Category: Travel

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Hotel Room Laundry Tips: Scrubba Review

by Anil Polat | May 15, 2025 | Lodging | 0

Travel long enough and inevitably you’ll be doing some amount of laundry in your hotel room. Whether it’s to get a strain out of a shirt or to avoid paying for pricey hotel washing fees here’s the short, effective, and inexpensive way to clean your clothes.

You can watch the video above and then read on for the summary.

Get Scrubbing

The Scrubba is a specialized laundry bag designed for travel. A Scrubba is the size of a small backpack (think daypack) that can be folded into a small triangle. Once unfurled the Scrubba can hold several pair of socks with a few shirts but anything bulkier like jeans won’t fit.

Scrubba Wash Bag Portable Washing Machine - Lightweight Manual...

In addition to the Scrubba you’ll want to pack some laundry detergent sheets as well. Toss in a few pieces of clothes into the Scrubba, the detergent sheet, then a few more clothes.

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Add water up to the line shown on the laundry bag, fold the top and then clip to close.

Rinse, Rest, Relax

As the name suggests, you’ll be scrubbing but not before letting out any excess air via the blue valve on the Scrubba. The label recommends scrubbing for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, longer for dirtier or stained clothes. At this point I deviate from Scrubba’s recommendations of rinsing immediately. I’ve found clothes tend to get cleaner (and smell a lot better) if I leave them in for a few hours. I’ll use the time to get a meal or sightsee as my clothes soak with the detergent sheet for a while longer.

Then you can start rinsing and dry on a balcony or over the shower rack or door. You can then use a dryer sheet to make all your suitcase contents smell nice and if you need to wash water resistant gear, do this instead.

How Safe Is Rome, Really?

by Anil Polat | Apr 24, 2025 | Security | 1

The capital of Italy has a bad reputation with some media outlets even going as far as calling it a Rome crime wave. Although it’s regularly listed as one of the pockpocketing hotspots in Europe, with some basic precautions you can have a safe trip to Rome.

Here’s what you need to know and there are more details in the video above.

The Hype Is Real And Isn’t

There are an average of 100 pickpocketings a day in Rome which sounds like a lot but with a population of 4.3 million and with an average of 35,000 tourists a day visiting, 100 doesn’t seem so much. Of course that’s no consolation if you get your wallet or purse nabbed so let’s make sure you’re not one of the 100.

The main concern is pickpocketing versus mugging. The former is a covert theft of your personal belongings whereas the latter is a robbery where you are forced to give up your things. Both can happen in Rome like anywhere in the world but for most tourists it’s pickpocketing you need to be aware of.

Eyes In Order

Rome is a magical city that is visually impressive in a way not many can compete with. You’re going to be distracted and can easily fall into a sense of wonder where you’re not paying attention to your immediate surroundings as well as you should. The main sites like the Colosseum and Vatican draw crowds which in turn attract pickpockets. Remember to keep your wallet in your front pocket and purse securely zipped and in front of you, up higher where it’s more within your line of sight.

Backpacks should be worn in front in high traffic areas like metro trains and subway stations. Never leave your bags out of sight even for a moment in cafes or restaurants unless they firmly in front of you.

Ride The Waves

Remember to train your patience and wait for the crowds to break a bit to take photos. A moment or two can transform a tight crowd of people into a wide opening where someone can come up to you as sneakily. Too often travelers rush to get a picture and while focusing on that, lose mind of their valuables. Keep in mind pickpockets are watching the groups of people at touristic hot spots looking for easy targets. By being mindful, aware, and vigilant you can avoid being one of the 100. And if you are planning a trip, here’s how to budget for a vacation in Rome.

A Chiang Mai Travel Guide For Shorter Visits

by Anil Polat | Apr 17, 2025 | Culture, Food, Pictures and Video, Travel | 0

Chiang Mai, Thailand is the kind of place where you plan for a short trip, realize it’s amazing, then make plans to return for a longer stay. You can see in the video why and if it’s your first time, here’s what I recommend you try.

Where To Stay

There are a lot of hotels in Chiang Mai but if you want something central and cozy, Wannamas is a good choice. It’s near the Saturday and Sunday markets, has a home vibe and servers breakfast daily.

Get Coffee And Go

Akha Ama Coffee sources all of their beans from local farms around Chiang Mai. The food is strong and the drinks creative – try the mana mana, a blend of strong espresso, honey, and orange.

As your caffeine buzz kicks in you can walk a few minutes to the nearby Wat Phra Singh. It’s a beautiful complex of several temples with large open spaces, statues, and monks often engaged in meditation. There are plenty of temples in Chiang Mai and in town this is one of the most central. Admission is free to the site, the main temple has a small charge. A short car ride away is Wat Chedi Luang.

Getting Around

To avoid the heat during the day your best bet is to use the Grab app. It’s a local ride sharing service that let’s you pay by car, see how much a ride will cost, and choose from cars to tuk tuks. There’s even an option for electric vehicles if available and overall much more convenient than hailing a cab on the street.

Highlights And Food

There are temples and then there is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This large temple complex sits on a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai and is one of the most interesting, peaceful, and idyllic places that shouldn’t be missed. You can arrange a ride through your hotel or take public transportation up – with the ride being around 30-40 minutes from town. Be prepared to walk when you are at Doi Suthep and plan to stay at least 90 minutes, there is so much to experience here.

There are also some amazing places to eat from street food to the healthiest local Chiang Mai dishes you can find. Don’t neglect visiting Chiang Mai during a trip to Thailand and for some extra fun, plan your trip around Songkran.

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