helmet... and the air below you.

Around the world, zip lines have become an adrenaline seeker's favorite, literally allowing you to hurtle through awe-inspiring landscapes at jaw-dropping speeds. In some cases, the mere presence of a zip line can be a decision-maker between two competing travel destinations. Not sure about all this? Strap in and enjoy the ride on these videos, which feature some of best zip lines in the world.

At a height of 918 feet, speeds of up to 100 mph, and spanning just over a mile, Sun City, South Africa boasts the steepest, fastest, tallest zip line on the globe. On this particular line, the rider zips down the cable while flat, rocket-like. This particular zip line gives the rider the experience of being able to fly like a bird... well, like a very, very, very fast bird.

Yes, I know. Every time I write something for the smokers out there, the comments always fill up with an argument over smoking itself. For now, I'm just going to assume that there are some people out there who happen to smoke and travel. I have this sneaking suspicion that I'm not the only one. So, for those of you who enjoy a puff on the road, here are five places where you can smoke in Manhattan. At least one of them will surprise you.

1. Tobacco shops
Rather than single out one, I'd like to call your attention to several cigar shops in the city. Rules vary: some allow cigars only, while others also welcome pipe and cigarette smoker. Regardless of what you choose, do have the courtesy to buy something in the establishment before lighting up. In Midtown, you'll find De La Concha on Sixth Ave at W. 56th Street and Davidoff stores at Columbus Circle and on Madison Ave (at E. 54th Street). There's a Nat Sherman on 42nd and Fifth and a Barclay Rex across the street from Grand Central Station. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The wildlife photography of Max Waugh, a.k.a. Fiznatty on Flickr has been featured on Gadling probably more than any other user. And I just couldn't pass up this one.

Max describes a Costa Rican beach:

The mouth of the Sirena River in Corcovado National Park has a nasty reputation. It empties into the Pacific Ocean and brings together some intimidating predators which scour the river and surf for easy prey. Big crocodiles come from the fresh water side while bull sharks swoop in from the ocean. Occasionally the crocs even head out into the saltwater. Recently 5 large crocs were spotted more than 3 miles from shore.

This fellow was much closer, but I did see him run headlong into a small bull shark. They both turned tail and swam in opposite directions.

I made a mental not that I wouldn't be swimming on that beach anytime soon. Apparently Max's picture came too late for one of his commenters, surfwax who wrote:

Oh my...I surfed this spot *before* finding out what you know so well. This photo is awesome, but also makes me think I was rather lucky.

Are you a Flickr user who'd like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling's Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!