Sunday, March 2, 2014

Convergence 2014 ! Pre-pre game–Atlanta

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Left for Atlanta this morning (March 1st, 2014). It was cold and foggy in Dallas, so foggy that I had to slow down to read the signs on the highway. Still, I got to the airport on time, to my surprise I was ushered through the TSA Pre-check line. This pre-check deal is the way to go! I got to leave my shoes on, my laptop in its case and my quart-sized Ziploc bag full of toothpaste in my carryon luggage.

As I was walking through the DFW airport on my way to the gate, I noticed an odd product for sale:image

‘N-Tune’ reminded be of a Microsoft product I worked with when it was in beta: image

I thought then that the name was similar to:image

What will be next?? 

 

I boarded one of the newest American Airlines Airbus planes. Wow! The seatback in front of me had an entertainment system, a dedicated three-prong plug and powered USB port. There was even an airbag stuffed into my seatbelt. Take a look:image 

For now, the entertainment system is free, that will change in the future. In the mean time, if you have a chance to book your flight on one of the new Airbus planes, do it.

I had another surprise at the Atlanta airport. They have free payphones! How can a ‘pay’ phone be free? But still, you could call anywhere free for 5 minutes:

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Cab fare from the airport to the convention center is a fixed fare of $40. I opted for the airport shuttle. You can get a round-trip ticket to/from convention center hotels for $29 or $16.50 one way. To take advantage of the shuttle, head towards ‘Ground Transportation’ to get your ticket. It’s a short wait and I was the only passenger. My day was still going well.

A quick trip on the shuttle, not too much traffic:

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At last, I had arrived. I’m staying at the Omni; Sheila Jefferson-Ross will be my roomie. We are in room 1005, if anyone want's to call Smile.

It’s my kind of room – near the elevator. Also, look at this great view right outside my window:

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The Ferris wheel is a light show at night – pretty cool, lots of colors. I’ve never had a ride on a Ferris wheel, perhaps this will be the time!

Convergence will be a real blockbuster this year, as always. More to come!

Until next post!

Leslie

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