[With technology progressing so quickly and relentlessly, it's difficult to keep up with each new device/synergy/application/mashup. I'm still getting over the fact that my cell phone has an alarm clock AND a tip calculator in it...]
On the heels of advances like digital cameras that can geotag the locations where photos were taken, and in the heels (literally) of the latest generation of satellite-trackable athletic gear, GPS technology is now edging forward the boundaries of self-expression as well. But before we get into that, flashpackers, let’s catch up a bit.
In the past couple of years, digicam producers have been constantly innovative. It seems like every week, new models are released that up the industry standards for megapixels, zoom, video capture, auto-adjustment, even adorability. One of the more flashpacker-relevant advances is the fusion of digital cameras with global positioning systems. The first devices began to appear a couple years ago; accessories like the Sony GPS-CS1 could sync up with digicams to geotag (or identify GPS coordinates of) locations where photos were taken. The newest generation of cameras includes built-in GPS for geotagging on the fly: the GE E1050 and the upcoming Altek camera.
Moving into the athletic realm, Nike and Apple recently teamed up to give you the Nike + ipod. The Nike ‘+’ shoes have a tiny slot carved out in the heel of the left one, beneath the insert, into which you slide a sensor that communicates wirelessly with your ipod. As you run satellites relay information to the ipod, which displays your pace, distance, and calories burned, all the while continuously tickling your auditory nerve with your chosen workout jams. Pretty amazing.
Out-hustled but not outdone, Adidas has joined forces with a Japanese mobile service provider to counter with the GPS Run, an armband with a pouch that cradles your cell phone, whose function is analogous to the ipod in the above description, except that the phone is GPS-enabled. Strapped to your arm as you scurry about, the phone receives real-time information not only on your pace and distance, but also on your route. Assuming your phone also has mp3 playback, it’s a slight step up from the Nike + ipod, albeit one that’s currently only available in Japan.
OK, so we’ve covered digital cameras with built-in GPS and athletic equipment that communicates with satellites as you move around; where does the titularly promised ‘art’ come in? Here.
“Position art” is a concept created for Nokia’s N82 cellphone marketing campaign — I’m not shilling for Nokia, here, I just think it’s an interesting idea — and its occasionally hilarious, eccentric, self-styled genius mascot, Stavros.
Mating modern mapping technology with the human yens to explore and to create, position art turns human beings into paintbrushes, our movements into brush strokes, the planet into a canvas.
Here are some other examples of position art, some more rudimentary than others. But hey, as with all art, my ‘rudimentary’ might be your ‘devastatingly brilliant’.
To find out how to create position art using an N82, check out this blog.
Arctic Pathfinder arranges a wide variety of trips — this is the 
If you’d prefer to tailor a trip for yourself, check out 
Here’s where the space-travel trade stands today: an outfit called 
OK, so leaving the realm of earth’s gravity might be a bit pricey for you and me, but you can trick yourself into believing you’re hurtling through space, albeit for only 30 seconds at a time, for a more down-to-earth $3,950. 
Lest you think we here at The Flashpacker live in a bubble, we have indeed noticed that this isn’t the most awesome year to take that dream adventure vacation. The dollar was weak to begin with, making Europe barely a possibility. With the economy now in a downturn and few airfare bargains to be found, an international trip anywhere may be out of reach for a lot of frequent flashpackers. Where to now?
What struck me as fantastic about about the wineries was that the tastings were cheap ($4 for 16-20 wines on our visit!) and tours are often free. While you’re not going to see the scale of operations you’d come across in better established regions (or, perhaps, the most polished presentation for tastings), you can really afford to hone your pallet and get to know this region intimately (something you’d pay a pretty penny for elsewhere).
4) Ride in style — I got this idea from my friend’s wedding: rent a sporty roadster instead of a regular rental! 
In honor of the upcoming fourth installment of the Indiana Jones movie franchise — only 6 days left, people! — I thought I’d highlight one of the Indiana Jones-est places in the world: el Caminito del Rey (sometimes called el Camino del Rey, it means “the King’s Pathway”). Located in El Chorro, near Málaga, Spain, the Caminito was constructed between 1901 and 1905 to shuttle workers across the gorge between the 
In recent years several visitors have fallen to their deaths while attempting to traverse the path, which can only be accomplished in places by sidestepping on the steel beam and holding onto a wire for support (see the lunatic in the picture at left). It also helps to wear a fedora and have a whip handy.
More than just Israel’s birthday, May 15 is also the day of the year that delivered Hungarian astronomer and Jesuit priest Maximilian Höll to the world, in 1720.
The Devil’s Swimming Pool – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Devils’ Island – French Guiana
Devil’s Tower — Wyoming, USA
Hell — Michigan, USA
“The Door to Hell” — The Burning Crater of Darvaza, Turkmenistan
Hell Crater – The Moon
Sure, they may not be recognized by the United Nations, but they’re countries, too, gosh darn it! They’re micronations, and what they lack in official status, they make up for with self-declared sovereignty and chutzpah aplenty.
Oregon), Molossia has endured upheaval in more than name alone. Prior to denouncing the brief Communist regime (under Premier Kevin Baugh) ten years ago in favor of a democratic republic, Molossia had been a monarchy for two decades.
If you’re planning a flashpacking expedition to Molossia, make sure to email ahead of time. If you’re given permission to visit, you’re legally allowed to stay for two weeks without a visa, but it should take less than an hour to do a proper country tour. Be prepared for a border inspection; should your travel gear include catfish or incandescent lightbulbs, which are outlawed in Molossia, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave them at the gate. Also, Molossian Standard Time is decreed to be exactly 41 minutes behind Mountain Standard Time (though their website appears to be 20 minutes fast, so go figure…), so be prepared for some havoc on your body’s natural clock.
. Check ‘em out, or better yet, start one of your own!
It would be appropriate to mention Jules Verne here, but I never read 20,000 leagues. I’ve also never been to Dubai, but it seems that the closest we’ll get to the 20,000 leagues is probably being built in Dubai.
Or how about the 
