That means that I’ve been carrying around various bits and pieces to meet the requirments of gathering this content while travelling.

For anyone interested I’ve been carrying the following:

• A Flip HD Video Camera that is small enough for me to carry in my pocket if I need to but still records great video in high definition.  I’ll upload that video footage when I get home.
• A Zoom H2 audio recorder.  This is a brilliant recorder that is used by professionals and journalists in the field.  It has 4 mikes built in so that you can interview people and also record sounds in total clarity.  It’s an excellent piece of equipment that is relatively cheap, about £150 and is easy to carry and small enough to put in your pocket.  Again I’ll be uploading the audio I have recorded when I return.
• My iPhone, which I think is the best thing ever invented for geeks like me!  I have been able to take quick photos with it and have been able to upload them to our Twitpic account and also to our Twitter account.  We have also used the AudioBoo app to record our daily Nile Cruise Podcasts in our bedroom and upload them to the web.  Plus I have been creating great panoramic photographs that sweep right across the landscape using the Pano app from the iTunes store.  I’ll be uploading the panoramic photos as soon as possible.
• The camera I’m using is a Lumix Digital 12 Zoom model that does almost everything you could want with a camera.  Small, compact and easy to use.  I highly recommend it.
• A Eee Notebook PC which I’m using as the moment to type in the blog post.  It has a 7 inch screen and an 80 GB hard drive so I have been able to upload the viode, audio and photos that I’ve taken each day to free up the capacity on each of those devices.  It small and thin and easily carried in a shoulder bag.  Great device and easy to use.
• All carried in a Pacsafe shoulder bag.  The Pacsafe is made of very tough material that cannot be slashed by a thief and has pockets and compartments that allow me to pack all of the above comfortably.  Best shoulder bag I have ever had.

Finally I’m using Twitter and Twitpic for short posts and updates and also the WordPress iPhone app to add posts like these from my iPhone which I’ve had to do as this is the first time that I have been able to access WiFi from a hotel or Nile cruise ship.  So when I didnt’ have access to the web that way I was able to upload posts to this blog from my iPhone.

I’m not sure the costs I have incurred by using my iPhone to do these things but I think it’s worth it as I have been able to do so many things whilst out here on the road.

I hope some of the above has been of interest to someone out there and please feel free to ask my any questions if you want to know anything about any of the devices I’ve been using.

I know people think Twitter is just a waste of time for people with nothing better to do with themselves but I strongly disagree.  If you have any interests at all, whether it be bird watching, cycling or reaggae music, you will defintely find some really interesting people and resources by using Twitter.

You can use Twitter Search and put in the search term that you are seeking and you are bound to find some really useful and fascinating people using Twitter.

If you then add them to your TweetDeck you will be able to see, periodically, the latest Tweet posts that they have made.  By doing so you will find a whole bunch of really interesting information and resources that you would otherwise probably not come across.

At college, (all those hundreds of years ago!!) we endured a subject called “Information Technology”, which, in the days when personal computers were not even in existance, was the most boring subject imaginable.

The “Technolgy” bit was fine, but there was no “Information”.  I absolutely hated it.  But now, using these faboulous developments such as Twitter, etc, etc, Information Technology is the lifeblood of the Internet.

“What’s this got to do with Nile Cruise Photos and Costco?” I can hear you say…

Well yesterday, from a Twitter post, I came across a wonderful site belonging to a really interesting and talented man called Kirk Mastin.

The first post I came across was a description of how Kirk uses his iPhone to take photographs and then, using Costco’s Desktop Kiosk facility sends his chosen photographs to his local Costco, (in the US), to print out for him, at sizes reaching 18 x 12, for just $2.50.

So, knowing that Costco have various branches in the UK I went onto their site, (www.costco.co.uk) and found that they operate the same system in the UK and that you can have 18 x 12 prints made for just £2.50!!

How good is that?

So if you have some really good photos from your Nile Cruise that you would like to do something special with then why not use Kirk’s method, email them over to your local Costco and get some really big prints made showing them off in all their glory.  They even have a “Canvas” option where you can have them made into really big canvas prints.

To read more about Kirk’s idea please visit his site, it’s full of great ideas and examples of his photography.

By the way, the way I found Kirk’s site was because I was searching on Twitter for things about the Flip HD Digital Video Camera that I’ve just bought and Kirk had a “Tweet” that came up because he’s an enthusiastic user of the Flip too.

We’ve been using Twitter for a fair number of months now and are using it increasingly to let people know about any developments or any great offers available within the Nile Cruise market place.

Our Twitter address is http://twitter.com/NileCruises

You can follow our “Tweets” (postings) by simply clicking on “follow” on our Twitter screen and keep up to date with developments here at Nile Cruises 4u.

If you are a Twitter user then I can recommend Tweetdeck which allows you to organise things so you can get the most out of using it.

(Hope all those mentions of tweets and twitter made sense!!).

The reason for the title is that for the last few months I’ve been using Twitter (the micro-blogging utility) to post short 140 character posts about Nile Cruising.

My Twitter posts might be details of late deals, perhaps Nile Cruise info or other things that I think people thinking about Nile Cruises might be interested in. It might just be information about the Nile Cruise office and staff.

Anyone who “follows” me on Twitter can see whenever I make a Twitter posting and, if necessary, can act on upon it.

So, say we had a great last-minute offer, I could post it up on Twitter and someone might spot it quickly enough to grab a real bargain.

That’s a really simple way to describe Twitter and why I use it.

Another way to look at Twitter is that anyone who follows me on Twitter may well be able to get a much more rounded picture of us here at Nile Cruises 4u. In other words rather than just seeing us as a travel company selling Nile Cruises they may get a much greater knowledge of us that may one day encourage them to book with us or at least try us for their next travel arrangement. Perhaps because they may feel they know a little bit more about our company and perhaps as individuals..

The reason I mention Zappos, is that a little while ago I read an article about Tony Hsieh who is the CEO of the the famous and highly successful web-based US shoe retailer. Tony is an active Twitter user himself and blogger who, I feel sure, feels that by using these new “Web 2.0″ developments is helping his company, “Zappos” build and strengthen their online presence and helps towards creating a greater, social presence. Tony also encourages other members of his staff to blog.

As I found the article fascinating I went onto Twitter and subscribed to Tony’s Twitter feed

His Twitter posts and his blog posts help to give an real impression of the man who helps steer his company through these strange days of financial challenges and by being open to interaction with his customers and potential customers in this way is helping to build his business and brand using the tools available to him that allow him to “talk ” to these people on the very platform on which his company make most of their sales…the web.

Zappos website even has a “Zappos TV” channel.  Take a look.  They create a daily (or pretty regular) video which really shows how the Zappos staff look at life.

In fact you only need to read the 10 Zappos Core values below to see what their approach to business life is:

1) Deliver WOW Through Service
2) Embrace and Drive Change
3) Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4) Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5) Pursue Growth and Learning
6) Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
9) Be Passionate and Determined
10) Be Humble

Isnt’ that great?  I know if I was in the US I’d by stuff from them because they seem a great bunch of people with a great approach to business.

I’m not sure my Twitter and blog posts are as interesting relevant as Tony’s or whether we’ll ever be funny enough to create the Nile Cruise TV Channel but I’m going to persevere nonetheless as…I enjoy it!!

Twitter is almost like a “micro-blogging” system.   This Blog is on Wordpress, which is a blogging “platform”, and Twitter is a “micro-blogging” platform.  The difference is that Twitter “posts” limit you to just 140 characters.  Now you see where the phrase “micro-blogging” comes from.  So you are pretty limited as to what you can say.  However its’ ideal if you just want to let people know about something quickly.  well almost instantaneously.

You can “subscribe” to peoples “Twitter” feeds if you find someone’s posts interesting or useful.  I subscribe to a number of Twitter feeds from people who’s blogs I follow and, if you are interested in keeping up to date on what we post here on our main Nile Cruise Blog then you can follow our Twitter feed here.

Hope that made sense by the way!!

I’ve just come across TwitterFeed which is a great program for a geek like me. What happens is that when publish a post here on the Nile Cruises 4u website a Twitter entry appears and shows my “Twitter Followers” the brief details.

I know that sounds really techie if your not into things like this but I find it really interesting. Sad, eh???