Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets… that is mostly what this blog is about if you have not noticed. 🙂 And anyone willing to help me with my gadget addiction is a friend of mine. Below, Sarah talks about a few must have gadgets for travel. I traveled a LOT this past year as you may know if you read my post, Recap of My Year So Far: All Conferenced Out. And I can tell you, I travel with my share of gadgets!
There are all kinds of gadgets on the market for just about any activity you could dream to undertake. If you like to play games, there are computers, consoles, and handheld devices that will fit the bill. If home-centric tasks like cooking, gardening, and crafts are your thing, there are a slew of gadgets to help you plan your activities and improve the results. There is even technology that lets you sit back and relax while your house gets clean (thank you, Roomba!). And of course there are items for sports, music, and pretty much any other type of hobby around. But if you have a passion for travel and you think there just aren’t any tech gadgets out there that can contribute to your experiences abroad, then you need to think again. There are plenty of ways to use technology to your benefit when you hit the bricks or run for the hills.
1. iPhone. There really is no better travel tool than the handheld gadget that provides you with an app for every occasion. You will never again find yourself searching for food, lodging, or a translator with this little puppy on your hip. And you can while away your time spent in transit listening to tunes, checking your mail, catching up on a season of your favorite show, or playing one of hundreds of games available for download. Don’t discount the revolutionary benefits of the worldwide web to the travel community. You can use this virtual travel guide to get you where you want to go (and maybe even find some places you never would have known about otherwise).
2. Swiss Army Knife (with a twist). I know what you’re thinking; a Swiss Army Knife isn’t techy. And you’d be right if it weren’t for the Swissbit Swiss Army 1GB USB Flash Drive. Use it to slice an apple, trim your nails, light up the night, and store your trip photos. All this and it can easily fit in your smallest pocket. That makes it a pretty handy tool for travel. Plus, the USB portion detaches so that you can keep valuable info on your person while you pack the knife in your checked baggage.
3. Airport Express. For those of us who like to stay connected, this little gadget is a godsend. All you have to do is plug your computer into the palm-sized box and plug the box into an outlet. You’ll have instant Wi-Fi that can get you online quickly (as well as anyone in proximity, unless you set a password).
4. Universal Adaptor set. Your luggage can get pretty bulky with all the cables and power bricks needed to keep your many devices charged. So why not get one simple setup to charge them all? Tumi has created the Ultra Slim Universal Adaptor Kit for just this reason. One end plugs into a standard car charger while the other has extensions for just about every gadget on the market, and all in a super slim carrying case.
5. Pocket camcorder. Rather than bringing two cameras (one for still photography and one for video), you can get one device that does the job of both. The Sony Vado takes HD footage (from which snapshots can be pulled), has a USB attachment for easy download, and is about the size of an old-school iPod, so it easily fits into pockets, purses, or packs. Document any trip with ease and upload to Facebook in minutes.
Sarah Danielson writes for Help Desk where you can find all the best in help desk software solutions on the market today.
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