Cutline Speaks
Welcome to our virtual soapbox, Cutline Speaks! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to share our adventures in the world of tech PR (we're in communications and like to talk, you know), so each week, you'll get a fresh perspective on the latest news, the coolest gadgets, the hottest trends, and whatever else is on our minds. There will be laughter, there will be love (for technology, of course), there might be some loathing - we're glad you're here to enjoy it all. Happy reading!
Traveling on a Budget? Paddle Over to Kayak to See Where Your Money Can Take You
posted by Paige on August 26, 2010
Summer’s quickly coming to an end! Have you taken a vacation yet? We’ve had a few Cutliners head out on cool trips to Africa, Las Vegas, and the wine country, but we also have friends who have enjoyed staycations right here in the Bay Area and even those who have embarked on “virtual vacations” via Google Earth (at home, of course, never at the office!). With workers busier than ever and the recession still crimping household vacation budgets, getting out of town can be tricky.
To help make end-of-summer vacation planning a little easier, travel website Kayak recently added its new Explore feature (linked from the “More” tab on Kayak’s homepage), which maps out where you can fly based on how much you are willing to spend on a plane ticket. For example, say I want to spend between $120 and $300 on my plane ticket, and I’ll be departing from San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO). Kayak tells me that for that price range, I’m limited to about 20 destinations in the U.S., plus Cancun, Mexico. But if I slide the scale over to $600-$800, my options expand throughout the Americas over to western Europe and even a handful of destinations in Asia. The Explore feature bases its map data on ticket prices travelers have found through Kayak in the last 48 hours, and it also allows vacation planners to filter destinations by activities and weather. Click on a destination and you’ll see local hotel prices. The Explore feature is a really great tool for budget-conscious vacationers, or even people like me who daydream on their couches with Kayak’s iPad app in hand.
My next vacation? Well, the Maldives aren’t within my budget, so I’m thinking Kauai...
Bon voyage!
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Digital Devices and Unplugging Every Once in a While
posted by Shannon on August 25, 2010
One of the most read articles this week on NYTimes.com is a piece called “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime.” It was published yesterday and almost immediately became one of the most emailed and shared articles of the day. The comments section quickly filled with people debating about their over-connected lifestyles and the twittersphere also joined into the conversation. I’m not at all surprised by the popularity of the article. Here at Cutline we’ve even blogged about being over connected online in the past, see Erin’s My (Still) Conflicted Life Online from back in April.
The focus of the Times article revolves around recent findings from University of California, San Francisco. Scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory of the experience. As you’ve probably guessed, the researchers suspect that the findings also apply to how humans learn.
What this means is that designated “downtime” lets your brain go over experiences and turn them into permanent long-term memories. When the brain is constantly stimulated you actually prevent the learning process from completing and coming full circle.
I’m taking this underlying message to heart and incorporating it into my lifestyle moving forward. The next time I have a break between work and my busy social schedule, I’ll resist the urge to flip through TV stations, check email, send texts, or otherwise tinker on my phone. Digital silence can be golden. When we forfeit downtime to digitally multitask, we’re ultimately taking up time that could allow us to better learn and remember information, or come up with new (perhaps brilliant!) ideas.
Will you make a conscious effort to experience more digital down time? Let us know!
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Say What?
posted by Libbey on August 24, 2010
Although there is no hard evidence that supports this idea, I do wonder if my generation (I’m in my 20’s) is on this path to hearing loss as well. I often listen to music on my bus commute to work, while exercising, and when running errands around town... and I definitely turn up the tunes when driving in my car. I know I’m not alone. I can imagine that teens are rocking out to sensations Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus just as often as I listen to Bon Jovi and... well... Justin Bieber!
What is your stance on this debate? Do you think the use (or over-use) of today’s electronics has a negative effect on hearing?
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