Blog - foXnoMad

What You Need To Know About Turkey’s eSIM Ban

by Anil Polat | Jul 24, 2025 | Advice, Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

The Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) recently banned several popular eSIM providers. These changes could make it more difficult for you get mobile data in Turkey, so here’s what you need to know.

What This Ban Is

The Turkish government did not ban eSIM technology or all eSIM providers, just these 7, so far:

Airalo
Alosim
BNESIM
Holafly
Instabridge
Mobimatter
Saily

More may be added to this list but for now, you can still use any eSIM provider not listed if you’re already in Turkey.

Outside Of Turkey

You can still use the Turkish-banned eSIM providers if you purchase and activate your eSIM for Turkey before you enter the country. Purchase your eSIM while outside of Turkey, then activate it the day before you arrive in the country to maximize the time on your eSIM plan. You data plan will still work provided you activate your eSIM before entering Turkey.

Already In Turkey?

Other than using an eSIM provider not on the banned list, you can also use a reliable VPN to access the eSIM online shops. Purchasing has been confirmed and in most cases, activating your eSIM (assuming your VPN is on the entire time during the process) should also work. It may take longer than usual (e.g. 5 minutes) however. Still, if possible it’s best to purchase and activate outside of Turkey to be sure or use a non-banned eSIM for now.

The video above covers why the ban may be happening and what could be some of the next steps for the Turkish government and the eSIM providers.

What Really Works To Prevent Jet Lag

by Anil Polat | Jul 10, 2025 | Air, Pictures and Video | 0

Jet lag is undefeated but there are some steps you can take to reduce its effects, though not everyone will agree with this advice. I’ve taken notes for flights over a decade and tried to determine what works and doesn’t.

These are my best – and probably unpopular – jet lag prevention tips.

1. Start Strong

First, try to get your sleep schedule at home stable, at least a week before you fly. That means getting up and going to bed at roughly the same time every night and avoiding caffeine after noon and alcohol in the evening. You want to build a base of good sleep and rest.

The more tired and off schedule you are at home the more likely it is to take longer to recover from jet lag because your body has triple duty. It has to recover from the initial poor sleep and then adjust an already chaotic sleep schedule while simultaneously being asked to accept that it’s now sunny at 3am. That’s a lot for your body and just like it’s not a good idea to run a half marathon the day before you run a marathon, the more recovery time your body needs prior to skipping time zones, the longer everything is going to take.

2. Schedule Wisely

Try to schedule your flights for the evening or arrive in the morning based on your personal body clock. Morning people who are most alert during the day should try to schedule arrival times in the morning. The opposite for you night owls. You can use your body’s natural response to light and dark to trick your sleep cycle into adjust quicker to the local time.

3. Nap… Or Don’t

Don’t nap after 2pm and if you do, keep it to 20-40 minutes. There is a big caveat though, if you’re not someone who regularly naps don’t start when you’re jet lagged. You’ll likely oversleep and feel groggy but if there’s time, learn to nap now. Napping is a skill anyone can develop.

4. Compression And Run

Using a good pair like Nabee, I noticed I feel a lot better after a long flight. My feet and legs are less swollen and to better aid circulation (and get naturally more tired or awake) a good walk or run immediately after you’ve dropped your bags off at your destination is one of the most counterintuitive but effective things I’ve tried.

5. Avoid Airplane Food

Rather, bring your own snacks and try to be a little hungry when you land. The high sodium in airplane food can have you feeling more bloated upon arrival so stick to your own snacks and pack yourself a meal before heading to the airport.

You can watch the video above for the rest of my jet lag tips and let me know if you have any tricks of your own down in the comments.

What Are Those Stickers Some Airports Put On The Back Of Your Passport?

by Anil Polat | Jun 26, 2025 | Travel Unravel | 0

You may have gone through an airport where someone from the staff slaps on a sticker to the back of your passport. They are annoying, not very aesthetically pleasing, and a bit of a pain to remove. So, what are those passport security stickers for and when should you remove them?

You can find all the answers in the video above or read on for the highlights.

Where In The World

Passport security stickers are commonly used in Asian and Middle East airports. Though not as common as they once were, they are still frequently used by staff to indicate a passport has been checked at some point between check in and boarding. They reason is that some airports want extra diligence in making sure passengers have a valid passport (e.g. not expired) and a visa for their destination, if needed. To reduce any human errors multiple security staff will check your documents and bags. To confirm they have for the next officer, a sticker may be placed to show you were inspected at a given checkpoint.

Removing The Stickers

You’ll want to wait until you clear customs at your destination before removing any security stickers but don’t want too long after arrival. The adhesive gets harder with time to remove but you can make things easier on yourself by using a little bit of olive oil, shown here. Many countries, like the United States, have passport control regulations that can cost airlines a hefty fine if they let someone on without proper documents. So it is cheaper to employee a few additional security screeners and use stickers to double and triple check you have a valid passport than letting even one person have to be deported back on the airlines’ dime plus the fees they’ll have to pay on top.

Garmin Forerunner 970 Review: Top Of The Line For Top Price

by Anil Polat | Jun 12, 2025 | Tech | 0

The Garmin 970 is their new top model Forerunner, a line focused on fitness and running. The 970 replaces the 965 and brings with it a lot of new features but it makes some key compromises at the same time. You can watch my full review in the video above or read on for the highlights.

Stays Slim

The Forerunner line are designed to be light and thin so as to be comfortable when you’re wearing while running or during other sports activities. No exception, the 970 is 47 x 47 x 12.9 millimeters with a 35.3 millimeter display. Gaining 3 grams (now up to 56) the 970 is still light but being slightly heavier is a trade off you’ll likely be okay with.

The lens is now a more scratch resistant material (sapphire crystal) but a bulk of the added weight comes from two big hardware additions.

Light, Listen, And Sound

The 970 now has a built in flashlight with 3 white light modes and a bright red light mode. As bright as most new cell phones a flashlight is one of those features on a watch you didn’t realize you needed until you use it all the time. Garmin have also introduced a microphone and speaker to the 970 so you can now make and take calls with the watch. You can also have it read out kilometer markers or when an activity is starting but a less talked about feature are the new voice commands.

Garmin® Forerunner® 970, Premium GPS Running and Triathlon...

Those work completely offline and let you set alarms, countdown times, activate the flashlight, and a whole bunch of other watch functions with a long press and speaking the command. Voice commands work fairly well, though it can be a bit buggy, I imagine as Garmin improves the feature with software updates over time it will be even more useful.

New Sensors

The 970 now comes with Garmin’s generation 5 Elevate heart rate sensor – a bit more accurate than the gen 4 – and capable of taking electrocardiograms or ECG. The ECG function may be useful in detecting atrial fibrillation, known as Afib, which is an irregular heart beat. The ECG feature isn’t available in all regions and honestly it’s one of those features you’ll use once or twice when you first get the 970 and then probably never bother with again.

The Elevate 5 heart rate sensor can also measure skin temperature and ambient temperature if you take it off for about 10 minutes. There’s a glance dedicated to temperature and when you’re sleeping the 970 uses the temperature readings to better determine your sleep score.

But the biggest jump up for the Forerunner 970 is the new price. The 970 is now $750 (up from the $600 the 965 was sold for new) and as big of an upgrade for Garmin the 970 is, the price will probably keep a lot of people away. You can still get the 965 new at a discount and other manufacturers sell watches with built-in maps for a lot less if you’re wondering if you should buy a Forerunner right now. Garmin decided the Forerunner 970 was going to take a big leap forward but I don’t think anyone was expecting them to do so this much with the cost.

Stop Your Macbook Keys From Getting Shiny

by Anil Polat | May 29, 2025 | Tech | 0

Macbooks are expensive equipment that are fragile in some key places. Anyone who’s owned one is familiar with the keyboard shine that happens over time. While it’s not entirely preventable, it can be slowed down with some regular maintenance.

Here’s how to stop Macbook keyboards from getting shiny.

Why So Shine?

The reason this familiar gloss happens on Macbooks and happens relatively quickly compared to some other laptops is that Apple uses ABS plastic for its keys. ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene and this type of plastic, compared to others used for key caps has some advantages. It is durable and cost effective compared to alternatives.

Apple 2024 MacBook Pro Laptop with M4 Pro, 14‑core CPU,...

What causes the shiny keys, more noticeable and faster than keyboards made with other plastics comes from a few factors. The first is physical – the matte finish of the keys wear down over time from being typed on and since the matte fishing is particularly fine and as thin as possible, this can happen quickly. You’ll also notice it on the keys and parts of the space bar you tend to use most, because that’s where there’s the most and most frequent impact from typing.

The second cause is where you can really slow down the progression of increasingly shiny keys.

Keys To Prevention

Our fingers and hands are producing oil and sweat all day. They’re also really good at picking up dirt – all things that can accumulate on your keys and make them shinier over time. Try, before each time you sit down at your Macbook to wash your hands first. This will help remove excess finger oils and dirt. Also, don’t eat over your keyboard to prevent additional grease, grime, and dirt from accumulating.

WHOOSH! Screen Shine Go 2-Pack – Two 1 fl oz Refillable...

ABS plastic is also particularly sensitive to heat and UV light. Typing outdoors and under the sun especially can slowly degrade the plastic, which you’ll begin to notice as shine, over time. When possible, try to avoid using your Macbook in extremely hot conditions or outdoors in direct sunlight.

Using a cleaning solution like iKlear, which a lot of apple stores use on their display models once a week keeps oil and grease to a minimum and reduces the amount of shine it will accumulate. Macbook keyboard shine isn’t entirely preventable but you can slow it down, and now you know how. If it’s something you’re really worried about you can get a keyboard cover but eventually, the impact of typing – will wear your keyboard out, even if dirt and grease can’t get to it.

How To Avoid Getting Sick After Your Next Flight (And Why You Do)

by Anil Polat | May 22, 2025 | Air, Health and Fitness | 0

Have you ever taken a flight felt great about getting to your destination only to start feeling a cold coming on a day or two later? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, there may be up to an 80% greater chance of you getting sick on a flight, depending on where you’re sitting.

There are a few factors at play but you can reduce your chances of getting sick on your next flight with a little preparation and seating strategy. I show you how in the video above with some tips below.

The Myths, First

Let’s dispel some myths and airplane air, which a lot of people attribute to getting post flight coughs and sniffles. The air that is circulated on planes goes through high efficiency particulate air or HEPA filters and planes do in take some amount of fresh air during the flight. About 50% of the air you breathe on a flight is recycled with HEPA filters capturing about 99.97% of airborne particles over .3 microns in size. That’s enough to filter pretty much all bacteria and a lot of viruses.

HEPA filtration and passenger ventilation systems so good that sitting next to someone on a flight is like standing 2 meters away from someone in an office, grocery store, or… airport. Check in lines, security queues, bathrooms, lounges, there are a lot of people you come into contact with at an airport so that’s where you’re more likely to catch a cold. If catching a cold is something you’re especially concerned about a mask is a good precaution but there are other steps you can take.

Wash Hands And Watch Seats

Make sure to sanitize or wash your hands often and be mindful about where you pick a seat. A study conducted by Boeing, Emory University and Georgia Tech in 2018 indicated there may be a greater chance of getting sick on a flight, with some caveats. Researchers found that sitting in a row with a sick passenger or in front of or behind a sick passenger increased chances of getting sick.

Purell Prime Defense Advanced Hand Sanitizer, Essential...

The study was examining flights with 3 seat rows but a person directly on the other side of the aisle isn’t entirely safe – they had an 80% higher chance of getting sick. For the people across the aisle in the middle or window seat had a 10-30% chance increase of becoming ill.

Gasping For Health

According to Dr. Mark Gendreau, you can create an air curtain using the gaspers if they’re available on your next flight. Gaspers are the name of those adjustable personal air vents familiar to many fliers. Doctor Gendreau says angling them at medium flow so the air is blowing just in front of your face, can create some additional turbulence that might push away airborne germs just enough to keep you from inhaling them or landing on you.

Of course nothing is completely going to eliminate your chances of getting sick right after a flight. And some of the congestion you feel could come down to how dry the air is in cabin. Most plane cabins have 10-20% humidity whereas for most people something 30-60% is more comfortable. When the air gets drier, your body produces more mucus to keep you from drying out too much but as soon as you get off the plane, there’s now too much mucus because it’s more humid all of a sudden, that mucus has to go somewhere and often it’s in the form of a runny nose.

For clogged ears and noses though be sure to use the safe method to equalize pressure again to avoid hearing problems.

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