Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome aboard the airplane. Your flight attendant today is the zany, the glitzy, and the outlandish Pam Ann. She may fail to give you the right safety instructions or bring you that Bloody Mary, but if you’re up for some laughs, sit back and enjoy the ride!

Pam Ann, née Caroline Reid, is a well-loved comedian who poses as a fictitious flight attendant regaling her audience with the vulgarities and quirks of airline travel. Her subjects of parody include airline crews, travelers, and the laughably absurd shenanigans that arise within the confines of a plane’s cabin.

Pam’s stand-up routines are in high demand anywhere airplanes fly, which means she pretty much travels around the globe. Below, she shares some of her travel tips.

• Is there a gadget you can’t live without?
  I can’t live without my Blackberry; it is very addictive.
• When you travel, what is the one item you always take with you?
  Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. Great for long haul flights.
• What are you listening to your on your iPod these days?
  Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind”
• What is your favorite city in the world and why?
  New York City inspires me, plus it’s the home of the Pan Am building and the TWA terminal.
• What is your favorite dining spot in the world?
  Le Trois Garcon in Shoreditch, London. My friends own it and they always make feel so welcome. It’s like going home. It’s like walking into Narnia.
• What book is on your nightstand?
  Miracle on the Hudson by William Prochnau and Laura Parker
• Where have you been recently that you liked or were surprised by?
  I toured Germany at the beginning of the year, and I was so surprised at how warm and funny the Germans are. I loved Berlin… it’s bursting with culture and life…it is really a fantastic place to visit.
• What’s the most surprising/unexpected place you’ve ever visited?
  Reykjavik, Iceland. As I flew in, I understood why it’s called Iceland…because it literally is ice. It made me laugh as it’s so obvious — ICE LAND! I was fortunate enough to see the Northern lights… it was magic.
• What’s your favorite vacation spot?
  Mykonos, Greece. I go every year and meet up with very special friends from all over the world. I adore the Greek people, and the food is mouth-wateringly delicious
• Can you offer an insider tip or recommendation for your favorite vacation place?
  In Mykonos, Greece, stay in Mykonos Town…if you have too many cocktails you can just stumble home. Rochari Hotel is really well-priced and gay friendly — I highly recommend it. If you want all the extras, I recommend the Belvedere — it’s also home to Nobu. Both hotels have the same view of Mykonos town. Go in either June/July or September and avoid August when it’s far too busy.

Where in the world will Pam Ann perform next? Well, if you’re in the NYC area from December 27th through the 31st, be sure to check her out at Joe’s Pub or visit Pam’s Facebook page.

Damon Dunn is the poster child for overcoming adversity: he was raised by a 16 year-old single mother and grew up in poverty, but today he is a contender for California Secretary of State in 2010. How on earth did he get where he is today? According to Damon, it all comes down to hard work.  His academic and athletic acumen landed him a scholarship at Stanford University, which ultimately led to a stint in the NFL. After retiring from the NFL, Damon attended Harvard Business School for the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Upon graduation, he co-founded a successful real estate firm.

But Damon isn’t just about academics, athletics, business, and politics. True to his humble beginnings, he has also committed himself to civic services such as mentoring underprivileged and terminally ill children — even while on the campaign trail. Check out his travel tips below.

• Is there a gadget you can’t live without?
  I couldn’t live without my Blackberry. It’s astounding how mobile phones have become multifunctional tools for productivity, entertainment, retail and social networking.

• When you travel, what is the one item you always take with you?
  I take running shoes so that I can get 5 miles in every day.

• What is your favorite city in the world and why?
  Rome. I remember walking into the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, surrounded by people from all over the world, and appreciating this great piece of art.  The history and legacy of Rome has influenced the blueprint of the western world.  Rome reminds me that countries and individuals all stand on the shoulders of others that have labored before us.

• What book is on your nightstand?
  The Bible: it has many good principles that, if followed, transform my attitude and heart.

• What’s the most surprising/unexpected place you’ve ever visited?
  I lived in Berlin for a few months.  I was surprised by the authenticity of the people.  The culture there did not take race or socioeconomic status into account.  People were people,  not status symbols based on their wealth or popularity.

Want to learn more about Damon Dunn? Become a fan of his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/damondunn.

“So, do you get to play a lot of video games?”’

That’s the question I recently put to Maria Stipp, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Owned Properties division of Activision Blizzard (the company behind such hits as Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and more).  Her answer? “I wish I could say my thumbs were worn out from playing video games.  But unfortunately my thumbs take far more abuse from my Blackberry.”

She puts the Blackberry to good use out of the office, too.  An active globetrotter, Maria logs nearly 100,000 miles annually meeting with developers all over the world.  Here are a few of her travel tips:

• When you travel, what is the one item you always take with you?
  Aside from my Blackberry, I always bring dress shoes. Once I forgot them and had to wear running shoes with my new suit to a senior customer meeting.  Not a great look.
• What are you listening to your on your iPod these days?
  This assumes I have the time to listen to music.  I have three year-old twins – you do the math!
• What is your favorite dining spot in the world?
  Currently, I’m loving Pizzeria Mozza in LA.  Nancy Silverton’s crust is amazing.  I love the Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, pancetta, tomato and mozzarella pizza.  And their Brussels sprouts, when they’re in season, are phenomenal.
• Where have you been recently that you liked or were surprised by?
  Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in California. I can have a meeting AND get a two hour massage. Brilliant.
• Can you offer an insider travel tip or recommendation?
  Never give up on upgrades…ask at every airport and hotel. You have to A-S-K in order to G-E-T!
• What’s your best travel story?
  I met Michael Jordan at Chicago O’Hare airport two days before he beat the Jazz for the Championship win!

Thanks for the insider tips, Maria!

You asked for it, and we’ve delivered! Boingo Mobile, our Wi-Fi service for mobile devices and smartphones, is now available on the Blackberry® Curve 8900, Blackberry Curve 8320 and BlackBerry® Bold.

For just $7.95 per month, Boingo Mobile gives you a high-speed alternative to cellular data so you surf the Internet, download large files, upload pictures, and stream video — all on your Blackberry. Usage is unlimited and you can connect all over the globe. That’s right, surf to your heart’s content while you travel for business or pleasure and save on international roaming costs.

To get Boingo Mobile, first download our free login software directly to your Blackberry. The software tells you when you’re in a Boingo hotspot and automatically connects you. Next, sign up via the software; or alternatively sign up on a PC.

We’re constantly working to expand our portfolio of smartphone support, which now includes the Android™, iPhone®, Symbian™ Series 60, and Windows Mobile™ platforms. We know how much y’all love those mobile devices of yours!

To download the free Boingo software for Blackberry, click here.

To download Boingo software for other mobile devices, click here.

To sign up for Boingo Mobile Wi-Fi for your Blackberry, click here.

Read the press release here.

Is your smartphone filling up with applications you rarely (never) use? Welcome to the club.

According to various studies, “smartphone users download many more apps than they actually use,” and “consumers stop using the vast majority of iPhone apps almost immediately.”

If you’re looking for applications you will cherish and use daily, check out Fierce Wireless’ list of top ten mobile apps designed to be part of your everyday life:

1. Aha (free): “…connects iPhone users from across major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle and Washington, D.C., to share real-time information on traffic conditions.”
2. MotionX GPS ($2.99): “…premium location app optimized for the iPhone 3GS, complete with accelerometric-assisted GPS for improved accuracy…indicates and tracks the user’s position wherever they go–not just on street maps, but also topographic and satellite maps, which explains why the software is so popular with runners, hikers, skiers and boaters.”
3. Put Things Off ($2.99): ” …expressly targets procrastinators… encourages users to focus on what’s important each day and ‘put off stuff that’s not’–its touch-based filing system incorporates a series of virtual trays that separate tasks according to priority level, with completed chores disappearing in a puff of smoke.” Available for iPhone.
4. Sherpa (free): “..local discovery application optimized for Android…promises a customized user experience that improves each time you use it, recommending retailers, restaurants and attractions as it begins to understand your likes, dislikes and behavioral patterns.”
5. Snac (free): makes ” it easier to get at popular applications like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr while also offering up news, weather, email and related tools in a user-friendly, at-a-glance format.” Available for various smartphones.
6. 3deep: (free): “…offer users new insight into their contacts’ presence, location and availability…users share information on their current status, whereabouts and preferred means of contact, and the app’s Tell Me When feature indicates whether communications are best initiated via voice, text, e-mail or IM. Users also determine when and with whom they want to share deep presence information, and can limit how much personal data they wish to divulge on a case-by-case basis.” Available for various smartphones.
7. Vlingo (free): “speech recognition app–available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices–delivers a single voice interface that works with native and third-party applications, offering one-button access to contact lists, search tools, local listings and social networking status updates.
8. WeatherBug Elite ($0.99): “live updates from a vast global network of professional weather stations…bolsters live local weather conditions and forecasts with the addition of full radar animation as well as supplementary map layers spanning infrared satellite, humidity, air pressure, wind speed and next-day high and low temperatures.” Available for iPhone, Android, Nokia, Windows Mobile and Blackberry.
9. Wertago (free): location-sensitive mobile social networking app… grand prize winner in last year’s Android Developer Challenge…pinpoints where the action is, complete with real-time ratings, tags and reviews…also tells you which of your friends are already there and includes tools to message and coordinate plans with them.” Available for various smartphones.
10. Zagat to Go ‘09 ($9.99): “…includes over 40,000 reviews from the venerable ratings guide, as well as suggestions covering nightclubs, hotels and retailers…the iPhone version incorporates GPS features to guarantee you don’t get lost en route to that out-of-the way place. Other components of the application include search, reservations, top-rated lists organized by locale and sorting by food, décor, service scores or estimated meal cost.” Available for various smartphones.

Check out the entire article here.

My favorite email magazine, Urban Daddy, recently recommended an interesting travel app called FlightCaster, which“uses a radical patent-pending algorithm to tell you (with high probability) whether your flight will be delayed, or if you’ll be sitting on the tarmac for a while.”

The delay prediction is derived from a number of sources, including weather patterns over the last decade, in-bound aircraft tracking data, and FAA monitoring. Simply put, it’s all about the math, science, and history, baby!

You can use FlightCaster on your laptop by visiting their site. For the iPhone and Blackberry, the application is $4.95 and can be purchased via iTunes and ShopCrackberry.com, respectively.

I’ll give the app a go when I’m next on the road. In the meantime, if you have a flight to catch, try it out and let us know how well it works for you!

Here’s an example prediction:

A recent FierceDeveloper article about mobile OS consolidation got me thinking: if I could save only three mobile operating systems from falling off a cliff, which three would I save? Because let’s face it, there are a lot of mobile operating systems out there, and only so much money and developers to build a truly rich ecosystem.

Frankly, I don’t know which ones I’d save. Working at Boingo, I’ve been exposed to the entire gamut of mobile operating systems and like a good unbiased parent, I like them all for different reasons (okay, maybe secretly, I have my favorites). But clearly, the market is at an inflection point and seems to be heading towards some sort of mobile OS consolidation. So who do you think the three winners will be? Here’s an alphabetized list of mobile OS’s as a reminder:

• Android
• Blackberry
• iPhone
• Maemo
• Palm
• Symbian
• Windows Mobile