Blog - foXnoMad

DroneMate Premium Shows You Local Drone Laws As You Travel

by Anil Polat | Sep 15, 2022 | Air, Tech, Travel | 0

A drone can provide you incredible shots from you vacation but traveling with a drone, especially internationally, can be a bureaucratic nightmare. A patchwork of laws, regulations, and registration forms that might not be clear or well-defined can get your drone confiscated or you fined. Not to mention that in some parts of the world authorities may not know the rules well enough to enforce them properly. (Or rely on your ignorance for ahem *cough* a bribe.)

DroneMate Premium Features

DroneMate, the app that puts all of the world’s drone laws on your phone (available for iOS/Android) also has a Premium version that unlocks the following features:

Track Specific Localities: Select countries, states, and other localities you want information on and receive notifications any time there’s an update to the drone rules there. When there is an update, DroneMate displays a notification with the complete updated drone laws, including links to any documents, forms, or registration materials needed.
Personalized Support: DroneMate Premium users will also get personalized support for any questions they have regarding specific drones laws, rules or regulations. Premium users are notified of responses by a DroneMate administrator to their questions in the comments section. Premium users can ask about specific rules, drone hardware, or travel experiences with a drone in a given locality.
Automatic Notifications: DroneMate Premium users will get a notification of whether they can fly their drone, need registration, or other restrictions on drone use upon arrival at your destination. The complete drone laws, including links to any documents, forms, or registration materials needed will be displayed and it works completely offline!

All of the Premium enhancements come with all of the regular DroneMate features including the built-in traveler network, specific drone requirements, and of course, offline mode!

How To Get DroneMate Premium FREE

DroneMate Premium is an upgrade you can select from within the DroneMate app. It’s a yearly subscription you can try 30 days for free and connect with other drone pilots, just in time for your next trip!

Download DroneMate on Android!
DroneMate for iOS here!

Of course if you have any questions about DroneMate you can send me a message here. Have a safe and legal flight!

Interview With Geek Nation Tours Founder Teras Cassidy

by Anil Polat | Aug 18, 2022 | Culture, Pictures and Video, Travel | 0

This post is part of Geek Takeover Week 2022.

For many, it’s New Zealand but for others it’s Mordor. The Shire. Or simply, the place where Lord of the Rings was filmed. In 2009 Teras Cassidy founded Geek Nation Tours to show people of all fandoms places like Japan, the UK, and California from a unique angle. Anime, war gaming, and Wasteland Weekend, Teras joined a special episode of the foXnoMad Podcast to talk about how he came up with Geek Nation Tours and some of the more interesting places they’ve visited.

You can listen to the full episode about and subscribe to the foXnoMad Podcast so you don’t miss the Season 4 premier in the fall!

The 4 Best Sci-Fi Shows You Should Give A Second Chance

by Anil Polat | Aug 17, 2022 | Culture | 0

This post is part of Geek Takeover Week 2022.

Almost a trope within the genre, good sci-fi often takes a season or two to fully get to warp. Unfortunately in the competitive streaming space, that can mean a good show gets canceled before enough people realize it’s great. These are some of the best sci-fi shows you might have heard of but dismissed prematurely.

1. The Orville

This show started off the first few episodes trying to find a balance between humor and sci-fi. The Orville (Hulu, Disney+) does hit its stride quickly though and after it moves to Hulu in Season 3, it becomes one of the best sci-fi series ever. The stories, the action, the drama, and comedic moments are beautifully interwoven into what is essentially 10 short movies. Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis (writers from several Star Trek series), The Orville is the best new Trek out now. It’s also in question for a Season 4 renewal so don’t wait to see what you’re missing.

2. For All Mankind

Speaking of Star Trek alum, For All Mankind (Apple TV) is infused with writers like Ronald Moore to designers like the Okudas. And like The Orville, For All Mankind is ultimately an optimistic show but doesn’t sugarcoat progress one bit. The drama is intense, following the lives of characters over decades (Season 1 is the 1970s, Season 2, the 80s…). For All Mankind was mapped out to play out over 7 seasons and it will have you hooked.

3. Mr. Robot

A lot of people dropped off in Season 2 due to its perspective shift. But everything is not what it seems, especially on the hacking show Mr. Robot (Amazon Prime) and like For All Mankind, was mapped out for its 4 season run. Meaning the writers knew where the story was headed and it’s beautifully interwoven until the jaw-dropping finale.

Mr. Robot, Season 1

4. Resident Alien

This show will make you laugh out loud several times an episode. Resident Alien (Hulu) is about an alien who gets trapped on Earth and wants to kill humanity because we suck and don’t take care of our planet. It’s not all laughs though, Resident Alien has heart, great characters, and a Trek connection too. (Tom Paris is an executive producer).

Not just sci-fi, these are great television shows that have a little of something for everyone but one universal element we can all get onboard with: characters with depth with excellent storytelling.

How Many Countries Are There In The World?

by Anil Polat | Aug 16, 2022 | Travel Unravel | 0

number of countries

This post is part of Geek Takeover Week 2022.

Many of you have been following this site for years know my goal is to visit every country in the world. One question that comes up often from people who hear this story is, “how many countries are there?” Well, the broad answer is a big “it depends” but there are a few specific numbers you can count on, based on who’s counting.

United Nations (Sort Of)

One way to count the number of countries in the world is to use the United Nations (U.N.) member states. Currently, there are 193 member states of the U.N. Add to that 2 observer states (Palestine and Vatican City) and now you have 195 but you can already begin to see how these numbers can get muddled up, based on who recognizes whom. In practice, U.N. members can only be sovereign states and doesn’t include nations such as Kosovo, for example.

Blurred Borders

One other way to count the number of countries in the world is to use the International Olympic Committee (IOC) list, which includes territories (like Guam) and de-facto states like Taiwan. The number of countries recognized by the IOC is 206. A bit more than 195 and while there is a good deal of overlap between the U.N. and IOC lists, they both don’t include places like Antarctica. Yes, it’s not a country but it’s an entire continent, which should be worth something on any self-respecting travel list.

More Lists

There are other lists which include places like the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which might not be an official country but on the ground, it certainly behaves as one. Same thing goes for Puerto Rico. Tibet is not it’s own nation and as much as China tries to suppress its identity through ethnic cleansing, lines on a globe don’t tell the whole story.

coffee caye islandia

When you travel to a place, you may feel a stark difference between cultures. Chamula in Mexico behaves like a separate entity. Islandia? The Luhansk People’s Republic is a proclaimed territory within Ukraine, would it make your list?

Why Keep A List?

So how many countries there are changes with time based on who’s counting and how. There’s politics involved. It can be controversial. For many though, 206 is a solid number. Using the IOC list, it includes Taiwan and Kosovo, for examples. Personally, this is the list I lean toward since it’s relatively stable and contains a widely agreed upon list of nations.

But why keep a list at all? For me, it’s a goal post. A target to aim for. Having the journey to visit every country on Earth has lead me to places I never would have thought to visit. It can take me out of my comfort zone. But it’s never really been solely about the list. I go back to places and I’m in no rush to check every country off the list. I’m over 100 countries now and could have been done a long time ago but ultimately, I want to travel the world. See its natural beauty and cultural diversity. Neither of which lines on a map could ever entirely encompass.

It’s Geek Takeover Week And I’m Posting Whatever I Want

by Anil Polat | Aug 15, 2022 | Site News | 0

geek takeover week foxnomad

Welcome People of Earth and beings of everywhere else. It is I, Anil Polat, the guy who writes this blog. I also make YouTube videos where I sometimes give away money so you should subscribe. See, this is Geek Takeover Week, an annual tradition on this site. August is when many of you are traveling and I am preparing for the busy tech season of the fall.

Things slow down. Posts are far and few between. But this week, in the middle of every August, is when we go a bit wild and geeky. Still confused? Search for Geek Takeover Week and you’ll see the weirdness myself and guests have come up with. For 2022, I have some fun ones lined up. Stay tuned Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but for now, enjoy the Season 3 finale of the foXnoMad Podcast.

Tuesday: How Many Countries Are There In The World?
Wednesday: The 4 Best Sci-Fi Shows You Should Give A Second Chance
Thursday: Interview With Geek Nation Tours Founder Teras Cassidy

We’ll return to our regularly schedule travel and tech posts when the site return from hiatus in September for new horizons to explore.

The Best Place To Eat In Fairbanks, Alaska

by Anil Polat | Aug 4, 2022 | Food, Pictures and Video | 0

There aren’t a lot of places to eat in Fairbanks, Alaska which has a population of 32,000. Not to say Fairbanks doesn’t have some good dining options (it’s no Anchorage) but if one place defines the ambiance of the city, it’s The Chowder House. Alone in a quiet parking lot in the center of town, The Chowder House serves up hearty soups, sandwiches, and potstickers (basically fried dumplings).

Chowders are served daily from chicken and wild rice or creme of broccoli to steak chili. Build your own or enjoy a baked Alaskan salmon sandwich. Hearty, welcoming, and much more interesting packages of tasty calories than its name would suggest, if you need more reason to visit, watch my visit to The Chowder House here.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More