Elyse Pasquale
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5 Secret Tech-Savvy Tips For Traveling Abroad
As a perpetual wanderer who spends roughly half the year outside the United States, I've learned a few savvy tricks for bettering my own travel experience. From making free phone calls to accessing the entire "Doctor Who" series, here are five tech tips for the modern traveler abroad.
1. You can watch Netflix out of the country.
You can also watch HBO Go and Hulu, listen to Pandora Radio or access Facebook in China. All you need is a VPN. This stands for "Virtual Private Network," and what it does is run your Internet traffic through a network with a different IP address, making your computer look like it's back in the states, while you're typing away in a hostel in Beijing.
StrongVPN and Hide My Ass! are two reliable and cheap VPN services, starting as low as $6.55 per month.
Once you sign up, you'll have access to a number of servers around the world. The set-up instructions are also easy to follow, and both companies have excellent 24-hour customer service. A VPN will work on your iPhone, iPad and computer.
2. You can make free calls to the United States.
Inside The S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup In Venice, Italy
VENICE, Italy – Ink-black clouds gather over the iconic Floating City, poised to roll across the lagoon. From our aquatic position, somewhere between the Lido and Giudecca islands, we can see the approaching wall of water.
"Everyone, below decks. Get below decks...Now!"
I'm aboard the Timoteo, a traditional Venetian burchio, a medieval wooden barge owned by fashion executive Vittorio Missoni. With me is a jury comprised of ten of the world's leading chefs. We're in the middle of the S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup, a combination sailing and culinary competition, and we've just been hit by a storm.
On Saturday, June 24, 2012, the 12th edition of the S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup took place along an exhilarating 12-mile course from the Lido of Venice to S. Giorgio Island.
As accomplished sailing teams raced their boats toward the finish line, ten young rising culinary stars battled below decks – against time and gravity with limited ingredients – to create a winning dish. Imagine "The Amazing Race" meets "Iron Chef" in a unique gourmet regatta set against the stunning backdrop of Venice, Italy.
The Cooking Cup
Here's how the scoring works: the S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup Trophy is presented to the boat with the best combined sailing time and culinary performance. The dishes are judged on four criteria: presentation, difficulty of execution, taste and proper pairing with wine and water.
