Last year, American Express expanded its Platinum card benefits to include a $200 travel credit, which passengers can use to cover everything from baggage check fees to lounge day passes on the airline of their choice. This benefit did not come without some sacrifice, however — AMEX announced that Continental lounge access would be discontinued after September 2011, presumably related to the airline’s merger with United, which does not offer lounge access to AMEX cardholders.

Beginning today, Platinum cardholders who pay the card’s annual fee of $450 (laughable, unless you happen to travel a ton) can now apply for complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which includes access to over 600 airport lounges, with the notable exception of Continental and United lounges (hence the “Select” branding). With the addition of Priority Pass membership, Platinum cardholders now have access to select KAL, Swiss, Air France, and Air Canada lounges, in addition to the US Airways, Delta, and American lounges that already welcome Platinum cardholders. AMEX also announced that Platinum cardholders would be exempt from standard 3% foreign transaction fees, and can also apply for entry into the US Customs and Boarder Protection Global Entry program, with AMEX picking up the $100 application fee. For frequent international travelers, these additional benefits almost make the card a bargain, especially with employers often picking up the $450 tab.

My friend and former roommate, Laia Prats (who also happens to be an incredible designer), is selling t-shirts featuring her Japanese-inspired original designs. They’re awesome, selling for $19.50, and all proceeds go to the Red Cross to benefit Japan. You can also use coupon code “SPRING2011” to save $10 off an order of $50 or more. Rumor has it other items are coming soon (possibly including an apron), so check back often after completing your first order!

Another equally talented friend, photojournalist Ikuru Kuwajima, has been on the ground in Tokyo for the last week, posting photos on his blog. Keep an eye out for updates, and check the photo captions in magazines and newspapers — you might just be staring at one of his photos. Good luck, Ikuru!

I’ve had a busy week in New Orleans, so I’ll leave you with two of my favorite photos so far. Most krewe members (the generous folks who toss beads to the crowd while riding on floats) are masked, but CNN anchor Anderson Cooper made an unmasked appearance during tonight’s Krewe of Endymion parade in the Garden District.

And below, a pair of NOPD cruisers illuminate discarded bead packaging, as officers force the crowd to exit the street during a parade.

This afternoon I arrived in New Orleans, and I’ll be here through early next week. I’m in town to see a good friend, but as my visit happens to coincide with Mardi Gras, I imagine there will be plenty of photos and stories to share over the next few days. I’ve only been in the city for eight hours, but I’ve already managed to eat crawfish and gumbo, and watch three parades. Though I haven’t seen many iPhones in the city, Apple still had a presence tonight — iMuse (photo above) was one of the final floats in the Krewe of Muses parade in the Garden District.

I’m not one to spend much time watching amateur videos on YouTube, but I stopped working to watch this video of Space Shuttle Discovery’s final launch — shot from a passenger aircraft flying near Kennedy Space Center — over and over for about 30 minutes. Don’t send me any complaints when you end up doing the same! I’ll let the video speak for itself.

Via geek.com.

Like New York City, hotel nights in Paris can range from $250 to $500, and up, so if you’re headed to the city with a family or small group, renting an apartment is likely to be the only affordable option. I just returned from a 4-night stay at an incredible 3 bed/2 bath, 1200 square foot penthouse apartment in the French capital’s 4th arrondissement (an ideal location for tourists) — and the entire stay cost less than a single night in a comparable hotel suite. With five beds and an inflatable mattress borrowed from a French friend, the apartment was able to sleep eight New Yorkers very comfortably (at a cost of under $50 per person, per night).

I found the apartment on VRBO.com (Vacation Rental by Owner), which I’ve also used to successfully book apartment rentals in Hong Kong and Athens in the past. The unit was on the fifth and sixth floors of an elevator building (though the elevator is only large enough to accommodate three people without luggage), included a large, open kitchen, dining and living room on the second floor, along with a private furnished rooftop terrace, with views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (just a 10 minute walk), and Sacre Coeur. Advertised rates range from €300-350 for four people, depending on the season, but from my experience, rates can be negotiated significantly lower during the low season (non summer/holiday months).

Click “read more” for more photos and information about this apartment.

The apartment offers a fully equipped kitchen, with stove, dishwasher, convection oven, two refrigerators, freezer, and electric grill.

The third bedroom is very large, and includes a twin trundle bed.

A somewhat-obstructed view from the rooftop terrace, which also offers (unobstructed, yet distant) views of the Eiffel Tower, Nortre Dame, and Sacre Coeur.

*All photos were taken from the apartment listing, but accurately represent the unit.

I spent nearly two weeks this month and last touring Israel, from the Golan Heights in the north to the Negev (desert) in the south. Over the next two weeks, I’m going to be sharing photos and stories from the trip. Click here for more information.

Even if you’re not a “museum person,” a trip to Yad Vashem — Israel’s Holocaust museum, located in Jerusalem — is a must. The museum was established in 1953, just a few years after the State of Israel declared its independence from Britain in 1948.

The museum recently underwent a significant expansion, so plan to spent at least two hours walking through the exhibits. If you visit with a group, you may even have an opportunity to meet with a Holocaust survivor — an opportunity that will likely soon disappear, as survivors continue to age.

Click the “read more” link for more photos.

With over 800,000 visitors in 2009, Yad Vashem is the second most visited attraction in Israel (after the Western Wall).

Military service is mandatory in Israel, and soldiers are required to visit Yad Vashem. In the photo above, several soldiers guard M16 rifles, as the soldiers the weapons are assigned to explore the museum.

A group of female IDF soldiers listen to a fellow soldier discuss the museum, before the group proceeded to the exhibits.

Click here for a complete list of posts about Israel.

I spent nearly two weeks this month and last touring Israel, from the Golan Heights in the north to the Negev (desert) in the south. Over the next two weeks, I’m going to be sharing photos and stories from the trip. Click here for more information.

Not far from the Galilee Region near the Syrian border, the Golan Heights has an average altitude of 3,300 feet. The area is a popular tourist destination, and is home to much of Israel’s agricultural production.

The area is also home to several kibbutzim — Israeli farms where many of the workers volunteer their time in exchange for room, board, and occasionally a small stipend. In the photo above, visitors observe a newborn calf at a Golan Heights kibbutz.

Click the “read more” link for more photos!

Kibbutzim typically have many agricultural components, from livestock to vegetables and flowers.

The Golan Heights Winery is very popular in Israel — its products are sold in most of the country’s grocery stores and restaurants, representing 18 percent of the domestic market.

The wines are marketed under several brands, including Yarden.

Click here for a complete list of posts about Israel.

I spent nearly two weeks this month and last touring Israel, from the Golan Heights in the north to the Negev (desert) in the south. Over the next two weeks, I’m going to be sharing photos and stories from the trip. Click here for more information.

Today’s post focuses on the city of Tzfat and the Galilee region, both located in the North District of Israel near Syria and Lebanon. The photo above was taken at sunrise at the Sea of Galilee, in the town of Tiberias.

The town of Tsvat is the center of Jewish mysticism. But it’s also a typical Israeli town, with plenty of restaurants, Internet cafes, and nightlife. The town’s high elevation contributes to its seasonal climate, with warm summers and cool winters — it’s not unusual for the town to be blanketed in snow, on occasion.

Click the “read more” link for more photos from Tzfat and Galilee!

As the highest city in Israel, Tsvat sits at an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet.

As certain sacred texts are forbidden from being destroyed, they’re often stored for hundreds of years.

The town of Tiberias is a popular tourist destination, known for its natural hot springs.

Located on the border of Syria, tourists have a clear view of eastern part of the country from the hills near Tiberias.

Click here for a complete list of posts about Israel.

It’s not often that I completely disconnect from the wired world, regardless of where I’m traveling, but on my recent trip to Israel, it simply wasn’t logistically possible to post to my blog each day, as I’ve done on every other trip. It wasn’t a vacation, or a media trip — I participated in a program called Taglit-Birthright Israel, which offers a completely free trip to Israel for young adults (18-26) of Jewish descent. As I’ve just about reached the upper age limit, this was my last year of eligibility. Like many other participants, I’ve become secular enough that many of my friends and professional colleagues didn’t even know that I was Jewish, and one of Taglit’s objectives is to help young Jews reconnect with their heritage, and Israel.

I plan to use the next week or two to share some of Israel’s attractions, but please keep in mind that this blog’s roots are certainly not political — it’s really just about cool tech, incredible places, and good food. I’m going to do my best to avoid commenting on the political situation altogether, instead focusing on Israel as a tourist destination. Many other tourists I met weren’t Jewish, and my trip wasn’t religious or political in nature (like the four photos I chose to display here). So, if you care to discuss Israel’s politics, please send me an email, rather than posting a comment here. Because the trip’s objective was far detached from Middle East politics, and access to media was hard to come by, I wasn’t even able to closely follow the events in Egypt until I arrived in Europe, despite being so close to the border.

I hope you enjoy seeing Israel through my eyes — I had an incredible time, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that spending two weeks without Internet was incredibly difficult.