Celebrity traveler: Tech expert Mario Armstrong recharges in St. Thomas

As a technology commentator on NBC’s “Today” show, CNN and NPR, among others, Mario Armstrong knows how to effortlessly translate high-tech topics for low-tech audiences. Despite his expertise, when it comes to travel, Armstrong doesn’t exactly have a teleport. He still relies on the usual trains, planes and hotels. In a brief break from his perpetual parade of gigs, the tech expert chatted with us about where he goes to recharge and the portable devices he relies on to keep him plugged into today’s ever-evolving world.

Click here to read the full interview in the Baltimore Sun.

Keep all of your travel needs in your pocket with these 3 apps!

HLN digital lifestyle expert® Mario Armstrong takes a look at three apps that can help you ‘live better now:’

  • Lemon – a digital wallet that organizes things like your loyalty cards, receipts and coupons to help you spend (and save!) more intelligently. For instance, Lemon lets you throw away those pesky receipts by taking photos of them, then using those pictures for tax purposes or just to track your spending.
  • TripIt – Keep all of your travel itineraries in one spot, from your hotel confirmations to your flight info. All you have to do is forward your confirmation emails over to TripIt and they automagically organize your details in their outstanding app for iPhone and Android! Then when you’re checking in you don’t have to search through your email or dig through a stack of papers—you can just pull out the app and then find your current trip!
  • Yelp – Online yelp works great, but when you’re on the go or in a city you don’t know too well the Yelp app uses your GPS location to find great places to eat or drink near you! An indispensable tool for the frequent traveler who wants more out of their meals than chain restaurant experiences.

Can an app make waiting at the airport more fun?

Waiting and airports and frequent flights are a necessity for many in the business world these days. But can an app make the wait more tolerable? A hot new app that’s getting a lot of buzz here at #SXSW is called Zamp, which aims to do just that. A location-based app that let’s you connect with fellow travelers at the airport, “>Zamp could really help to make that time spend sitting around the airport more productive. What do you think? Is this a service you would use? Leave a comment below and let me know.

CUBED: Road Warrior

In my latest CUBED video for American Express OPEN Forum, I meet up with Theresa Nickels, a marketing contractor and road warrior who spends her days traveling between coffee shops, Internet cafes and on the road to meet with clients all over the map. I take a look at some of the areas she’s having difficulty with, and generate some solutions that free up some precious time so she gets to spend more of it with her kids! Check out the video over at AmEx OPEN.