January was more of French Polynesia. We both agreed that Moorea was the most scenic. Fakarava and Rangiroa had the most exciting diving. Read about it and see the videos in this blog post. We ended the month in the Kingdom of Tonga - known as the Friendly Islands.  See our photo album here. Just one more island stop in Vanuatu and we'll be headed back to Australia and down to New Zealand.

On January 13-15, we participated in the DIY Trip Summit If you are one of the over 200 new subscribers who met us during that event, WELCOME! What happens when 30 travel experts and 6,000 travelers get together online?

Coming Up

Watch your inbox for emails about upcoming shows and times! We will do 1 or 2 of our YouTube shows. Here are a couple on board events we have planned:

• Feb 5 2026 On the Odyssey: Smartphone Basics – iPhone
• Feb 6 2026 On the Odyssey: Smartphone Basics – Android
• Feb 25 on board the Odyssey: Chris will present a "Speaker's Corner" on Bitcoin & Blockchain - what is it and why you should care. Video recording will be available after the presentation.

Review Last Month

We were able to do two of our live YouTube shows in the past month. Each time we also had a Members-Only Zoom meeting. 

• Jan 25 2026 Show316. Tech Tip Hodgepodge and Crossing the Date Line
• Jan 11 2026 Show315. Easy Video Editing for Beginners

Tech Tips

Do you have travel or family videos that you would like to share with friends? Have you tried - and failed - to send them via email or Facebook? YouTube is the best way to share videos - they don't need to be public, you can make them private. This video will teach you all about it.

And, here's a similar video for using your phone to upload to YouTube 0906.OT-Upload to YouTube on phone for more!

Travel Tales: Our Cruising Blog

Recent Tutorial Videos on our Website (see complete listing here)

• 975.OT-Notification Settings in WhatsApp
• 974.GP-Google Photos Partner Sharing
• 973.OT-Getting Definitions Onscreen
• 972.SM-Smartphone Photography Tips for Travelers
• 971.SM-Dropping Pins on Google Maps
• 970.OT-Add Music to Google Slides Slideshow
• 969.SM-Shoot Video in Camera Mode
• 968.OT-Finding Stuff On Our Website

For Members Only

DIY Trip Summit, Smartphone Photography Tips and Sharing Guide

We presented a 22 minute video on Smartphone Photography Tips for the DIY Trip Summit on Jan 15. Now it's available for our premium members as well as the "Google Photos Guide to Sharing your Travels." Reviews from the Summit included:
“Great presentation!  Good pacing, excellent examples and not too much info to absorb.  Really liked the Live photo demonstration and then applying it to an existing live photo.  One of the best talks of the forum.  Many thanks!”

• Tip141: Quick Settings / Control Center
  Learn the quick way to change Wi-Fi hotspots, turn on the flashlight, turn on airplane mode, and more. For both iPhone and Android.
• Tip140: How to Edit Video and Cut out the Middle
  Learn how to cut out the middle on a piece of video using Google Photos or a free Video editing program like Clipchamp.

Bookmarks - a Member Benefit

Have you ever been on the Geeks on Tour website and watched a great video or read a helpful article, then, when you tried to find it again you couldn’t? Now, if you are signed in as a premium member, you can ‘bookmark’ it Read about it here.

Not a member? Join now for only $58/year.