iPad: A Perfect Tool for a Vegas Travel Guide

Hi Vegas fans,

Wednesday, Steve Jobs showed us a demonstration of his newest toy: the iPad. The iPad will include iBooks, Apple's version of electronic books. Currently, there are only a handful of publishers that will have books available on the iPad.

Here's a request from me directly to Apple. Please, allow self-publishers to create dynamic books in the same manner you invite developers to create apps. This only makes sense. The iPad has incredible maps and, of course, all the advantages that the world wide wonderful has to offer.

So, why limit iBooks to a two-dimensional, black-and-white copy on a page? Kindle already does this. And while I love Kindle (and by the way I'm keeping mine and I will continue to publish my book via Amazon), it does have a few drawbacks for a book like mine.

Any travel guide should be interactive and serve two purposes. First, it should help people shop for and prepare for a vacation. Second, it should show travelers what they can do once they arrive. So, a useful travel guide will be one that people read before they go on vacation and one that they will use when they get there as a reference. In both cases, a Kindle or an iPad are great gadgets for fulfilling these needs because of their portability. However, the iPad can really shine in this arena.

Think about it this way. Suppose you have never been to Las Vegas. You read Simplifying Las Vegas on your iPad, and you see the street-level view of the Bellagio fountains. Then you tap on a link that takes you to a YouTube video of them. You decide that this is really a cool place and you think you want to stay there, but you want a comparison with other hotels. You look at a Hotels table, and swipe your hand and across a "Price" column to see how the Bellagio stacks up against other hotels. When you're ready to book, you either tap on a link that takes you directly to their booking site, or you select another link that takes you to package deals where you can book your flight and rental car.

It's all right there, and it's interactive. That is what travel books will become, and the sooner iBooks and the iPad support us travel nuts who are ready to develop and write these books, the better. So, Mr. Jobs, I'm here and I'm ready. You can call me any time. Or just visit my website. 8)

Viva,

Mike

The Idea of Las Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,

I've been thinking a lot lately about Vegas (big surprise) and what I love most about it. It was hard to put my finger on it at first, but it came down to this: I love the idea of Vegas.

The idea that you can walk the Strip at 4 am and forget that you have a mortgage or car payments. The idea that at midnight, you can grab a steak at the Golden Nugget downtown. The idea that you can be on the top of the Eiffel Tower one minute and on a Venetian gondola the next.

Or how about seeing a Cirque du Soleil show on a Tuesday night? Or a volcano erupt or a laser light show on a canopy stretched over four blocks? The idea is that anything is possible, that everything is fun, and that escape is certain.

That's what it boils down to, for me. That's what I love about Vegas.

Viva,

Mike

Vegas News n' Notes

Hi Vegas Fans,

Another Harrah's Takeover
Harrah's is set to take over Planet Hollywood. Sigh. I really, really hope that they do not turn this into a boring property with crummy player rules (like 6:5 blackjack, for which they are famous). Not that I was a huge fan of PH, but at least it had a hipness to it. And I'm really not looking forward to the PH website transformation. Chances are, it will morph into another ill-conceived navigation nightmare when Harrah's takes over. Someone please tackle these people and make them stop this nonsense!

Chance to Win a Free T-Shirt
Just tell me which show you think I should see in Vegas (Wayne Newton or Viva Elvis) by voting in the poll on my site. Then add comments to leave your name and email address, or contact me at admin@simplifyinglasvegas.com and tell me which one you voted for, and I'll pick one winner in March to win a cool Vegas T-Shirt. Good Luck!!

And More Free Stuff...
You still have time to win a free Vegas luggage tag, too. Just fill out the survey on my site. I pick one lucky winner every month.

Do you feel lucky? You should! These contests do not cost you anything, and you've got nothing to lose. Enter NOW! Good luck.

Viva,
Mike

The Wonderful World of Electronic Books

Hi Vegas fans,

The New York Times captured all the buzz from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). As expeceted, ebook readers were very hot.

One of the reasons these little wonders are all the rage is because Apple is going to announce in a few weeks that they will throw their hats in the ring (it will either be just an ebook reader or a tablet, depending on which rumor mill you follow). Apple tends to dominate the market when they enter it (think iPod, iPhone), so this could certainly change the game.

Or at least the number of players.

Here's a pretty comprehensive summary of what's out there right now:

http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

That's a lot of ebook readers. And they're expensive. So, if Apple's entry price is high, people may stick with their Kindles and Sonys. For now. I mean, who would spend $500 after laying down $250 or more for a reader? It's not like the iPod or iPhone coming out party, because people either didn't have those devices or had ones that they didn't spend a lot of money on (or didn't mind buying a new one).

Personally, I'm sticking with my Kindle for now. And not because my book is on Kindle. I am actively looking for other readers for my book (Nook, for one, but the kind folks at Barnes & Noble have not answered my emails yet). I just don't need a tablet or a new eBook reader. Kindle does a great job, and Amazon's bookstore has a ton of great books and makes it very easy to search, evaluate, and purchase a book.

Who knows what will happen once Apple makes its announcement. I feel confident that this will be a great time for consumers. I'm always happy when companies start competing this fiercely over products - let them sweat a little so the average Joe can have more choices.

And, no, traditional books are not dead. I think there will always be a market for them. However, I think there's also room for e-books. When I wrote my book, I knew that an electronic version was just a natural fit because I wanted to include a lot of links to other sections and Web sites. Plus the portable nature of the Kindle makes it easy to bring to Vegas with you. Throw in search capabilities and you have a match made in Heaven.

The players may change, but the ebook game is on. Let's hope the consumer wins.

Viva,

Mike

Elvis Presley and Las Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,

Today is Elvis' birthday. He would have been 75. It's still hard to believe sometimes that he's been gone over 32 years. Maybe that's because when I walk the streets of Las Vegas, it's like he's still alive. He left his mark everywhere in the city. He performed a few separate stints at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton) between 1969 and 1971.

And as much as Las Vegas changes, you can find bits and pieces of the memory of Elvis everywhere. Like the small statue of Elvis above the clocks in the Hard Rock Cafe. Like the Elvis impersonators. Like the new Elvis Cirque du Soleil show at Aria. Just to name a few.

I miss some of the fun stuff that bore his name. Like Elvis-A-Rama. Like the free photo you could get with Elvis outside of the Imperial Palace. Just to name a few.

And I miss Elvis. My tribute to him and the spirit of my favorite city remains in my signature. And it always will.

Viva,

Mike

Top 5 Reasons for Visiting Vegas in 2010

Hi Vegas Fans,

It's a new year, which brings new hopes, new dreams, and new excuses to visit my favorite city. Here are my top 5:

5. I feel lucky. That's right, I said the "L" word. For those of us who play advantage games (or at least the ones with little house edge), we're not supposed to think about luck, we're just supposed to play without making mistakes. But a little luck never hurts. Too many times I've had 20 with a dealer showing a 6 only to watch her draw to 21. Not this year, I'm going to be lucky.

4. Wayne Newton. This is going to be his last time around before he retires (probably... after all, his show is called "Once Before I Go." What does that tell ya?). See him now. He's only at the Tropicana for a limited time, and he's a Vegas icon.

3. Great rates. Trips to Sin City will start to get a little more expensive when the economy picks up and as visitation continues to rise, but for now it's still a great bargain.

2. CityCenter. Huge. Massive. And an Elvis Cirque du Soleil show to boot. Nothing says "Vegas" like a ginormous complex of hotels, a casino, and upscale shopping.

1. It's Vegas, Baby! It doesn't matter if you like gambling, shopping, seeing shows, partying, eating, relaxing by the pool, people watching, golf, or going to the spa to relax. Vegas is an escape, and as I turn (gasp!) the big 4-0 this year, I expect to spend my time and money having fun there. After all, that's why I wrote the travel guide and built the web site!

Those are my top 5. What about you?

Viva,

Mike