Category: Travel

The Ridge Tracker Card Is Better Than An AirTag… Sometimes

by Anil Polat | May 14, 2026 | Security | 0

The Ridge Tracker Card and Apple’s AirTag are two of the most popular tracking devices you can use to monitor your valuables. Both of the devices though come in vary different forms factors – for good reason – and despite it’s limitation, the Ridge Tracker Card can be better than an AirTag, sometimes.

You can watch the full video above and read on for more.

Why The Slim Look?

The Ridge Tracker Card is wallet-friendly with its ID card dimensions while the AirTag has a small puck shape, about the size of a U.S. quarter or 50 cent Euro coin. AirTags are thicker though, so they don’t fit conveniently into wallets, for example. The Tracker Card has a more favorable form factor for slim spaces but that’s because it’s lacking Apple’s Ultra-wideband (UWB) chip.

Ridge Wallet Tracker Card - Tile Slim Tracking Card Compatile...

The UWB lets you visually track a device within about 10-20 meters (more in the AirTag 2) but otherwise you’ve got to rely on Bluetooth and Apple’s Find My network. For most cases, the disadvantages of the Ridge Tracker Card are outweighed by its shape – especially if that means you’re more likely to use it rather than no tracker at all.

The Obvious Fit

Ridge Tracker Cards are ideal for wallets and slim purses because they are credit card shaped. AirTags simply don’t fit well in card holders and your wallet is presumably one of your more valuable possessions. You can still play a chime from the Ridge Tracker Card using Find My, so even though you can visually get a precise lock on it if you misplace your wallet indoors, the sounds should help guide you the rest of the way.

Other good uses include letters and important documents you might have mailed or sent via courier. You can get more precise tracking of those documents and in cases where they’ll be sent back to you (think legal or financial documents) you’ll have an extra layer of reassurance knowing just where they are.

On The Move

Sports gear like belt packs and vests might also be a good place to use a Ridge Tracker Card over an AirTag. The lighter weight and thinnest means less bounce and over long running or cycling distances, ever little annoyance (or lack thereof) can add up. Being IP67 rated also means the Ridge Tracker Card can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes in shallow water, meaning you can use it for swim or kayaking gear as well.

Books, vinyls, and notebooks also make for situations where you might want to use a Ridge Tracker Card over an AirTag. But the Apple is no slouch, here are 8 creative ways to use AirTags.

Woman Fights Back Against Two Phone Snatchers

by Anil Polat | Apr 16, 2026 | Pictures and Video, Security | 0

This is a wild video from South America where a woman fought back against two thieves trying to snatch her phone. The crooks were caught completely off guard, but a lot could have gone wrong here for the victim. Instead of this reaction, in the video above I break down what she could have done to prevented the attempt with the least risk to herself.

How To Protect Your Phone From Forced Bank Transfer Muggings

by Anil Polat | Apr 9, 2026 | Money, Security | 0

In the latest disturbing mugging trend, not only are criminals demanding everything in your pockets, they’re forcing you to empty your bank accounts right from your phone. You’ll need to prepare your mobile from forced transfer muggings, otherwise you could be left with a lot more loss than just a stolen phone.

Here’s what you need to do to protect yourself.

Basics First

Often, the victims of these kinds of robberies are in public but distracted, ironically, by their phones. Thieves are looking for a quick opportunity and catching someone by surprise is a good way to save time and reduce their chances of getting caught. Always be aware of your surroundings in busy areas and if you have to check your phone, do it somewhere indoors or where you feel safe.

Even then, try not to get lost staring at your phone and save anything you need to really concentrate on for home or inside a cafe.

Use Biometrics

Enable Face ID on your iPhone or Face Recognition for Android because there are some key security features tied to them. Also, the PIN on your phone should be unique – make sure it’s not your ATM PIN or used for anything else other than to unlock your phone. Next you want to enable remote tracking features like “Find My iPhone” for iOS or “Find my Device” on Android because those will let you erase your phone if it’s lost or stolen.

When you have facial recognition enabled you can also hide apps or use private space on Android so your sensitive bank apps are hidden and require a face scan to open. It’s not absolute security but in the heat of the moment the robbers will try to get away as soon as possible, so this level of protection makes it less likely they’ll dig deep on the spot.

Go Cold Turkey

I’d recommend not having any of your bank apps on your phone – which sounds crazy – but trust me, you probably don’t need them as much as you think. And if you are going to have one, use a separate account for just your phone. The robbers are going to go for the easiest method so if you do decide to keep a banking app on your phone, make sure it’s bait.

Create a bank account you’ll only use with your phone and keep a very limited amount of money there. You can also set transfer limits on your accounts if your bank allows it so if you are forced to transfer money out at gunpoint, there’s a limit on how much you can withdraw per day. A lot of banks too have privacy and security features that you might not know about. It’s a pain but spending a few minutes to call their customer service or fraud departments and ask what features they have can be useful and if they’re lacking, letting them know it’s important to you or you might go to a competitor, which can be useful feedback.

For apps and services like Paypal, Zelle, Revolut, and Venmo make sure you also set up those accounts with transfer limits and keep no or a very small amount of funds there. Also, don’t connect them to your main bank accounts – only connect them with that secondary account that has limited funds.

You want to insulate your main accounts from your phone’s apps. For more on protecting yourself against forced transfer muggings watch this video.

What It’s Like Traveling In Mecca And Medina Saudi Arabia

by Anil Polat | Mar 12, 2026 | Lodging, Travel | 0

The two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia have long been restricted to outsiders. Some of that has changed in recent years in the case of Medina, but there are still some parts limited to outsiders. Saudi Arabia has strict restrictions preventing non-Muslims from entering Mecca and Medina’s holiest sites are also off limits.

To see inside both cities, you can watch this video from Mecca here and read below for more on both cities.

Traveling To Mecca

The entry point into Mecca is Jeddah for most people. It’s the closest major airport and from there you’ll take a high speed train, car, or taxi into Mecca.

There are checkpoints at the city limits that are casually manned depending on the time of the year. Around the season of the Hajj (the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) there may be more but at other times of the year Mecca is fairly quiet.

There are plenty of hotel rooms to stay near the Great Mosque that are within walking distance and prices are competitive. While the main draw to Mecca are the holy sites, there are other places in the city that remind you it’s an urban center with all the modern elements. Plentiful places to eat, shopping, as well as tours that can take you around to the holy sites in the vicinity.

Visiting Medina

In 2021 the Saudi government opened Medina up to non-Muslims, with some exceptions. It’s best to check the latest rules from official sources but in general the city is accessible and only some holy sites have restrictions. Those include the Prophet’s Mosque and the Quba Mosque but if you want to see inside, you can watch the video below linked here.

In short, visitors have options in some of the holy sites and cities within Saudi Arabia. Traveling is comfortable, modern, and prices on par, if not a little less expensive than western Europe.

Do You Need A Guide To Visit Bhutan

by Anil Polat | Feb 26, 2026 | Advice | 0

Bhutan is a country landlocked in the Himalayas that’s one of the most extraordinary and expensive places to visit. There’s a (now reduced to) $100 a day fee to be in the country and a lack of flights that keeps the masses from visiting. Because of the logistics many people who do want to visit Bhutan, end up having difficulty finding reliable information about it.

You can watch the video above and read the summary below for the most common questions.

Yes, There Really Is A Fee

There’s a $100 a day Sustainability Development Fee (SDF) charged of all foreigners (except for a much reduced version for Indian citizens). You pay the SDF when you apply for the visa, which is around $60 on its own. (It has an infamous 500 error.) You can then book your flights and make the arrangements for a trip and I recommend you look for flights first. (Don’t book just yet.) Bhutan has only one international airport in Paro (here’s where to stay) with only two national carriers flying there – Bhutan Airlines and DrukAir.

There are only flights from a few countries in the region, like India and Thailand, so make sure to have a good idea of your route first as the journey may be longer than you initially anticipated.

A Guide Is Required

There is a lot of confusion about this requirement online and the video above goes in depth. Briefly though, yes, you do need a guide to visit Bhutan with you at all times. Enforcement varies but basically, to enter many of the major tourist sites and temples, a guide is required. You’ll need one to enter any parks too. It’s a requirement Bhutan has in place to protect tourists from the difficult terrain and unpredictable weather.

You can watch these videos to see how the guide requirement is put into practice at various locations. Although technically required, you’ll be able to grab dinner in town without a guide or go to a shop on your own with issues in most cases.

The Bhutanese Department of Tourism has a list of licensed guides though you may also want to hire a licensed driver as well. Sometimes those two overlap but in other cases, you’ll need to hire two people to get around the country.

The Cash Tricks Muggers Don’t Want You To Know About

by Anil Polat | Feb 19, 2026 | Money, Security | 0

In some parts of the world mugging and pickpocketing is a common, advanced art (like slash attacks). With most people unsuspecting, big cities like Paris, Rome, and London can become easy hunting grounds for thieves. All of their tricks have counters though that they do not want you to know about.

Here’s how to handle your cash to thwart even the best of pickpockets.

Diversify

A tactic so simple it’s amazing more people don’t do it – distribute your cash in multiple places. Use your wallet, other pocket, socks, or money belt so that all of your money is not in one place. That way if you get robbed, there are limited loses from a successful pickpocketing. Keep your smallest amounts easily accessible and the larger sums in harder to get places. Carry only what you need and don’t keep it all in one place.

Anti-Theft Travel Wallet Decoy Cards – 6 Fake Credit Cards...

Use The Fold, Luke

Rather than keeping your cash in one big wad, break it up into folds of ones, fives, tens, and other denominations. This way, even if everything is in a single pocket, you can take only a small portion of it out. (Watch the video above to see this demonstrated.) Clever cash folds are another way to lessen the impact of any single, successful theft. Using folds also means you don’t have to take all of your cash out every time for each purchase, when you might only need a small amount. Pickpockets are watching so be careful not to display your valuables.

Decoy The Day Away

In some places it might be worth carrying a decoy wallet loaded with some decoy cards. You can find these sold at just a few dollars and they make a convincing piece of bait for a pickpocket or mugger. They’re effective for times you do have to hand over your purse or empty your pockets in a short time or when confronted. Keep a small amount of cash in your decoy and part with it quickly, knowing the real valuables are still with you.

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