7 Questions For Diddit
The online service Diddt, which lets you find places you didn’t know you wanted to visit, answers 7 questions about it’s vision, competition, and tools for travelers.
In a ‘tweet’ of 140 characters or less, why would a traveler want to sign up for Diddit?
Diddit is the only place you can check off and share all your travel experiences and discover new and interesting things to do beyond travel.
How many users do you have right now?
We have around 20k registered users and over 100k new visitors each month. We just launched publicly in February of 2009 and are still growing rapidly.
What was the inspiration behind the site?
The vision of the site is to become the Amazon.com for your life. We hope that Diddit becomes the place you go to both share your perspectives about meaningful experiences in your life and discover new and interesting things to do. By continuing to check stuff off on Diddit and leave your ratings and stories, we are able to start making recommendations about new things to do for you across all the interests of your life including travel.
Facebook and Twitter are the predominant social networking sites out there, how does Diddit compare?
Diddit complements your Facebook and Twitter accounts by allowing you to share and connect via those established networks. You can create an account on diddit with your Facebook or Twitter credentials and then share your diddits and wannados with your friends and followers on both services.
In your opinion what are the strengths of Diddit for travelers?
Travel experiences are often some of the most memorable ones in our lives. Diddit is a great place for people who like to travel to check off all the places they have been, leave stories and ratings, and suggest new things to do for other travelers. Because for most of us travel is just one aspect of who we are and where we have interests, Diddit also has over 20 more channels of interests such as Art, Entertainment, Sports, Family and Kids just to name a few. You can build a profile of diddits and wannados across all of the channels of interest that you can then share on any other social site of blog and is the foundation for great recommendations.
What about weaknesses?
If you are looking for ways to book hotels or find the best fares, there are many other sites much better equipped to help you with that. If travel is just one of your passions though, we hope you will check out Diddit.
Any new features in the works?
Many more than we have time or space for here. 
We recently released the Twitter Connect capability and are updating the way we display and recommend things to do around a given location that will help the browse and discovery process on the site. We are technically in public alpha, so we actively poll the community and take all feedback in to build a better service for our community and visitors.
Please stop by and check us out when you get a chance. Thanks!
Diddit.com is free and links to your existing Facebook account and worth a few clicks. Watch Diddit in action and check it out and let me know what you think.
Find Places You Didn’t Know You Wanted To Visit With Diddit
Check off places you’ve visited, restaurants you’ve eaten at, and a host of other activities on Diddit. The online service then recommends things for you to see and do on your travels and connect with others users who have similar interests. Diddit helps you find potentially new things to add to your travel itinerary and connect with other like-minded travelers.
I recently got to try out Diddit and think it’s got some great benefits for travelers.
No New Account Required
One thing that makes Diddit stand out against similar online services (see my TripSay preview) is that it integrates with your existing Facebook account so you don’t need to sign up to yet another Internet website. You can post the items you’ve checked off as done (”diddits”) and (”wanna dos” ) directly to your Facebook or Twitter page.
Get Specific In Each City
Diddit doesn’t create map of travel recommendations but will provide you with specific places to eat, sights to see, and other categories like arts and culture. (If you’re looking to create a customized travel map try TravBuddy). You can also create and add other experiences not that haven’t been added yet. Diddit is in alpha and it’s lacking a large number of options, especially in cities outside of the US but the list will grow if its userbase does.
Travelers can also rate their “diddits” and leave reviews or other tips for other people to browse through. Diddit is an open site and you can freely browse around without having to create an account.
Connect With Other Travelers
As you accumulate things you’ve done Diddit will begin to show you a pool of other uses who have done or want to do some of the things you’ve checked. You can ask others for their personal advice, give some of your own, and add them to your friend list. This feature could be a good way for you fellow travel bloggers to connect with more people and build a successful travel blog.
A Few Other Features
- Guilty pleasures – Add some of your party adventures, including drinking and smoking, to your Diddit list.
- Widgets for your blog or website – Let your users click relevant “diddits” from your pages.
Some of the other features I’d like to see are a live chat window and more Twitter integration to allow faster communication between your friends or other people following the same pages. Diddit is very intuitive and the quick process of clicking “diddits” and “wanna dos” can be quite addictive and worth a few minutes to check out.
On Diddit already or on another social networking site geared towards travelers – or are you done with any new networking sites? Personally, it would take a lot for me to join a web service that didn’t integrate into one of the big online services like my Facebook or my Twitter account.
Snag More Wireless Networks With A Long Range USB Antenna
Enhancing the wireless range of your laptop using a long range antenna will let you search and find more (potentially open) wireless networks as you travel the world. The typical wireless card in a Macbook gives you about 100mW range. Forget about the technical details but consider that a long range wireless card gives you 3-5 times (300-500mW) the range. This lets you bum Wi-Fi signals from networks that might have been out of your range otherwise.
There are two good options for long range wireless antennas with some minor differences between the two. This isn’t a sponsored review, I just like and find these two antennas personally very useful.
Alfa AWUS036EH (300mW) about $40 – About the size of a USB memory stick, this little antenna plugs into your USB drive and works with most Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. The Alfa AWUS036EH provides about 300mW of power (about 2.5 times that of most Intel Windows laptops).
- I never travel without my Alfa AWUS036EH. It doesn’t look fancy or expensive and probably won’t draw anyone’s attention.
- Alfa AWUS036 (500mW) about $60 - Aside from the extended range (almost 2 times) over the Alfa AWUS036EH, the Alfa 500mW doesn’t plug right into your USB drive (but an included cable). It’s a big bulkier and might be more interesting for a pickpocket in my opinion.
These cards aren’t the easiest to find, but I’ve purchased both from Rokland.com (here’s the link for the 300mW and the 500mW). You can also use the card for Wi-Fi hacking, but you don’t need any extra equipment to search for hidden wireless networks in airports or bus stations.
Three Location Based Social Networks Travelers May Find Useful
A friend of mine recently pointed me to some location-based social networks that travelers may find interesting. In case you aren’t familiar with location-based social networks, they are social networks like Facebook or Twitter, updated from your cell phone that integrate your current location and let your friends know where you are.
There are some differences between three of the popular options, Loopt, brightkite, and foursquare so here are the basics to introduce you to them.
Loopt
Loopt works much like many of the other location-based social networks and ties into your cell phone. As you post updates or are logged into the service from your phone, friends and contacts will see where you are on a Google Map. One of the drawbacks of Loopt however is that it only works with “smart” phones like the BlackBerry or iPhone (here are some of the best iPhone hacks for travelers if you’ve got one).
Loopt also integrates with your existing Facebook account and you can choose which friends to share your location with.
brightkite
Similar to Loopt, the advantage of brightkite is that it works on pretty much any cell phone and doesn’t require an application or download. Your experience is limited by the phone you have so you might only be posting status updates on a via text message from a basic Nokia or pictures and video with an iPhone. brightkite also has a feature that allows you to find local groups within a defined radius so you can connect with others, like backpackers from Austria or Italian food lovers.
brightkite also integrates with your Facebook and Twitter accounts so you can post statuses and locations on those sites as well. Some of brightkite posts are publicly available, check the (very Twitter-like) updates on their homepage, brightkite.com.
foursqaure
foursqaure isn’t compatible with many phones (mostly the Blackberry and iPhone) but does have a feature that many travelers might find handy. The service lets you check out what other members have to say about “hotspots” you might be visiting or are nearby in a city you’re in. The New York Times cites a great example of how you might use this function.
When you check in at a nearby burger joint, even if you have no friends in the vicinity, you can still get sage advice from other users, such as, “Do not leave DuMont without trying the Mac-n-Cheese.”
foursqaure doesn’t seem to integrate with any existing services, but since you need a Blackberry or iPhone to use it, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube won’t be hard to get to anyway.
Are You Using Any of Them?
I’ll be signing up to brightkite sometime this week and I’ll post the username in the comments for those of you who want to use yet another way to digitally connect with me. Until then you can find me on Facebook, read my Twitter, or send me an old fashioned email.
3 Simple Ways To Protect Your Credit Card When Booking Travel Arrangements Online
Booking flights, hotel reservations, and other travel arrangements online is generally a safe procedure. While most of the major booking websites, like Kayak and Orbitz take care to encrypt your credit card and other personal information when you book, there are a number of ways your credit card number can be misused after you click ‘Ok’.
Fortunately, using a number of free services and some ingenuity you can protect your personal information and keep your credit card number safe – without even giving it away when making online travel arrangements.
First, the Basics
Before you read further, if you’re not familiar with some basic online security tips, I’ve written some posts in the past to help you get started to browsing and booking safely online.
- Use your own computer or laptop if you can, but if you must use and Internet cafe, make sure you keep your online accounts safe.
- As Max recommends, check to see if the website you’re booking through uses a secure channel before booking. Look for the url to begin with httpS. (Almost all of the major booking companies do.)
- Avoid wireless connections and never use computer-to-computer networks. Hack your own wi-fi and use HotSpot Shield with Tor to protect your browsing.
3 Simple Steps
Now that you’re caught up with the basics, here are 3 simple ways to protect your credit card when booking that next flight.
1. Use A One-Time Credit Card Number – Most times your credit card number is safest online. It’s when that number gets sent to hotel staff, travel agents, or other agencies that it’s handled inappropriately – like being written down, as Darren notes . Many credit card companies, and Paypal, offer one-time-use credit card numbers that are only valid for a single online transaction and protect you from fraud. Give them a call to find out if the option is available to you or switch to bank that offers it.
- Here are some links to more information about one-time credit card number offerings.
Essential Software Tools For Digital Nomads
Travelers earning a living on the road need to equip themselves with a number of essential software tools. Moving out from behind the desk in a cubicle to consulting from a beach in Indonesia requires you to handle more network and administrative tasks that a manager or IT department would normally take care of.
Here are my recommended (and all free) essential software tools to get you connected, backed up, and leaving software licenses a distant memory.
Getting Online
Finding a stable and free Internet connection is paramount to getting remote work done.
- NetStumbler – When you don’t have access to an open wireless connection Netstumbler can help you detect hidden SSIDs which may not be encrypted. (Many can usually be found at bus stations and airports.)
- Wireshark – This network analyzer can not only detect wireless networks around you, but also (with some configuration) help you crack WEP and WPA encryption passwords.
If there are no connections available near you, try bumming a Wi-Fi signal on the road by checking for known open access points with WiFinder or WeFi before you lose a reliable connection.
Keeping In Touch
Set up your virtual office like you never left.
- Skype – Allows you to call other Skype users, with video as well as send chats for free. For low rates you can also call landlines or cell phones across the world. SkypeIn is a pay service (about $18 for 3 months) you can use to set up a telephone number that’s forwarded to your Skype account so your clients can get in touch with you without paying long distance fees.
- Meebo – Combine all of your instant messaging accounts like MSN and AOL with the online service Meebo. Similar to Meebo, but downloaded and run from your desktop is Trillian. Both encrypt your messages which can protect you from legal consequences, depending on the local laws.
Quick Things To Post On Your Travel Blog When You’re Traveling Too Much To Write
Maintaining a travel blog requires experience traveling, making it difficult at times to keep writing new posts when you’re on the move. Yesterday I suddenly realized my December travel schedule is looking more hectic as I hop all over the US and in Asia. Balancing traveling with writing is a dilemma all travel writers and bloggers face from time to time.
Luckily there are a number of quick ways to post quick, good material, in advance, without jeopardizing your schedule.
Pictures You’ve Taken
The easy way out is to post some travel photos you find online or from other blogs. However it’s much more interesting for your readers to see photos that you’ve personally taken (here are mine) – even if you don’t feel they’re ‘good enough’.
- The pictures and posts that I don’t feel are ‘good enough’ are usually the ones that generate the most feedback. Don’t fret too much and hit “publish”!
- Include yourself in some of the pictures since most of the travel photos you post are likely to be of other people.
Chop It Down
Almost any written post can be cut down, even ones as short as 200 words. Make a short series of a post that you would normally run on one day. You can even incorporate pictures into the flow and potentially turn one regular post into a week’s worth when your traveling.
How to Bum A Wi-Fi Signal On The Road
For the last week or so I’ve been in the middle of a move from one home to another and been having trouble setting up Internet service. As I shuttle from libraries, friend’s houses, and parking lots looking for a solid connection it occurred to me this is what many of us experience when traveling.
Luckily there are a number of free ways to steal borrow Internet connections and find Wi-Fi signals, without jeopardizing your computer’s safety.
Where To Begin
Wireless Internet signals can be found in many urban areas but one place you’ll want to begin looking is the airport. First check WiFinder and WeFi too see if there are any free and open Wi-Fi connections at the airport or close by. If not, download the free NetStumbler to your laptop or iPod Touch/iPhone and look for hidden internal airline networks.
Generally you’ll be able to pick up at least one connection using these methods and several computer-to-computer connections, which you should never use.
- If you are desperate it may be possible to crack a WEP or WAP encrypted wireless Internet connection. It is illegal, but may come in handy if you’re crashing at your friend’s place and they don’t remember their passphrase. This Wiki article has a technical walk through of the procedure.
Now You’re Connected – Protect Yourself
Whenever you are connected to an unfamiliar wireless network your computer and data are at risk from being read or corrupted by anyone listening in. (The connection is all over the air, remember?) Download HotSpot Shield, available for Windows and Mac. Not only will it protect the data you transmit over the Wi-Fi connection, you’ll be able to get around regional blocks and watch your favorite online TV shows as well.
3 Useful Google Mashups for Travelers
There are many Google Maps mashups (customizations) that can help you get a feel for you next trip. Begin your travel planning with street views, videos, and 360 looks around using the follow Google Maps mashups for travelers
- Virtual Video Map - A world map with markers dotted all over the planet with a video from each location.
- Satellite-Sightseer - Ariel views from Google maps of many interesting places around the world, including Bill Gate’s house, the Grand Canyon, and the Pyramids at Giza.
- Virtual Tourism - Not the most intuitive website, but if you click around you’ll discover travel videos, and specialized Google Maps of music events, festivals, sporting events.
Google Maps mania has an extensive list of travel mashups if you haven’t gotten enough. After your plans go from virtual to real, display them by creating your own travel map, calculate distances, and get around traffic jams.
[photo by: webg33k]
TripSay Preview, Travel Social Networking Site Launches Today
TripSay is a social networking website for vacationers and travel enthusiasts, which launches today (out of private beta) at 10am PST and I was invited to preview the site before it went live.
What Is TripSay?
TripSay is a networking tool for travel enthusiasts based on personally created travel profiles allowing them to connect with other vacationers, find new places to visit, and discuss travel-related events.
It uses a unique recommendation engine to proactively match destinations, places, sights, content, and activities for people across their network of friends as well as with those with similar tastes.
The site is free and only requires a valid email address.
Setting Up an Account
It didn’t take me long to create a profile that included providing some information on the type of traveler I am (from ’surfer’ to ‘loner rockstar’). The interface is extremely clean and I was done in 2 minutes with a few mouse clicks. It adjusts and generates a specific travel map (a Google Maps mashup) based on your preferences and interests with recommendations from any new friends you’ve added.
My name is Anil, a traveler and travel enthusiast. I created foXnoMad to connect with other travelers, discover their world, and share what I’ve learned about mine.
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