My guess would have been holographic movies à la Princess Leia or virtual reality movie watching at my window seat. But alas, the future is not so bright, but not so dim so as to be completely disappointed. As this article explores, there’s plenty of new technology in the pipeline to help pass those few hours spent on a plane without having to resort to such mundane activities such as reading (gasp!) or interacting with others (ugh!).

Digital magazines are probably the most futuristic and most likely to be seen soon, since they can both entertain and raise money (duty-free mags) for the ailing airliners.

Wi-fi is still embarrassingly non-existent on most flights (unless you’re on Virgin America or a handful of others), but wi-fi will soon be as ubiquitous as crying babies on most planes in the near future; once everyone figures out how to pay for it, that is.

iPhone-like devices connected to your main seatback screen will let you utilize 3-d maps, make in-flight calls, or fire up some games while you try to avoid that guy who just took off his shoes in the seat over.

In what’s been all the news in the New York media gossip circles lately, it was confirmed today that former NY Observer editor Peter Kaplan is to join Condé Nast Traveller as creative director.

I can’t say that I ever read this magazine (save for my visits to the eye doctor), but I doubt even someone with his credentials is going to liven up this staid publication. (My distaste for the magazine is probably 90% due to the fact that they don’t publish online, frustrating any attempts to blog their stories, the other 10% is due to the fact that it’s hard to come by even one article that appeals to me — “Hide and Chic: Five Islands For Castaways”; “The Hot List 2009: The Definitive Guide To The Hottest New Hotels In The World”).

The oddest part? It was reported by others that “he said his plans post-Observer would include thinking of a new model for journalism.” Hello, no online presence for your magazine? Maybe he will help shake things up a bit. Word to Condé Nast, be careful, there are plenty of great web-only presences (WorldHum, MatadorTrips, GoNomad, BootsnAll, Jaunted, Kathika, Vagabondish) that a few years from now could make you guys obsolete.

David and Brendan over at InDeepFilms are off in Iran taking a truly off-the-beaten-path trip where they’re making videos (12 so far), discovering the country’s culture, and giving the world a rare, somewhat uncensored look at this notoriously sheltered nation.

The above vid is from Esfahan, Iran’s third largest city (home to 3,430,353) and home to Naghsh-e Jahan Square, supposedly the second biggest square in the world next to Tienanmen. As you’ll see, given the quirkiness of travel in Iran, the boys often had to have an official guide with them, and when that guide had no clue what he was doing, he had to hire a guide too. It’s like an episode of “Three’s Company,” with less innuendo. The result: hilarity ensues.

• California to India for under $1,000? Looks like a typo, right? Should be a 2 not a 1? Matt, have you had three too many nightcaps before this post? No, it’s true. And what could make this deal even sweeter? You’re flying Singapore Airlines to get there. Hello in-flight service.

• NYC to/from Denver: $119; Washington to/from Denver: $129; Las Vegas to/from Denver: $59. This from Frontier Airlines, a really cool airline with comfy seats, satellite t.v., and the only carrier in the world that paints cute, furry animals on their planes.

• London during Labor Day for $0. Okay, it’s a contest, and they’re probably using your e-mail to spam you in the future, and if you win you better remember to claim the prize as taxable income. But did I mention the whole trip’s for free (flight, hotel, free booze at London’s St. Pancras International Station)?

Tired of being limited to the few hostels listed in your guidebook? Frustrated by not being able to find a hostel online when you’re away from a computer? This new hostel booking application from Hostel Hero is probably the coolest and best “must-have” item I’ve seen in a while for any traveler on their next trip. With over 19,000 hostels in its database, this app lets you find and book a bed at a hostel pretty much anywhere in the world. You can search prices, check out photos, and see where the hostels are located via Google maps.

The best part in my opinion? Don’t worry about an internet connection. You can download an entire country’s info to your phone so you can search offline while you’re on a train in the middle of nowhere and book once you finally stumble upon a wi-fi spot in town. Way too clever. Now if I only had an iPhone/iPod Touch.

Forbes put together this little article and slideshow highlighting the top 10 destinations for coffee lovers. And we’re not talking cute cafes and dainty espresso machines here, we’re talking about coffee lovers who are so enamored with the aromatic bean that they want to slap on some hiking boots, hop on a bus, and venture deep into Sumatra to see the arabica bean or climb the Blue Mountain region in Jamaica for a glimpse of the Jamaican Blue Mountain variety.

Interesting highlights: I did not know Brazil was the world’s largest coffee producer, Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of the coffee tree, and that Hawaii’s Kona coffee is considered to be some of the best specialty coffee in the world. Now if I could just afford that Clover machine for my kitchen . . .

Discover what it’s like to cruise down the Nile on a Felucca, the traditional wooden sailing boat seen all over the longest river in the world. Not much different than how the Egyptians sailed this river for the past 5,000 years, these voyages allow you to take in the Philae Temple, Luxor, and Cairo at night, all while leisurely gliding down one of the world’s most scenice waterways. The only problem is that you’re stuck on a boat the entire time (never good).

As this article points out, be ready for the good and the bad. The good being the sights and the food (lunches consisting of salads and “accompanying dishes . . . delicious and rich in flavour: garlicky baba ganoush, grainy humus, dense wands of kefta, kebabs and the spiciest mini sausage that convinces you that you really should have just one more”), and the bad (you’re still on a cruise, expect bland entertainment, the occasinal breakdown, and forget about getting lost in the local culture). At least I’m pretty sure you’ll never see any shuffleboard on these boats.

Here’s a list over at havepack.com of the top 10 things you need to bring with you while traveling. A few are no-brainers (#3/4 - guidebooks, #5 - camera, #1 - backpack), but there’s one that I absolutely, completely need and remind myself to buy but still haven’t done so: #10 - a quick drying towel.

I can’t think of anything that smells as foul and as disgusting as the oversize beach towel that I bring along with me on every trip. And no matter how long I lay it out to dry after I shower, the thing still manages never to be completely damp free.

Amazon has quite a few on sale, but this one, the Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel, had the best ratings. So good, that reviewer #3 said he bought one for his mother-in-law for Mother’s Day(?). Yes, he seems to know the way to every woman’s heart: gifts involving practical bathroom accessories.

The NYT is all about Dublin right now. After being mentioned in their article about dirt-cheap flights to Europe (Dublin is singled out for its $312 ticket from Newark — the same one I snagged last month), they also went ahead and published an article highlighting the up-and-coming Dublin neighborhood of Smithfield, just a short walk northeast of the city center.

I have to hand it to David Farley (remember him from this video?), I didn’t even know this was a neighborhood when I was here (I walked through it after seeing the Old Jameson Distillery, but it looked more like an empty street with exceptionally clean cobblestones).

But, apparently if I had stuck around a little longer, I would’ve discovered some of its “shabby-chic” bars, the Light House Cinema (one of Dublin’s few indie movie theaters), or its monthly horse market held on the first Sunday of the month where horses go for as little as 200 euros (perfect souvenir!). It’s worth checking out, but I’m not sure you’re going to need too much time seeing most of this ‘hood. My recommendation is still to head south to Wexford Street if you’re looking for a little more liveliness (it’s Dublin, isn’t that why you’re here?).

If you’re looking for a way to get away from the madding crowds in Cape Town, try these 8 alternative ways to see the city through a different lens.

By Lucy Corne

Cape Town is one of those places that everyone should visit in their lifetime. It has everything: natural beauty, a vibrant cocktail of cultures, belt-expanding food and wonderfully welcoming people. Many attractions have reputations that precede them — I’d heard of the Cape of Good Hope and Robben Island before I had any idea what or where they were — but what if you want to step off the beaten track? The main attractions are undeniably outstanding, but when the swarms of tourists get too much, you might want to seek out a quieter way to enjoy the “Mother City.” Here are eight alternatives to the tour bus favorites.

1) Follow the crowds: Take the cable car up Table Mountain

An original take: Hike to the top of Lion’s Head

Table Mountain tops most people’s list of things to do in Cape Town, but there are more options than just jumping on the revolving cableway to reach the mountain’s flat top. You could join the energetic travelers who hike to the 1,086-meter summit or, for a less congested hike, opt to scale nearby Lion’s Head. It’s a challenging hike that takes in narrow paths, steep drops and occasionally has you grasping on to chains to haul yourself up the rocks. Still it’s all worth it for the stunning views — in my opinion far superior to the vistas from the top of Table Mountain. Of course, since Lion’s Head is just a couple of kilometers away from the mountain, the panoramas are similar: ocean views and the city laid out beneath you. But seen from Lion’s Head you get an added bonus, Table Mountain is part of the view as well. If clambering to the top is not thrilling enough for you, book a paragliding tour and take the more adventurous route back to sea level.

2) Follow the crowds: Sip wine in picture-perfect Constantia

An original take: Down beer at the SAB Brewery in Newlands

South Africa is often associated with wine, but you don’t have to spend long in the country to realize that you’re in a nation of beer lovers. The Ohlsson’s Brewery in Newlands might lack the aesthetic value of the Constantia winelands just south of the city, but the informative tour through a fully functioning brewery makes up for the lack of prettiness. And of course, once the hour-long tour ends, the fun really begins as you’re left in the on-site pub to taste SAB’s many different brews. (more…)

So you’re one of the 4,427,186 visitors heading to Barcelona this year, but you want a leg up on what’s going on and what to do while in La Ciudad Condal? Check out Barcelona ex-pat blogger David Brydon who “started writing blogging” (I think there’s one too many verbs in there) about Barcelona after seeing a real need for non-guidebook sights.

David recommends snacking on some “pata negra” (cured Iberic ham) while near the Boqueria market; getting lost and wandering around the very walkable old town; and, good god, whatever you do, avoid visiting in August when the temperature rises almost as much as prices do, the locals skip town, and tourists crowd the narrow streets like a bad zombie movie (Dave-O recommends going in either June or September for the La Merçe festival).

For the rest of his tips, including the five must-have websites for local events and what you should put at the top of your list to see, click through here.

Kruger National Park, the massive, 7,332-square-mile reserve in northeastern South Africa, is home to 517 species of birds and 147 species of mammals, including the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and the rhino).

The best part? Don’t expect Kruger to be some sort of South Africa-Disneyland: “Kruger is not a glorified tourist trap, but a classical conservation showcase - there has been no need to invent Disney-type cartoon-mouse attractions here. Within its fences, ecosystems function much as they always have, with a little human tinkering here and there.”

No offense Yellowstone, but last time I was there I saw some geysers and a couple of buffalo. You’re going to have to do a little better than that to compete with Kruger. (Yes, I understand, this is not a competition.)

According to the park’s official site, the best time to go is surprisingly enough, during their winter (July to September): “This period is very dry in the bush with very cold night temperatures and therefore chilly during the early morning and late afternoon game drives. Game viewing is generally fantastic as the visibility is good and the game is concentrated around any water source.”

For a chance to really get away, there’s even some job openings there. And you thought your time spent in your cubicle was exciting.

With the Icelandic krona nearly dropping by half to the dollar (44 percent to be exact), Iceland has been experiencing an unprecedented tourism boom since the economic disaster hit this tiny country of just 320,000. Employing an estimated 8,200 Icelanders, the country’s tourism sector hosted 70,000 Brits, 45,100 Germans, and 41,000 Danes in 2008, and 2009 is expected to see a sharp uptick in American visitors, representing a 66 percent increase in tourism since 2000.

So what do to, you might ask? “Iceland is known for its breathtaking scenery, including the Blue Lagoon hot springs, spouting geysers, plunging waterfalls, and glaciers and volcanoes, as well as the Thingvellir national park, a UNESCO world heritage site.” All which can be seen during a trip costing only a couple hundred dollars/euros.

The drawback? Too many tourists. Yup, there had to be a catch somewhere.