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The Bose QuietComfort Noise-Canceling Earbuds Are Made For Frequent Flyers

by Anil Polat | Jan 7, 2021 | Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

The new QuietComfort (QC) Earbuds are the first generation of noise canceling earbuds for Bose and it shows. These are clunky earbuds with an even clunkier case but Bose is hoping you’ll overlook all of the QC’s shortcomings for its superior sound and excellent noise canceling (ANC). For most people, those two features won’t be enough for the pricey price tag but if you fly a lot, then these Bose could just be for you.

Portable But Not Comfortable

At 3.9 x 2.6 x 2.7cm (1.54 x 1.02 x 1.06 in) the Bose QC are relatively large earbuds which noticeably stick out of your ears. They’re not too heavy – 8.5 grams each – and thanks to Bose’s familiar wingtip design the QC are much more comfortable than they look. These larger earbuds though don’t come with longer battery life, hovering around 5-6 hours per bud. The beefy charging/carry case also has a disappointing 12 hours of battery life although it supports wireless charging. (I think most of us would have preferred a bigger battery rather than the space the wireless coil takes.)

Bose QuietComfort Earphones, 2020 Model, Soapstone

A lot of these physical design drawbacks come from being a first gen product certainly but Bose is banking that you’ll appreciate what’s housed inside – not what’s missing.

Impressive Sound And True Noise Canceling

Where Bose does know a thing or two about is sound quality and noise cancellation. First, the sound quality. It is immersive, full, with vibrant tones across the spectrum from highs to mids to lows. When listening to these QC the thought of “these are huge earbuds” becomes “I can’t believe the sound coming out of buds this small.”

That’s the same thought when activating active noise cancelling as well. As the world around you melts into silence (a close competitor to over-ear versions) even with a jet engine screaming in the background the QC show off what they’re capable of. With 10 levels of noise cancellation through the Bose Music app you can go from ambient mode all the way to quiet library.

Travel Trades

Given the powerful noise canceling frequent flyers might be tempted to get a pair of the Bose QC. Yes, the touch controls for volume, noise canceling levels, and pause/play aren’t sensitive enough to work reliably and the charging case is an odd shape that’s hard to pocket. It’s true the QC can’t connect to multiple devices and staying connected is something of an adventure you shouldn’t have to deal with at premium prices.

I’m glad Bose added IPX4 certification, meaning they can reliably survive a splash of water so you can use these in light rain. I like the auto pause when you take the earbuds out. But if it weren’t for the exceptional sound quality and ANC it would be hard to justify the price. For most people it still won’t justify the price but if you find yourself on planes or other noisy situations often, the Bose QC could just convince you.

How To Overcome Your Travel Fears In The New Year

by Anil Polat | Jan 5, 2021 | Advice, Money | 0

The thought of traveling around the world seems daunting but add in the challenge of doing it with no money and it sounds downright scary. Michael Wigge though is someone who did just that in 2013, among other travel challenges. Now, he’s has taken those lessons from the road to teach you how to overcome your own fears. I spoke with Michael on a recent episode of the foXnoMad Podcast and asked how he’s teaching others what fear is and how you can conquer it. Techniques Michael’s had to use himself as he talks in front of large groups as a motivational speaker.

You might remember Michael from this live chat from several years ago when he answered your questions on what it was like to barter his way around the world. In this episode you can listen to here, we spoke about traveling the world for free, Michael’s work as a motivational speaker in Germany, and what it was like getting paid to be a human couch in Las Vegas.

How to Travel the World for FREE: I did it, and you can do it...

It was nice to catch up with Michael after a few years and glean the lessons he’s teaching others from a life of travel challenges with the accompanying highs and lows that comes with the journey. Whatever your goals may be using your fear as a guide rather than an obstacle can make any plan a reality.

How To Get A Refund For Canceled Flights From Any Airline

by Anil Polat | Dec 29, 2020 | Money, Pictures and Video, Travel | 1

The best way to get a refund from an airline who’s canceled a flight on you is to protect yourself at purchase. There are however other ways you can get your money back, even if you haven’t taken some airfare precautions. With flight cancellations being so common lately and the airlines adapting their policies to let themselves off the hook, here’s how you can get a refund for a canceled flight from any airline.

Protecting Your Purchase

Before booking plane tickets you should know that the airlines in general have changed their policies to make re-booking easier in the event they cancel but refunds more difficult. That’s great if you know you’re going to take a trip regardless of a delay but sometimes once a flight is canceled so is that trip. You’d like to get your money back but the airline policies usually won’t help you.

But there is one area where airline policies could still be on your side: frequent flyer miles. Assuming you have enough miles for a given flight, using them to book airfare can protect your wallet against cancellations. Most of the major mileage programs you should be using have different refund policies than regular airfare purchases meaning if an airline cancels a flight, typically they refund your miles back within 30 days.

In case you don’t have quite enough miles for a given flight, if you’re close, consider purchasing the remaining amount. Typically that’s not a good deal but if it’s only a few miles, consider it insurance against losing your entire airfare.

Get Travel Insurance

As the airlines have adapted to an increasing number of flight cancellations, so have insurance companies. Using the insurance aggregator SquareMouth you can search through policies and filter by cancellation refunds (in the case of Covid or otherwise). Once you’ve narrowed down your choices you can choose the coverage that works best for you. An obvious bonus is that you now have travel insurance too if your trip does go as planned.

Check Your Credit Card

Many of you might be relying on protections your credit card might come with if you purchase airfare. Most people though don’t check what those policies are and end up losing money when a flight doesn’t happen. Always verify with your credit card company if you’re going to rely on it for insurance but if a flight is canceled you might be able to dispute the charge. This doesn’t always work and often has to be done within 30 days of the original purchase but something to consider if you don’t have other options.

Keep in mind though your chances of success will be much higher if you call your credit card company rather than using their online tool. It might be more time consuming but could make the difference for you successful dispute.

DroneMate Puts All The World’s Drone Laws On Your Phone

by Anil Polat | Dec 23, 2020 | Air, Site News, Tech, Travel | 0

The world of drone laws and regulations is a confusing and ever changing one. Closer to home, trying to figure out what the local rules are often just as difficult, putting you in danger of fines, confiscation, or worse.

DroneMate, available for iOS and Android, shows you all of the drone laws worldwide, from where it’s free to fly, illegal, or where you need permits. The app also contains all the forms you may need to register your drone in every country it’s required.

In the biggest update to the app since its first release, the DroneMate Premium upgrade now includes 24/7 customer support through the app. You can now subscribe to any of the comment threads under a country, US state, or local jurisdiction, ask your drone questions and get a prompt reply from one of our drone experts. You can also connect with drone pilots worldwide to share you experiences, find out good flying spots, and discuss the latest drone news.

Automatic Location Notifications

Additionally, DroneMate will automatically notify you when you enter a new country, US state, or get near a place where there are specific drone laws (like your local park) so you always know the rules to fly by. You’ll have the complete drone laws, including links to any documents, forms, or registration materials needed will be displayed and it works completely offline!

Works Offline

As always, DroneMate works without an Internet connection, so you have all the drone rules in your pocket, even if you’re flying in remote places. Once you’re back online, the app automatically updates any rule changes, comments, and of course any threads or locations you’re subscribed.

Try It Free For 30 Days

DroneMate is now available available on the App Store and Google Play (the most recent updates are currently in development for Android). You can upgrade to DroneMate Premium within the app, which unlocks all of the features described above and try it free for one month!

I created DroneMate to help drone pilots fly and travel without breaking any of the drone local rules. I genuinely believe that the newest version of DroneMate and DroneMate Premium helps pilots do exactly that – focus on flying and save time and hassle by giving you all the regulatory resources possible on your phone.

Still, DroneMate will continue to involve and improve. Your feedback is important to me so please send your thoughts or feature requests for future updates. Ratings also help get the word out, so if you’re happy with DroneMate, I would appreciate your 5-star ratings!

Is The iPhone 12 Camera Worth Upgrading To Over The iPhone 11?

by Anil Polat | Dec 17, 2020 | Pictures and Video, Train, Travel Unravel | 0

The iPhone 12 has an impressive 7-element lens with 1.6 aperture and slightly wider prime lens than the iPhone 11. But with the iPhone 11 still on sale new from Apple – at $200 less than the 12 – is there enough difference in the picture quality to justify an upgrade or trade in?

Apple iPhone 12 (64GB, Blue) [Locked] + Carrier Subscription

Find out for yourself in the video above which tests your ability to see the differences between the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12. For those of you coming from older cameras (iPhone X and before) both the 11 and 12 will be a significant jump but for everyone else, the improvements are much more subtle depending on what you’re shooting.

The 4th Gen iPad Air Beefs Up To Become A Portable Workstation

by Anil Polat | Dec 15, 2020 | Tech | 0

The 2020 iPad Air is a major jump from previous iterations but instead of getting lighter, Apple’s slightly increased the physical specs to fit in Pro-level features. Before the iPad Air was simply a slimmed down regular iPad, for those looking for a slimmer travel tablet. Once the iPad Pro was announced, there was a massive gap in Apple’s line up between iPads you could type, draw, and actually work on.

Now with the 4th generation iPad Air that gap between the Pro is a blurred line. You can watch the full review in the video here or read on.

Refreshing iPad Air

The 2020 iPad Air sports the same boxy look as the iPhone 12 with flattened edges 6.1 millimeters thick. The bezels – 17.8 centimeter by 24.7 cm (9.74 x 7 inches) – are also smaller and even around the 10.9 inch (27.7 cm) display. The screen can get bright at a maximum 500 nits and this iPad Air works with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, a feature it shares with the iPad Pro.

2020 Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray (4th...

The A14 Bionic chip is snappy as you’d expect but the iPad Air doesn’t have a 120 hertz (Hz) refresh as some might expect. (I did.) Still, this iPad Air creeps on iPad Pro territory while weighing only 458 grams (460g for the cellular version). Another nice touch – the iPad Air also charges over USB-C.

Working With The iPad Air

With all of these Pro-like features, the iPad Air is more of a mobile workstation than a stopgap between your phone and laptop. In other words, the iPad Air can be used as an effective working machine while you’re on the go. It’s powerful enough to handle light photo and video editing, works with the Pencil for sketching, and is compatible with the Smart Keyboard Folio… just like the iPad Pro.

Those additions – being able to type, draw, and edit mean you can use the iPad Air’s 10 hours of battery life for much more than you could with previous generations. It also means the iPad Air is pricier this time around too.

Added Costs, Gravitational Pull In The Lineup

The iPad Air starts at $599 for the 64GB variant ($749 for 256GB), a jump up in price for the line. In a way, you can look at the iPad Air as a smaller iPad Pro that’s come down in price – minus a few niche features (high refresh rate and LiDAR, most notably). Or an iPad that’s gone up in price from the regular iPad, priced at $329.

The differences here are in power and portability. Want more screen, LiDAR, and the fastest processor available in an iPad: the Pro might be for you. But you’re probably not in that category. Only use your iPad for a screen to watch stuff on or keep your kids distracted: the 8th gen iPad might be for you. But you’re probably not in that category. For a majority of you reading this, the iPad Air is the iPad that makes the most sense for the most people. Especially if you’re going to frequently be throwing it into a backpack on your way to anywhere.

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