9/11 Memorial advance tickets on sale today

After many years of construction, the 9/11 Memorial at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City will open on September 12. Advance tickets go on sale today.

It's officially called the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and entrance is free but reservations must be made over the Internet in advance from the memorial's website. A phone line will also open to handle group requests of ten or more people. Entry is carefully timed and all visitors must go through security. Once inside, however, visitors can stay as long as they like.

The museum's opening ceremony will take place on September 11, but entry is reserved for officials and relatives of the victims.

Advance tickets are necessary because the memorial can only hold about 1,500 people at a time.

Tom Stuker becomes first frequent flyer to pass 10 million miles, United celebrates

Ryan Bingham exists in real life, and his name is Tom Stuker. Mr. Stuker, an automotive consultant based in Chicago has been flying United for over 20 years, and this Saturday afternoon, somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago he officially crossed the line over 10 million frequent flyer miles.

To celebrate, the folks at United hosted a private celebration at Chicago's O'Hare airport, shutting down a section of a C concourse Red Carpet Club for a celebration with Mr. Stuker's family, United CEO Jeff Smisek, Mileage Plus President Jeff Foland and a few dozen people from the community.

For his part, Tom Stuker doesn't seem the least bit weary from his 10 million miles of travel. At just under six feet tall and with a steady, affable smile, he emerged from the Los Angeles flight full of energy and to the cheers of scores of waiting media and friends. In the Red Carpet Club he floated around the room mingling with assorted, eager miletalkers and accepting pats on the back from the wayward executive or marketing agent, effortlessly smiling as the media soaked up his glee.

Among the gestures that United made in recognition of his efforts came a single-edition, titanium Global Services membership card, a scale mockup of the upcoming United 787 and a framed certificate stating his achievement. The most impressive gift, however, was Tom Stuker's name on the side of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, similar to the achievement that Ryan Bingham received in Up in the Air.

Perhaps most moving was the humility with which Mr. Stuker accepted his praise. His speech, hand written on three pages of wide rule notebook paper, was a reflection on his time with the airline and a heartfelt thank you to all of the staff with whom he had become friends over the years. He spoke of the difficulty during the United bankruptcy and the subsequent merger, moving himself nearly to tears on several occasions, but remaining gracious and optimistic the entire time.

The underlying theme of Mr. Stuker's speech, however, kept returning: it was not only a milestone for one frequent flyer but rather for the entire airline -- years of work building one of the world's largest airlines, weathering a merger, a rough economy and an ultra competitive market. For everyone in the room there was much to celebrate, and for this one brief afternoon there were smiles on the faces of Jeff Smisek, the ramp workers and the flight attendants alike.

Madrid day trip: the Alcázar castle in Segovia

As I mentioned yesterday, Segovia makes a great day trip from Madrid. One of the highlights of any visit is the Alcázar, or castle. Rising from the highest point on the promontory on which Segovia is built, it dominates the town and looks impossible to attack. The architects cut away part of the bedrock to make a dry moat cutting off the castle from the rest of the town, so to get in you have to cross a drawbridge over a deep drop. Don't look down if you're afraid of heights!

There may have been a fort here in Roman times, and there certainly was one when the Moors controlled this part of Spain. The present castle was built in the early 12th century and was added to and remodeled several times. Several Castilian monarchs used the castle as their palace. Isabella was living here when she was crowned in 1474, and she married King Ferdinand II here. In 1492 they reconquered Granada, the last Muslim holdout on the Iberian peninsula. They also sponsored some crazy explorer named Columbus to sail across the Atlantic to find India that year, but the big news was capturing Granada.

Several rooms are decorated with suits of armor, including knights on horseback. Even the horses have armor, which was called barding. The walls are adorned with medieval and Renaissance paintings showing courtly and battle scenes. Check out the ceilings to see some intricate painting and relief work that shows Muslim influence. When the Spanish and Moors weren't fighting, they were trading ideas and Spain was a melting pot of different cultures. The throne room and the chapel are the most impressive rooms and have been restored to their original splendor.

Climbing a Basque mountain

I've been hiking in Spain's Basque region for three days now, and now I'm facing the most challenging hike of my trip.

I and a few volunteers from my group are going up and over the Sierra de Toloño in La Rioja, Spain's most renowned wine-producing region. At nine miles it's not as long as my daily hikes along the Hadrian's Wall Path or the East Highland Way, but the 1,100-ft. elevation gain followed by a 2,100-ft. descent should be a pretty good workout.

If you have good enough scenery you never notice you're exercising, and this hike certainly fits the bill. Starting along a dirt road high in the Sierra, we stroll through dark, damp forest. When we peek through the trees we see the morning mist is still veiling the summit. Here and there the land is scarred by new roads. Locals supplement their income with small-scale logging, a right they've had for centuries. Charcoal burners used to work up here too, slowly burning wood to create charcoal for the Basque region's forges.

One legendary charcoal burner is still celebrated every year. Olentzero is a drunken old charcoal burner with a dirty face, a pipe clenched in his teeth, a beer gut, and a big sack of toys he brings for the kids. Sounds like the embarrassing uncle everyone has to put up with at family functions. Olentzero is a Basque figure. Most of Spain gets their presents from Los Reyes, the three kings.

Dreaming of Bali - A guide to Indonesian food

Pizza lovers, did you know Indonesians adore Pizza Hut? True, your typical Indonesian pie probably has more crispy fish pieces, shrimp and corn on it than you're used to back home. And you probably won't find avocado milkshakes as an option at the soda fountain back in Grand Rapids. But the Indonesians in Bali are lovers of pizza much like you and I, dear reader, and unashamedly so.

At this point, more experienced travelers are probably scratching their heads. Who travels to Indonesia and writes about American fast food?? But the truth be known, this odd love for all things pizza illustrates a surprising fact: Indonesians are cultural chameleons when it comes to eating. This immense island nation is a place criss-crossed by trade winds of diverse culinary origin, bringing together influences and ingredients from places as far-flung as China, The Netherlands, India and even Mexico.

Whether you're just visiting Bali or making a larger exploration of the Indonesian archipelago, expect to be surprised by Indonesia's spicy, exotic, and altogether unexpected blend of delicious eats. A taste of the tropics, and a taste of home at the same time. Ready to dig in? Keep reading below to begin your exploration of Indonesian (and Balinese) cuisine.

Latin America on a budget: How to plan a budget-friendly adventure

Latin America is one of the world's most budget-friendly regions for visitors. There are very cheap places to stay across the region--most notably across Central America--where a few dollars will get you a bed for the night and dinner.

But in a budget-friendly region like Latin America there are also huge divides in terms of quality. How do you do your research to make sure that you come up with decent accommodations and an itinerary that delivers the best value for your money?

There's a big difference between a guesthouse that's cheap, clean, and cheerful and one that's filthy and barely fit for a hedgehog. There's a big difference between good cheap restaurants and bad cheap grub, too. How do you make the right planning decisions to make sure that you end up pinching pennies in a manner that's both high-value and high-quality?

Hotel Madness: No Free Wi-Fi wins!

 

After weeks of competition, thousands of votes and tons of ranting and raving on Twitter, all of you have made it abundantly clear that you hate paying for internet access at hotels. No free Wi-Fi dominated every round of the Hotel Madness tournament on its way to winning the championship. No hotel pet peeve so thoroughly and completely annoyed our readers like having to pay for Wi-Fi. Bad water pressure should be proud to have made it to the finals, but it was no match for Hotel Madness' own 800-pound gorilla. In a sea of added fees, poor service, thin toilet paper and, yes, bad water pressure, all people truly seem to want is to connect to the web - and the world - for free.

More than 8,000 votes were cast over the course of the Hotel Madness tournament. Thank you all so much for participating and for sharing your opinions. There were upsets, blowouts, nail-biters and some fantastic conversations. In the end, our #1 seed proved why it was the pre-tournament favorite. Paying for Wi-Fi was the most tweeted peeve when I first asked my followers to share what bothered them most at hotels. In fact, even though I asked everyone to name things that bothered them other than paying for internet access, people still shared their disdain for that expense.

Over 17 Thousands USB Sticks Get Left At The Dry Cleaners

I wrote this article because when I found out, well to be honest I didn’t just think it was funny, I though it was pretty cool as well, it is a pretty serious matter loosing a USB stick and to find out, 17 thousand of them just get left in at the dry cleaners, well it just shows how much more advance everyone is getting and how small USB sticks are getting! I mean I can barely tell if I’ve got a USB stick in my pocket and to be honest, I’d probably leave one in there and it seems that’s what thousands and thousands of people seem to keep doing, you must be thinking of course there are dangers involved and you are right, USB sticks can be very, very dangerous to your security.

USB Sticks

Lets face it, every single survey I’ve ever seen, is spammy, it’s pointless and has no real point behind it, other then to promote a company/product/product research, that’s it pure and simple, that’s the use of online surveys in 2011, only 400 dry cleaners were polled for the report which allowed us to find out roughly how many USB pens get lost, but this is meant to be a 400% increase from 2009, that’s a hueg increase in just 2 years.
So what it is all about? Well USB pens are great, it’s that simple, there aren’t many faults to them and there are of course plently of more expsensive USB pens which will cost you more, but cover up these flaws, stuff like added security, drop/water damage (You’d need one in this case!) protected USB sticks and god knows what else! If you use a computer, a USB stick is something you’ll probably own, if you work from home sometimes, you’ll probably have one and if you work from home + the office, your wasting time not having one, it’s that simple.

Somali pirates anchor Danish family yacht, threaten death

Now it's a Danish family of five, including three children, that has been taken hostage by Somali pirates who vow to kill them should a rescue attempt be made. The pirated yacht, taken last week, was anchored off the shore of Somalia today.

The 43-foot sailboat was being piloted by Jan Quist Johansen along with his wife, their three children, ages 12 to 16 and two Danish crew members.

A Somali pirate going by the name of Muse Abdi said the family was transferred to another, larger pirated ship.

Richest man in the world opens art museum in Mexico City

Carlos Slim is the richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of over fifty billion U.S. dollars. He recently unveiled his new Soumaya Art Museum in Mexico City. The anchor shaped structure houses Slim's personal art collection and includes works by Diego Rivera, Auguste Rodin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Salvador Dali.

According to the AP, the Soumaya is named after Slim's late wife and designed by his son-in-law, architect Fernando Romero. The curvy structure's exterior is covered with over 16,000 hexagon shaped aluminum panels that glimmer radically in the Mexican sun. The massive interior is 183,000 square feet, providing plenty of space to peruse Slim's collection. The art housed within the Soumaya will be a rotation of the billionaire's personal art collection, which includes over 66,000 (!) pieces. The Soumaya opens to the public on March 29.

Parking fines on single London street reportedly reach over $1.5M

We can officially quit our whining over our latest parking ticket. Across The Pond, London authorities have begun putting local drivers' feet to the fire and are raking in record fines as a result. One street even managed to pull down nearly £1 million ($1.6 million at current conversion rates) last year. That's especially shocking considering that the now infamous Clapham Park Road in the borough of Lambeth is less than half a mile long. According to reports, authorities issued an astonishing 16,800 tickets on that street alone, or about 46 citations per day.

The total amount collected from fines on that particular street tallied over £300,000 ($480,000) higher than the road with the next highest level of parking fine revenue.

Some locals believe that the government is using parking fines to make up gaps in their budget as an illegal revenue generator. Multiple complaints to that tune have already been levied from Barnet to Westminster.

United Continental to expand Economy Plus seating to Continental aircraft

Compared to some other carriers, inflight services on United Airways have always been a little lacking. They don't have a neat touch-screen entertainment system, limited inflight WiFi and no live TV or radio. Thankfully, they do have two perks you don't find on any of the other domestic carriers - increased legroom in part of the cabin and the ability to listen in on cockpit communications.

As part of their merger with Continental, the new airline plans to introduce their Economy Plus seating to Continental aircraft.

Economy Plus is by no means a replacement for a business class cabin, but the 5 extra inches of leg room are usually quite welcome. What was once a perk reserved for their frequent fliers, has quickly become a new way for the airline to make money - charging up to $425 a year for unlimited access to the extra legroom. Individual flight upgrades to Economy Plus start at just $9 (for short flights).

Still, the airline has to be applauded for committing to this decent perk. The full press release is after the jump.

GadlingTV's Travel Talk - Thailand Part 8: Scooters & Coconuts

In the first half of Travel Talk's grand Thai expedition, we've tamed elephants, explored Bangkok's temples, eaten scorpions, taken in a Muay Thai match, and witnessed a train running directly through a bustling market. Now, we're taking you to explore a lesser known province of Thailand for a closer look at the culture and traditions of rural Thai life.

Situated near the border of Myanmar, Sangkhlaburi is a great destination for those looking for alternative to Chiang Mai or the beaches of Koh Samui. Ever since our Vespa adventure in Rome, we've been anxious to get back on the open road; so we rented scooters and explored the rest of Sangkhlaburi. We'll take you to the longest wooden bridge in Thailand and show you what Thai life is like down on the farm.

Chinese women buying disproportionate percentage of exotic cars?

The number of Chinese millionaires is growing rapidly, and women account for a third of that rising, affluent population. This is good news to exotic car manufacturers because wealthy Chinese women are snatching them up like Italian pastries.

Sales of high-end automobiles rose 60 percent last year and analysts are already pegging a 35 percent climb for 2011. Maserati reports that 30 percent of its Chinese sales are to women, compared against just 10 percent for European sales. China is now on track to pass Italy as the automaker's second largest market.

It's not just Maserati, either; Ferraris and Lamborghinis are being purchased in large numbers. The wealthy women of China account for 20 percent of local Ferrari sales, which is double the global average. The rise in exotic vehicle sales has even gotten the attention of Bugatti, and the Volkswagen Group is now discussing a potential sales plan for China.

Test Drive Unlimited welcomes virtual characters

Can you think of something missing from the current crop of automotive video games? If you said cosmetic surgery then you must work for Atari. The upcoming Test Drive Unlimited 2 is going to let you customize more than you car. Your on-screen avatar can appear exactly how you want it to thanks to numerous facial and clothing options. Click past the jump to see what we're talking about.

Jumo: An innovative Social Networking Platform

Jumo is an exciting and innovative social network platform that uses Facebook login of users so that they can ultimately connect with multitude of good causes. Jumo keeps you up-to-date about all those dear ones with whom you want to keep connected with all the time. This amazing Jumo service is recently launched by social networking giant Facebook’s co-founder Chris Hughes. This is the same guy who was working on Barrack’s Obama Presidential campaign.

The site has a tagline stating that Jumo is there to connect individuals and organizations to change the very face of world’s social domain. But the question is, whether Jumo is just a promise or a passionate and dedicated attempt to support projects, charities and all the good causes.

A Comparison Of 3G And 4G Wireless Networks

In the technological world of mobile phones, 4G is the terminology used for the fourth advanced group of wireless network platforms for mobile devices and especially smart phones. While there is no consensus on the standards of 4G generation, the promises are high to provide, faster, dependable and a very secure wireless networking. There is no doubt that 4G networks will outperform 3G networks, but by what margin? And should we pay a higher price to get the 4G service?

Comparing Speeds
It is true that some of the 4G networks actually do have the capability of transmitting as fast as 100Mbps, the service providers are not too keen on claiming those huge numbers. This is sometime sowing to the limitation of basic technology, while sometimes low transmission speed is offered by the service provider to make sure that the network is reliable and minimum service standards are met all the time. Wireless service provider actually learnt a lesson the hard way when AT&T launched its smart phone in large numbers, especially the iPhones, over burdening its network which did not have the infrastructure to cater to the huge demand for data transmission services.

iPhone Or Android?

No doubt, Smartphones have taken the world by storm. Providing flexible usage, 3G net, fun apps, usability, connectivity, business solutions and the list goes on. Apple Inc. is the company that brought out an expensive Smartphone with the name of iPhone that hit the charts as being the world’s most popular Smartphone, but apparently it has met its rival; the Google Android ! With Android taking on the race, there seems to be a fierce competition bringing out some major innovations amongst the two companies. Let’s take a quick glimpse of the two Smartphone operating system giants, in terms of their features, functionality, network, apparatus flexibility and usability.

Chevy offers free driving school to all Corvette buyers for limited time

We operate under the impression that on the whole we live in the best period of automotive innovation and power that the world has ever seen. Manufacturers are turning out four-cylinder engines with more horsepower and torque than the mighty V8 lumps of just two decades ago and eight pots that boast fuel economy numbers as impressive as their dyno charts. These days, mega power is mega cheap and more accessible than ever. But, as Uncle Ben reminds us, great power comes with great responsibility, and to that end General Motors is offering all Corvette buyers a chance to learn how to get the most out of their machines.

For a limited time, GM is giving away vouchers to both of the company's Corvette Driving Schools to anyone who buys any model of a new Corvette. Typically, the driving schools are free only to those who lay down the coin for a mighty ZR1, but for a limited time, The General is splurging for Coupe, Convertible, Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1 buyers to go on the company's dime. The schools are at the Bob Bondurant school in Phoenix, Arizona and Ron Fellows school in Las Vegas, Arizona.

Your Porsche 911 GT3 isn't that fast...

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium plays host to a variety of racing events, ranging from from Formula One and touring car to weekend track days. When out on the course in a production car, it might feel like you are conquering the Eau Rouge better than any human on the planet. This video mashup is here to remind that you're not.

This isn't ground-breaking information, but it is interesting to see just how much faster an F1 car is around a series of high-speed turns. Someone over in the VWVortex's Car Lounge decided to overlay two videos of the same corner, and while they don't line up perfectly, you get the point. Check it out after the jump.

Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

The Belgians may not be known as much for military prowess as, say, for beer or waffles – at least not since conquering the Congo, anyway – but Brussels is also the seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established as a united front against the Communist bloc, and still stands as one of the most formidable alliances of nations this side of the Star Wars empire. A perfect place, then, to unveil a paramilitary-type vehicle like the X-Tech Limited Edition.

Easily as tough as any Hummer or Jeep, the X-Tech is based on the Land Rover Defender – one of the most rock-solid rock-crawlers ever devised. It's available in either silver, three-door Defender 90 form or in five-door Defender 110 long wheelbase in olive green, both offset by black roof, wheel arches, interior and new "saw-tooth" alloys. Not a major upgrade on the standard model, but just enough to give it the attitude it deserves.

Unveiled at the Brussels Motorshow, the Defender X-Tech is unfortunately unavailable in the North American market, but you can dream by checking out the gallery below.

Drift battle pits Mazda RX7 against Kawasaki ZX10

Regardless of where you stand on the "drifting is/isn't a form of motorsports" debate, it's fun to watch a car being piloted on full opposite lock. But is it possible on a motorcycle? Icon Motorsports rider Nick Brocha answers with a fat sideways-smoking yes.

Icon may be know for providing gear for maniacs fans of two-wheeled transportation, but they also sponsor a team of skilled bikers. Brocha is one of those riders and he pits his modded Kawasaki ZX10 against Jim Guthrie and his Corvette-powered Mazda RX-7 drift machine. Add in some cameras and a prime location and we have ourselves an entertaining video, which you can watch after the jump.