There's been a lot of discussion about the benefits of social media in the e-commerce marketplace. What's the return on investment? Who is really listening? How can it really help? The answers aren't always obvious, but over time they become clear. In the travel industry alone, more hotels and airlines have taken to Twitter and Facebook to communicate with their guests, engage their consumers and announce specials and promos that help drive business and repeat customers. But, it's the charitable efforts that really drive home the emotion on social media sites. After all, there's more to travel than fancy flights...

Trending topics on Twitter are a popular way to engage with others and start conversations, but when those 'chats' turn charitable, everyone wins. Enter: Tasty TwEats.

The first and only cookbook created by travelers and conceived from #TNI (Travelers Night In, a weekly Thursday travel conversation on Twitter at 3:30 EDT), Tasty TwEats is a mash-up of all the best food and recipes from around the world, as tried and tested by those who've traveled far on an empty stomach.

The best part? All the proceeds of Tasty TwEats go to charity. You can submit your favorite recipe with a donation, or sponsor a page of the book for a minimum donation of $25. All proceeds of Tasty TwEats goes directly to Planeterra, a global grassroots organization that matches your donations 100 percent. You can choose how your donation is used, either by selecting a specific project or submitting to a non-profit with the greatest need. (All submissions are completely voluntary and no money is exchanged between writers.)

This is the do-good side of social media, and where your travels and recipes can make a difference. For more information click here. And of course, don't forget to follow @Gadling on Twitter and join the #TNI conversations every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. EST.

At this morning's press conference for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, actor Matthew Lewis, who plays the ever-important Neville Longbottom in the movie series, was asked what he thought about Boris Johnson's recent dig at Orlando. The London mayor complained that the theme park for Harry Potter, as a British property, ought to be in Britain.

Lewis doesn't think much of Johnson's media diatribe. And he's an Englishman, by the way.

When money is no object, the objects available are endless.

While the typical shopper waited in line to buy Apple's iPad, London-based luxury designer Stuart Hughes began working on the ultimate iPad for the luxe-lifestyler. Along with his wife Katherine Hughes, the designer adds gold, platinum and precious stones to the newest electronic products to hit the market and creates a product that makes a statement, beyond its original purpose. So, when Apple introduced the iPad it seemed only natural that the Hughes' would add their luxurious touch this piece of coveted technology.

Think you're worth it? Think fast - one of the designers' appeal is that there are only a limited number of items available for purchase.

The solid Platinum iPad SUPREME Edition: The solid platinum and diamond iPad is encrusted with 85.5 cts of 'I'F' Flawless diamonds, a total amount of 173 individually set sparkling diamonds. The iPad alone weighs in at 1.5 pounds, but add the platinum and diamonds to this gem and you'll be carrying around a 6 pound piece of blinged-out technology. The platinum iPad is available in the Wi-Fi & 3G , 64GB versions, but only 5 platinum iPads are available for sale o be made.
Total price: £299,995.00 (about $443,000 USD)

The solid Gold iPad SUPREME Edition: A little lighter that the Platinum iPad, but equally as stunning, is the Gold iPad, which is encrusted with 25.5 cts of 'I'F' Flawless diamonds - a total of 53 individually set diamonds that sit around the 22ct Apple logo on the back of the iPad. The back of the iPad and the perimeter of the screen are made from a single piece of solid 22ct gold, which brings the weight of this beauty to roughly 4.5 pounds.There are only 10 items available in either the Wi-Fi or 3G editions.
Total price: Price - £129,995.00 (about $192,000 USD)

Can't afford one of these priceless pieces? Maybe you should just dress up your iPad with a luxury case from Louis Vuitton.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

Almost three years later, London's famed hotel The Savoy will reopen in the heart of the West End theater district. The landmark hotel opened in 1889 and was shut down in 2007 to undergo a major £100 million (almost $150 million) restoration that includes a complete rebuilding of the property, including all public areas and the guest rooms. Now comes word the iconic hotel will reopen on Oct. 10, 2010.

Here's what we know:

• All of the hotel's 268 rooms and suites have been redecorated and redesigned with a combination of Art Deco and Edwardian. Of the guest rooms, 58 will have river views.
• All rooms offer an extensive array of modern amenities
• The Reading Room will be an intimate, comfortable area for guests
• The new glass dome floods the Thames Foyer with natural light
• The iconic American Bar will once again be serving some of the best cocktails in London
• The Front Hall entry is being restored, including the famous "Idyll of a Golden Age" frieze (the architecture that surrounds the doorways and windows).

In addition to the renovations, the new Savoy will be void of check in/check out hassles -- the hotel is eliminating paper bills for guests to sign and moving to a completely electronic system. The hotel will be staffed with personal assistants including butlers for rooms, transportation services and more for all guests. There will be a fitness center, pool and spa. Three different restaurants, two bars and a tea shop will grace the hotel, as well as private event space for up to 440 people. And of course, as part of the Fairmont family, The Savoy will be part of the group's eco-program and green initiatives.

Check out more of The Savoy's renovation project here.

If you want to hold a business meeting in a hotel lobby where you really don't have any reason to be, it's worth doing a little homework. Pick a hotel without doing a little reconnaissance, and you could suffer an embarrassing moment in front of a potential client or investor. You've worked hard enough for the meeting – and a faux pan may ensure that you won't get another.

Invest some time in choosing the hotel lobbies you want to use (and you should definitely use more than one). Take a day to wander the city and look for big hotels that have spacious seating areas. Conduct follow-up visits to see how the traffic flows through the lobby on different days and at different times. In general, get to know your environment.

Once you have a feel for the hotel lobbies that could define your future, it's time to take a closer look. You want to make sure you have everything you need at your disposal. Keep the following in mind when selecting hotel lobbies to use for business meetings:

Our friends at USA Today are reporting the Best Western hotel in downtown Socorro, N.M., had to close its pool after health authorities found two people who stayed there contracted Legionnaire's disease.

While the New Mexico health department continues to investigate whether or not the pool is the source of the problem, it's important to point out a few things about Legionnaires:

While the cases are rare, they are severe. Legionnaire's disease is an acute respiratory infection usually contracted from infected water that is breathed in or ingested.

Back in December, the Kimpton's EPIC hotel in Miami was shut down when the local health department suspected the same type of problem in the hotel's drinking water. In that case, one of the guests with Legionnaire's disease had died but in the end, the hotel was given the all-clear by health officials and it was determined that the hotel was not the carrier of Legionnaires.

Meanwhile in New Mexico, the Best Western remains open while its pool and spa areas go through a cleaning process, including a thorough inspection of the hotel's water system.

[via USA Today]

Sometimes, it seems like the road warrior's diet is relegated to the extremes. When a company executive is in town for a meeting – you're taking your clients out – it's hefty steaks, heavy cabernets and always more appetizers than a third-world country could consume in a lifetime. When there's no occasion to shape the meal, on the other hand, you're looking at suburban Chinese food illuminated by the glow of your dashboard.

It's tough to strike a balance while you're traveling ... a problem that's multiplied when you do it all the time. Fast food factors into at least one meal a day, and often, it will be your only meal. Caffeine (and, in my case, nicotine) replaced countless breakfasts, lunches and dinners back in my consulting days. Weight fluctuations were obvious. I'd usually drop 20 pounds in a month and a half when switching from a travel-intensive project to a local one.

Though the pressures of the job and the claims on time can impede proper nutrition, it isn't impossible to eat well when you live the life of a wandering white collar warrior. You just have to be smart, plan ahead and commit to keeping yourself healthy.

Here are five ways you can avoid the fast food pits and fattening side-effects of client dinners when living the life of a road warrior:

Last night's first ever Gadling scavenger hunt was a great success. In total, we handed out over $2000 in prizes to more than 20 participants, and judging by the smiles, hugs, free beer and kisses, the prizes went down quite well. Wear those Gadling T-shirts with pride!

Thanks to Piece Brewery and Pizzeria for hosting us, and not minding our massive boxes of swag taking up so much space! But most of all, many thanks to everyone that followed our cryptic and not-so-cryptic tweets, directing them to the secret location. And of course, a very special shoutout to Eye-Fi and Office Depot for providing most of the amazing prizes.

We'll be doing more of these this summer, so pay close attention to the Gadling Twitter feed - and don't worry, other cities will not be ignored!

Of all the "baggage issues" we've covered here on Gadling, this is by far the weirdest/most disgusting. A Southwest Airlines employee contacted police when an incorrectly labeled package turned out to contain 40 to 60 human heads.

The heads were on their way to a Fort Worth medial research company, but the local coroner says the shipment had "discrepancies". According to NBC news in Forth Worth, the company that supplied the heads had their license revoked back in December.

Now, I think we should all spend a moment to think of the horror the poor Southwest Airlines employee has been through - opening a cargo box to discover 60 heads staring at you is a sight he or she will most likely not forget any time soon.

Update: As Southwest airlines correctly points out in the comments, the heads never made it onto a plane - a Southwest Airlines cargo staff member followed all procedures and contacted local authorities before the package was accepted. Kudos to them and everyone at Southwest Airlines for preventing this shipment from making it onto a plane.

One of the more entertaining features of TomTom GPS units is their ability to be outfitted with different voices for spoken directions. Instead of listening to "Jill - US Female Voice", you can be bossed around by Dora The Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and Homer Simpson.

The newest celebrities to join the lineup of available voices are from Star Wars. $12.95 gets you Darth Vader or C3PO - and in the hilarious video clip above, you'll see "Darth Vader" in the recording studio. I've had a few of these voices on my own GPS unit, and while they are mildly entertaining for a couple of trips, the novelty wears off very quickly. Still, it is a fun way to make your boring GPS unit a little less dull.