Traveling in Style
Today’s world is all about being mobile. This does not mean just internet and cell phones, it also means people.
We often think nothing about hopping in a car and driving four, six or even eight hours to reach a destination where we will stay in a hotel for several days while we tend to business, shop or just get away to relax. Back in olden times, it was a major trip to go even three, four or five miles down the road into town on a Saturday night to get groceries for a week or more, make trades with locals for life’s essential items or to even have a little social time where “chatting” meant actually talking face to face with your family, friends or neighbors on the street corner. The trek to town was nothing to write home about, either. A horse and buggy full of kids or maybe an old stick-shift pickup where ma and pa sat in front with the youngest and the rest of the family hitched a ride in the bed (you don’t see that these days!).
But today, we are fortunate to have the options and flexibility of traveling great distances and so easily via a plane, train or car, all while amazingly still staying connected with our family, friends and neighbors through the innovation of Internet, email and cell phones. And, since we literally live in world where both our physical and communications needs are mobile, we might as well do all of our traveling in style and stay connected with just as much ease.
To help us on our journeys, here are a few great new gadgets we’ve found that may help alleviate some of the nomadic burdens we run into when traveling for business, pleasure or both:
Brunton Power Knife ($25) An unusual travel accessory but one that could prove quite handy, this knife-shaped device has three cables that tuck inside the knife. Two are for an iPhone/iPad (using a lightning or 30-pin connector) and one is for Android gear (using Micro USB). A 4th USB cable connects to your laptop or wall charger. The main point: Reducing cable clutter
Royce Freedom Wallet ($99) This passport wallet is about as high-
tech as they come. Made of durable leather, your passport fits in a compartment on one side with room for credit cards and identification on the other side. Tucked inside, there’s a Bluetooth tag that syncs with your phone. If you misplace the
wallet or someone steals it, your phone will start beeping. An RFID shield also protects you from hackers who might try to steal data off the RFID chip in your passport
Mophie Juice Pack S5 Case ($100) One of the best cases you will find for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone, the Mophie Juice Pack uses a large hinge that snaps into place when you insert the phone. When you phones slips down to “almost dead” you can press a button to charge up to 100%. Most importantly, a lip around the front edge protects your phone’s screen in case the worst happens
Leef Bridge 3.0 Mobile USB ($23) On a trip, it’s
sometimes hard to grab files off your phone without emailing them or using a service like Dropbox. This USB gadget connects into any Android phone or tablet using the Micro USB port so you can move files over to the 16GB of storage. Then, connect to your laptop using the USB connector and transfer files
Yubico FIDO Security Key ($18) The big news for business travel is that you can now use a key to unlock your computer. This USB key supports the U2F authentication standard that’s considered unhackable. You can download the Google Security Key for Chrome, load it onto this USB key and STOP USING PASSWORDS. On the road, using the Yubico means no one can steal your stuff!
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 10.1-inch ($300) At .31-inches thick, this highly portable
10.1-inch tablet is the one you want for long plane rides. Books pop up on the screen in crisp 1280x800 resolution, and the Nook series from Barnes & Noble adds a few perks – like free books and magazines (a”$200 value) and a way to read magazines in “article view” mode with a larger font and no pictures
Nokia Treasure Tag ($30) Losing your laptop bag, luggage, or other travel accessories could turn into a nightmare – especially if a hacker steals your stuff. This small tag, which lasts up to about six months on one standard watch battery, connects to any Smartphone that uses Bluetooth 4.0. If you leave an item behind, the tag itself beeps. You can also search for misplaced items
NomadKey ($29) Made from a durable plastic material, the NomadKey, which is only
about 3-inches long, works as a keychain for your car and for your laptop. With the USB end plugged into a laptop port or a wall charger, you can juice up your phone while it’s plugged into the other end, which uses a Micro USB. (There’s also a lightning port version for iPhone users)
TYLT Energi 2K Travel Charger ($40) Most back-up batteries you might bring on a business trip are bulky, heavy and require an extra cable in your bag. This back-up charger has the outlet prongs built-in, so no cable is needed (except for the one you use to charge your phone). You can expect to charge up your Smartphone once from the fully charged battery. Comes in a bright neon yellow or red (to spot one easily so you don’t forget it), or more subtle blue & black
Epson WorkForce DS-40 Color Portable Scanner ($180) In the past, it rarely made sense
to tow along a portable scanner. They just added bulk and extra complexity. This new model from Epson can connect over Wi-Fi and send scanned documents directly to services like Evernote or Dropbox, so no laptop required. As a bonus, the scanner runs on battery power or USB so you can use it anywhere
HooToo HT-TM04 TripMate Elite Versatile Wireless N Travel Router ($47) This multi-purpose gadget solves a few problems. First, it is a portable Wi-Fi router, so if a hotel room only allows one connected gadget over wireless, you can connect eh HooToo using Ethernet and then connect with multiple gadgets. It’s also a two-port USB charger for your phones and tables. Connect a thumb drive & you can share files on a mini network
Griffin Technology Wired Keyboard ($60) Bluetooth keyboards work great with an iPad or
your iPhone. Yet, the one time you really need one, you’ll discover the batteries have died. This new wired keyboard connects into the Apple Lightning port and works without needing a battery or any setup process. There’s also a version that uses the older 30-pin connection on the iPhone 4
BuQu Tech Power Armour Case ($80) The company name deserves a chuckle, but the BuQu iPhone 6 case is no laughing matter. It protects your Smartphone from drops and dings, but also provides back-up battery power for one full re-charge from zero. There’s an LED light that shows how much battery is left in the case; your phone slides in and locks firmly to reduce the potential for scratches
In reality, there are actually hundreds of devices available beyond what is shown here, all created to help simplify your life by saving you time or even money while traveling. These are just a few that we at Pinpoint personally find interesting and valuable while on our daily journeys…no matter how long or short they may be. We hope you see something that you’ll be able to use or that will lead you to another product designed to keep you traveling in style.
