Mobissimo

All of sudden infographics are all the rage. This one on tips for using your smart phone while traveling is helpful.

• $1,218 & up -- Fly to New Zealand
• $1299 -- Tuscany: Luxury Vineyard Estate Vacation w/Car, Air
• $999 -- Ireland in Autumn: 3-City Castle Vacation w/Airfare
• $1651 & up -- 4-Night Paris Tour in Fall w/Air, Car
• $1561 -- 5-Night Athens Excursion in Fall w/Air, Hotel
• $359 -- 3-Nt. Trip at Miami South Beach Resort from New York
• $479 -- 7-Night Bermuda Cruise w/Hotel Stay, 63% Off
• $389 & up -- Puerto Rico 3-Nt. Vacation w/Air, Half Off
• $549 -- Puerto Rico Beach Trip from New York, Reg. $949
• $499 -- Oceanview: 7-Nt. Mexican Riviera Cruise w/Hotel Stay
• $479 -- 7-Night Bahamas Cruise w/Hotel Stay, Save $400
• $479 -- Oceanview: 8-Nt. FL & Bahamas Cruise R/T from NYC
• $894* & up -- Europe Summer Fare Sale, R/T incl. Tax
• $213 -- NYC to Toronto Nonstop this Summer (R/T, incl. Tax)
• $1789 -- Luxury Madrid Escape in Summer w/Air
• $2188 -- London: 4-Night Summer Trip w/Air, Hotel

The Chronicle published 101 things to do with your kids in San Francisco. We missed on, so we only have 100 of them. But it's a good comprehensive list for parents who live here, but who are visiting San Francisco and fun family activities.

1. Attend a family concert at the San Francisco Symphony.
2. Say hello to the sea lions at Pier 39.
3. Catch a Giants game at AT&T Park.
4. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.
5. Order an ice cream cone at the first-ever Swensen’s on Russian Hill.
6. View the Diego Rivera mural, “Making a Fresco,” at the San Francisco Art Institute on Russian Hill.
7. Step inside City Hall and stand under the dome, which is the tallest in the United States, 42 inches higher than the one in the nation’s capital in D.C.
8. Eat an ice cream treat at the St. Francis Fountain, open since 1918 on lower 24th Street in the Mission District.
9. Stick a penny into "Laffing Sal" at the Musée Mecanique. She's creepy but a classic who came from The Funhouse at San Francisco's Playland at the Beach.
10. Build a sandcastle at Baker Beach.
11. Rent a rowboat at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park.
12. Step inside Mission Dolores, the oldest intact building in San Francisco. The neighboring Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous Ohlone, Miwok, and other First Californians.
13. Play in the water at Julius Kahn Playground in Presidio Heights.
14. Take the Alcatraz tour. Tickets sell out weeks in advance all summer long, but in winter you can score same-day tickets.
15. Pick out a pastry at La Victoria Mexican Bakery on lower 24th Street in the Mission District.Fly a kite at Crissy Field.
16. Fly a kite at Crissy Field.
17. Hike the Coastal Trail where some of the most intact natural habitat in the Presidio harbors rare plants.
18. Visit North Beach’s Washington Square Park in the early morning and watch the groups practicing Tai Chi.
19. Enjoy a picnic at Dolores Park.
20. Ride bikes along the one-mile Lover’s Lane in the Presidio. U.S. soldiers once used the trail to visit their lovers in the city.
21. Look for the wild parrots on Telegraph Hill.
22. Wade in the Bay at Crissy Field Beach.
23. Visit the kittens and puppies at the SFSPCA.
24. Check out books from the Children’s Center at the Main Library.
25. Slurp up a bowl of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) at Turtle Tower in the Tenderloin.
26. Gaze at the Foucault Pendulum until it knocks over a pin at the Academy of Sciences.
27. Take a walk down the Mission District’s Balmy Alley and Clarion Street, the most concentrated collections of murals in the city.
28. Look for turtles in the pond at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
29. Climb over the moon bridge in the Japanese Tea Garden.
30. Attend a sing-along movie at the Castro Theater. "Sound of Music" always plays over the Thanksgiving holiday; other favorites include "Mary Poppins" and "Mamma Mia."
31. Shop for vegetables in Chinatown and use them to make a stir-fry at home.
32. Ride the cable cars all the way from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf.
33. Walk the one-block stretch of Lombard that twists and turns between Hyde and Leavenworth.
34. Zip down the slides, climb up the rope structure, and swing across the monkey bars at Golden Gate Park’s Children’s Quarter, originally built in 1887 and recognized as our nation’s first-ever public playground.
35. Attend the Meet the Animals presentation put on at the Randall Museum every Saturday at 11:15 a.m. Pet a snake, feed a turtle, feel a rabbit’s soft coat.
36. Explore Cayuga Park in the Excelsior. Gardener Demitrio Braceros has transformed this spot right next to the Bart tracks into a wonderland with winding paths lined with wooden sculptures and flowers.
37. Go out for dim sum on Clement Street. Try Wing Lee Bakery or Good Luck.
38. Shop for art supplies at Flax on Market Street.
39. Lick an ice cream from Mitchell’s in Noe Valley.
40. Drive to the top of Twin Peaks.
41. Fill up on French toast with Nutella and fresh strawberries at The Ramp’s weekend brunch. Kids can watch the boats cruise by at this waterfront eatery.
42. Stroll Ocean Beach in the early morning and look for sand dollars.
43. Buy chocolate malt balls at Miette in Hayes Valley.
44. Check out the Fire Department Museum where you can see an engine from 1810.
45. Spend your savings at Ambassador Toys, The Ark or Jeffrey's where you can still find classic, well-made toys.
46. Order the Bullet Train children’s meal at Mifune in Japantown. It comes with cold soba noodles and tempura served on a toy train.
47. Zip down the 25-foot tube slide at the Yerba Buena Gardens Play Circle.
48. Slide across the ice at the Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center.
49. Bike along Golden Gate Park's John F Kennedy Drive on a Sunday when the street's closed to traffic
50. Knock down some pins at Presidio Bowling Center.
51. Ride the carousel at Golden Gate Park.
52. Watch the 4 p.m. giraffe feeding at the San Francisco Zoo.
53. Hike the Land’s End Trail, from the Cliff House to the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Looking down at the rocky shoreline, you can see the remains of three shipwrecks.
54. Order whatever is fresh out of the fryer at Bob's Donuts and Pastry Shop on Polk, and then walk down to Aquatic Park and watch the swimmers and ships pass by.
55. Ride to the top of the Hamon Observation Tower at the De Young Museum. It's free!
56. Take a class at the Cartoon Art Museum. Check out the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Battery Chamberlin, the last six-inch “disappearing gun” of its type on the West Coast. On the first full weekend of each month, take part in demonstrations of the gun.
57. Visit Fort Point and attend the Cannon Loading Demonstration and learn how soldiers were taught to load and fire a Napoleon 12-pounder cannon during a Civil War artillery drill
58. Pet the baby sharks (they don’t bite!) at the Aquarium of the Bay.
59. Attend a family program at the Asian Art Museum.
60. Ride a ferry to Angel Island State Park. Pack a picnic. Go for a hike.
61. Volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank.
62. Check out the three-story-high mosaic portrait of an African girl composed of some 2,100 photos at the Museum of African Diaspora.
63. Sing along with the choir at Glide Memorial Church in the Tenderloin.
64. Marvel at the 100-year-old giant Imperial Philodendron inside the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.
65. Walk around the expansive lobby of the Hyatt Regency.
66. Visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown.
67. Chow down on pizza at Giorgio’s in the Inner Richmond. Vinyl booths, red-check tablecloths, memorable crust, and a children’s night when little hands get to make their own pies.
68. Watch the trains circle round the tracks maintained by the Golden Gate Model Railroad Club in the basement of the Randall Museum. Saturdays only.
69. Suck on a fruity Popsicle from Bi-Rite Creamery in the Mission District.
70. Step aboard the "Balclutha" at the Hyde Street Pier. The 1886 three-masted ship once transported cargo between California and the British Isles via Cape Horn.
71. Learn what makes San Francisco’s famous cable cars move on a tour of the Cable Car Museum.
72. Get a free balloon at one of the city’s many Cole Hardware stores.
73. Create gigantic bubbles at the Exploratorium.
74. Let your imagination run wild during an art class at Precita Eyes in Bernal Heights.
75. Watch Jackie Floyd Jones perform swinging 1920s tunes on her musical saw and guitar with her sidekick, a dancing pink wooden cat, at the Saturday Alemany Farmer’s Market
76. Visit Coit Tower–and ride the elevator that takes you to the top of the 210-foot tower in the elevator.
77. Attend one of SFMOMA’s Family Sundays when admission is free for kids and docents lead family-friendly gallery tours.
78. Stroll the halls of the Ferry Plaza while noshing on a baguette piece from Acme Bread. Outside wave to the boats coming and going.
79. Listen to the ocean’s song at the Wave Organ, just east of the yacht club on Bay Street. When the waves crash over sculpture of PVC pipes sound is created.
80. Walk by the Painted Ladies, a row of elaborately painted Victorians facing Alamo Square Park on Steiner Street. Afterward, play in the park.
81. Catch one of the free summer performances at Stern Grove.
82. Read inspiring words from Martin Luther King Jr. behind the cascading fountain at Yerba Buena Gardens.
83. See a Concord Coach used by Wells Fargo in the 1860s at the Wells Fargo History Museum on Montgomery.
84. Feed the ducks at Mountain Lake in the southern edge of the Presidio.
85. Tap your toes to live jazz on Friday evenings at Bird & Beckett Books in Glen Park. Also browse the wonderful selection of children’s picture and chapter books.
86. Take a docent-led tour of the Haas-Lilienthal House, the city’s only Victorian house museum
87. Zoom down the Winfield Street Slide, nestled away amongst the trees and curvy hills of Bernal Heights, on a piece of cardboard.
88. Spread out a blanket at Russian Hill’s lovely Michelangelo Park. Enjoy a picnic and then take a nap.
89. Say “hello” to Rodin's “The Thinker” outside the Legion of Honor. Inside view the collection of works by El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet, Matisse and Picasso.
90. Savor scones spread with clotted cream and finger sandwiches at Lovejoy’s Tea Room in Noe Valley.
91. Explore Justin Herman Plaza’s Vaillancourt Fountain with walkways that allow you to walk over, under and through its waterfalls.
92. Chow down on a burger and fries at one of the city’s old-fashioned Mel’s diners.
93. Splash around in the Carl Larsen Sava Pool, one of the city’s nicest, cleanest public pools.
94. Kayak along the waterfront.
95. Go for a hike and watch the hang-gliders at Fort Funston.
96. Sit on the dock of the bay at India Basin Shoreline Park in Hunter’s Point, known for its sun, birds, stunning views, and fishing dock.
97. Take the ferry to Sausalito.
98. Pay your respects to artist Keith Haring’s “Three Dancing Figures”–an abstract sculpture featuring brightly colored figures with their arms and legs intertwined–at Moscone Center between Howard and Third.
99. Walk down–or up–the Lyon Street Steps in Pacific Heights.
100. Eat a burrito at La Taqueria on Mission Street.

• $1,218 & up -- Fly to New Zealand
• $669 & up -- Jamaica All-Inclusive Getaway w/Air, $270 Off
• $7 & up -- North Carolina's Coast in Summer: Save up to 40%
• $359 & up -- Bahamas 3-Nt. Getaway w/Air, 55% Off
• $1449 -- 5-Night Athens Excursion in Fall w/Air, Hotel
• $1299 -- Tuscany: Luxury Vineyard Estate Vacation w/Car, Air
• $659 & up -- Cancun 'Secrets' Getaway w/Golf & Air, $600 Off
• $389 & up -- Puerto Rico 3-Nt. Vacation w/Air, Half Off
• $549 -- Puerto Rico Beach Trip from New York, Reg. $949
• $819 -- Cancun All-Incl. Getaway from Los Angeles, Save $300
• $549 -- Bahamas 3-Night Getaway from New York, 55% Off
• $529 & up -- Cabo All-Incl. Trip w/Air & Kids Free, $340 Off
• $715 & up -- Hawaii 3-Nt. Trips w/Air: All Islands on Sale
• $669 -- Ireland in Spring w/Air & Car from NYC
• $219 -- Balcony: 4-Night Bahamas Cruise on Royal Caribbean
• $549 -- 7-Nt. Alaska & Canada Cruise on Norwegian, 63% Off
• $329 -- Oceanview: 7-Nt. Caribbean Cruise on Carnival

Itching to go someplace warm this summer? Want to fly there cheaply so you can use your money to have fun once you get there? Why not try Mobissimo's awesome activity search. You can find it on the normal search, just click the "activity search" radio button or click here. From the activity search page, you enter your origin airport then select from dozens of cool activities like skiing, wine tasting, or scuba diving. In the case of a beach destination, you'd choose Beach. Presto, a list of beach destinations and the price of airfare found by other Mobissimo users in the last two weeks appears. It seriously rocks as a planning tool, test it, let us know what you think.

If you've ever been to Tel Aviv, you know it's vibrant, cosmopolitan city. From Bahaus architecture to falafel, it's got a little of bit of everything no matter your tastes. It's a wonderful city to just walk around and discover on your own, but if you don't have time or want some tips, Cool Hunting has a couple of recommendations for places to visit when you're there. Some of their picks include

• Rothschild 12
• Har Sinai
• Joz & Loz
• Sommer Gallery
• Design Museum Holon

We love lists here at Mobissimo. Especially silly lists. None sillier than "Best Places To Live" because honestly, you can live almost anywhere in the world and be happy as long as 1) you have easy access to strong alcohol and 2) the internet. Which probably rules out places like Saudi Arabia, so we stand corrected perhaps. Regardless, with both these things, no matter how ugly, politically repressive, or cold it is where you live, you can drink and surf, um, the interwebs.  That being said, it stands to reason, that the 5 best places to live in the world should also be 5 places you might like to visit on a vacation. Are we right? You know we are. So without further ado, drum roll please, the 5 best places to live in the world courtesy of some random guy getting paid $.10 a word at the UK Guardian.

1. Portland, Oregon
2. St Pauli, Hamburg
3. Northern coast, Maui, Hawaii
4. Cihangir, Istanbul
5. Santa Cruz, Tenerife

Weekly Deals:

• $1,198 & up -- Fly to New Zealand
• $710* & up -- Nonstop to Europe in Spring (R/T incl. Tax)
• $7 & up -- North Carolina's Coast in Summer: Save up to 40%
• $679 & up -- Caribbean 'Dreams' Vacation w/Air, Save $240
• $142 & up -- Waikiki 1-Bedroom Suite, 30% Off
• $97 & up -- Sale at 9 Maui Hotels, up to 30% Off
• $399 & up -- Bahamas All-Inclusive Vacation w/Air, 50% Off
• $732* & up -- Fly to Scandinavia in Summer (R/T incl. Tax)
• $39 & up -- Summer in Scandinavia: Deals up to 50% Off
• $1129 & up -- Ixtapa 7-Night Vacations w/Air and Transfers
• $799 & up -- All-Inclusive Cancun Vacations incl. Air
• $869 -- Dominican Republic All-Incl. 6-Nt. Trip from LA
• $118* & up -- Canada Sale Fares from NYC (one way)
• $549 & up -- 7-Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
• $2099 -- Cuba: 4-Night Vacation in Havana w/Roundtrip Air
• $499 & up -- Puerto Rico 4-Star Vacation w/Air, 45% Off
• $695 & up -- Hawaii 3-Nt. Trips w/Air: All Islands on Sale
• $669 -- Ireland in Spring w/Air & Car from NYC

If you're a beer aficionado and want to head for the best beer spots wherever you travel, RateBeer should definitely be one of the websites you should consult before leaving. 

RateBeer was founded in May 2000 by Bill Buchanan as a forum for beer lovers to come together and share their opinions of beer and breweries. Established and maintained by dedicated volunteers, RateBeer has become the premier resource for consumer-driven beer ratings, features on beer culture and industry events, weekly beer-related editorials, and an internationally recognized, semi-annual RateBeer Best competition. The community now has thousands of members from more than 60 countries who have rated tens of thousands of beers from around the world. Our mission is to provide independent, unbiased, consumer-driven information about beer and breweries and to enhance the image and worldwide appreciation of beer.

We tested the site out for San Francisco, and though it returned some of the establishments that have been around for a while, it missed the new locations like Southern Pacific and smaller bars with good beer selections like Shotwells. But it's definitely a good website to add to the ones you already currently use to research your trips.

Interesting technology that could prove indispensable for people (e.g. aid workers) traveling in parts of the world where creature comforts are hard to come by. While getting the propane canisters to your destination might be a problem, airlines prohibit them on checked baggage. But if you could figure out how to get them to your destination and just pick them up there, seems like the Heatstick could come in really useful. From GetOutdoors:

• The Heatstick uses a flameless exothermal process for heating the water
• The complete system includes
• Fuelstick - essentially a customized propane canister which provides the fuel to power the Heatstick. Seem to cost about $8 a unit, but you have to buy 10. The extreme Fuelstick (there are 2 other types) weighs 93 g, will heat 6-9 liters of water, and will work in temperatures ranging from -30C - 0C
• Heatstick - this is the actual technology that heats the water, lets call it a "stove" though it doesn't use a flame to heat the water, rather works on an exothermal process. Probably like those bhutane hand warmers. It's not cheap, looks like it costs about $400 and weighs 380 grams for the 1L version. Not the lightest for sure.
• Water bottle - the heatstick screws into the bottle and is submerged in the water. Not sure if other generic bottles like Nalgenes work, seems like it should have been designed to work with Nalgenes and other wide-mouth water bottles.
• Batteries - used to "ignite" the full source and start the exothermal process

Daily Deals:

• $142 & up -- Waikiki 1-Bedroom Suite, 30% Off
• $97 & up -- Sale at 9 Maui Hotels, up to 30% Off
• $94 – Jamaica All-Inclusive Resort w/Waterpark, 55% Off
• $7 & up -- North Carolina's Coast in Summer: Save up to 40%
• $679 & up -- Caribbean 'Dreams' Vacation w/Air, Save $240
• $1514 & up -- All-Inclusive Weeklong Costa Rica Trips w/Air
• $754* & up -- Scotland Fare Sale (R/T w/Tax)
• $399 & up -- Bahamas All-Inclusive Vacation w/Air, 50% Off
• $732* & up -- Fly to Scandinavia in Summer (R/T incl. Tax)
• $39 & up -- Summer in Scandinavia: Deals up to 50% Off
• $1129 & up -- Ixtapa 7-Night Vacations w/Air and Transfers
• $680* & up -- Nonstop to Europe in Spring (R/T incl. Tax)
• $799 & up -- All-Inclusive Cancun Vacations incl. Air
• $799 & up -- 7-Night Alaska Cruise
• $126* & up -- Canada Sale Fares from NYC (one way)
• $549 & up -- 7-Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
• $499 - 7-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise, incl. Credit