The Nook is only 12 ounces and 1/2 inch thick - perfect for travel.

Being able to consolidate some of my packing into smaller devices is incredibly helpful in dealing with weight limits and sheer bulk when traveling. It was one of the reasons that I was excited about my new Nook. It turns out there are many more reasons that the Nook is a great travel device.

While planning a trip, I establish many files including one for each hotel/car/air/cruise reservation. I also have a file for each destination that gives information on walking tours, restaurants, sights and anything else of interest. Now I can load all these documents on my Nook and carry it with me as my one source for everything. I foresee it being useful in cities as we take a walking tour or scope the territory for a restaurant. The Nook will easily fit in my backpack, my Scottevest or in a handbag. I will be able to leave my travel guides at home.

The Nook isn’t compatible with Word docs so I convert them to PDF files easily and then load them on my Nook. Go to Microsoft.com and download “Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF.” After you download the add-in, open your file, click Save As and then click PDF. Follow the instructions on the Nook website for side loading the PDF file to your Nook and you will be ready to travel.

With the Nook’s capability to increase storage with a microSD card, I can use my Nook’s as my travel MP3 player. The Nook is a multi-tasker: you can read your books or use your files while listening to your music.

I am amazed at how little battery drain there is with the Nook. A very long flight – no problem. Often my Nook only needs recharging every couple of weeks. If you are traveling with a laptop, you can charge your Nook via the USB cable. If you want to plug it in, attach the wall plug to the USB cable and plug it in. Don’t forget if you are traveling internationally to take a converter and transformer.

Load your ebooks before you go, download your music on your microSD card and install it in your Nook and side load your documents on your Nook. Now you have a great travel device!

Still available from Marriott until December 13, is a deal almost too good to be true. Stay at over 300 Marriott properties either a Friday or Saturday night and receive a $100 Marriott Bonus Bucks coupon good for a two night weekend stay between 1/1/10 and 3/31/10 plus a $50 coupon good for $10 off each day on up to a 5 day rental from Hertz good now until 3/31/10.

We just booked a stay at the Chicago Marriott Suites Deerfield for $89 and will receive both coupons. Better yet, we have a $50 Marriott Bonus Bucks coupon that we can deduct from our two night stay with the net result of $149 after taxes. Why stay home?

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What do you get when you shake your iPhone? Sometimes you can find a cheap hotel near where you are standing. How? What does shaking your phone do?

This is one of the most baffling of all technologies to me. I simply can’t comprehend how a signal is transmitted and an app is engaged by shaking a phone. Alright, I am o.k. with plumbing but don’t know how mother boards and circuits work. I admit it. Actually, the shaking establishes your location. But how, I don’t know.

The new app must be shaking everyone up because it is variously listed as the #1 or #5 iPhone app, called Hotel Negotiator. Priceline must be counting the cash. It is made really easy for you because you are given the average successful bid by other Priceline users so that you can make an educated bid (please do underbid).

Shake your iPhone, enter your hotel class (3 stars, 4 stars, whatever you choose) and receive the median successful bid for the last month in the neighborhood where you are standing. Presumably the greatest value or best use is for last minute bookings because of the location identification capability. How many rooms are booked at the last minute? Is that a biggie?

The app is so engaging that it really has a lasting quality. Apps like this are almost enough to get me to abandon Verizon for AT&T but not any time soon. Having William Shatner punch through your phone and cause it to shake sounds like fun.

Travelocity is going one better than their original guarantee of making everything right with your trip. They are now willing to refund the difference between your booked rate and any lower rate on the internet for that property/those dates. Currently they are trying to move your business to their site by offering a $50 refund until the end of the year if you do find a better rate.

Their new guarantee does put the responsibility on you, the customer, to find the lower rate on your hotel for the dates you have reserved through Travelocity. It doesn’t make any difference on which site you find the lower rate, unlike Expedia’s and Orbitz’ guarantees, which is limited to better rates on their sites and only if you find it within 24 hours of your booking. Yapta is your best friend with this guarantee. Enter your hotel and dates, sign up for an alert if the price decreases and then notify Travelocity. It removes all the work and facilitates your refund if you act on it.

Customer service does make a difference to the consumer. This new Travelocity Guarantee makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about them. Here’s hoping it is a positive gamble for them and it starts a challenge to other online hotel booking agencies. It is questionable how many consumers will work to stay on top of their hotel rates to even be able to make a claim. The numbers may be so low that the gamble is low in cost and huge in positive PR. If only more airlines would behave like jetBlue and Travelocity. We would all travel as much happier campers with such transparency on rates and reservations.