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A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
I use Wise.com on a weekly basis for international business transactions with low fees, as do most of the people I know running online businesses. So there was a burst of excitement this week when they announced that their multi-currency debit card would be available to US account holders again after cutting us off years ago. Turns out the terms are terrible though, like a 2% fee every trip to the ATM or 2% plus $1.50 if you withdraw 3+ times in one month. Here’s my full take on it: The New Wise Debit Card is a Dud.
Who Drinks the Most Beer?
The Visual Capitalist site always has some fun charts and infographics packed with information. One of the latest is a rundown of beer consumption per capita around the world. If this were a World Cup of Beer, the Europeans would dominate. The Czechs drink almost 50% more than the silver medalist Austria and the next 10 contenders beyond that are all European. Panama is a surprise after that, drinking 81 liters per adult per year, barely edging out Bulgaria and Mexico. Gabon and South Africa rate higher than any Asian nation, with Cambodia being tops on that continent. Australia (#24) and the UK (#25) must be tipping fewer pints these days and craft beer heaven USA is in the passing lane: #27 with 61 liters per year.
Four Destinations to Avoid
When Tony Wheeler gives his opinion on something travel-related, people listen. As the founder of Lonely Planet, the guy who wrote their first guidebooks, he’s earned plenty of respect. In an article titled, “I’m Not Going There Anymore,” he runs down four destinations he won’t return to in their current state. Two of them I’ve never visited and probably won’t: Russia and Saudi Arabia. One I haven’t returned to since the ‘90s because I know it would make me cry: Bali. The last one I have no choice on because I’ve got friends and family there—the USA—but I can’t argue with anyone who has sworn it off for the next few years.
Travel Abroad, Work From Your Home Network
None of us has tried this, but Mark F. of sister newsletter Recomendo sent me this intriguing service for remote corporate workers who want to make it look like they’re still at the home office in Austin, not logging in from Auckland while traveling. Called KeepYourHomeIP.com, this service lets you “work remotely and still appear to be working from home, ensuring that your Internet access is secure and private. This means that your traffic cannot be identified as originating from a VPN service…” At less than $500 for the business option and no subscription fees, it seems like a great solution.
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.