I can’t say enough about the gang at Luggage Forward, the preeminent baggage handlers in the world. My bag is home from Cascais, Portugal in two days. I won’t be home for another week. After working and living in Europe, traversing four borders–UK, Spain, France, Portugal and back, having my bag show up when I … Read more
One has to wonder why consumers and many businesses still stay with their “non-phone company” when today a number of service providers really want their business. These next-gen providers bring a wider range of services, offer better support and deliver telco-grade or better voice services. Many of the upstarts also have a dedicated focus on … Read more
Vidyo has announced a new and free multi-vendor conferencing service called "Vidyo Way" that will enable business quality video conferencing for multi-party or point-to-point meetings. Described as a "self-service, executive-friendly interface, VidyoWay connects Cisco, Polycom, Lifesize other H.323 and SIP-based room systems, Microsoft Lync clients, mobile devices and telephones." The service is similar in nature to those already … Read more
When I look at what is available on contract for 4G data here in Portugal where I'm spending two weeks, I'm just about floored at what we're paying in the USA for less speed, data caps and for more money. Imagine 4G spectrum being used, unlimited data, speeds of 100 megs down, 50 megs up, … Read more
There are three or four wireless carriers here in Portugal, all with fast, low cost wireless broadband including Vodafone, Optimus and Portugal Telecom's TMN. Each have comparable pricing but after some four trips here in the past two years or so I've come to the conclusion that: TMN is best for smartphone voice and data, while … Read more
Dear Facebook, I know security is important but…. When I go from 3G in France to Wi-Fi at the airport on my mobile device and you ask me to log on from my computer to verify who I am, that’s not being mobile friendly. With Wi-Fi offload and multiple services now relying on Facebook as … Read more
I spent the afternoon meeting up with Guillhem Soulignac, one of the partners in the Riberach Cave, Hotel and Restaurant project in the town of Belesta high in the Roussillion Valley. It's an ambitious project, taking an old cooperative, turning it into a hotel, a working winery and a very neat cave (wine shop) that … Read more
When one thinks of wines in the Maury region of the Cotes de Roussillion the usual thought is big, full throttle very Rhone like wines that we see so much of. But, all across the Roussillion Valley there's a movement afoot to make lighter, less extacted and more natural wines. At the front of the … Read more
I don't think anyone needs a crystal ball to know this, but I fully expect AT&T, Verizon Wireless and others in the USA to join in on what is going to be a when, not an if. It's about paying for calling over mobile data networks vs. the free ride we now have. Look at … Read more
Over in Asia Skype has lots of competion, and Engadget is reporting that Line, a service that started in Japan and how is growing nicely, already with 45 million users, is adding some very useful, and social components to their service. When I look back at Skype and their developer relations and API efforts all … Read more
