Gadgets to Travel With

You’ve packed your clothes, your tickets, your medicines and hopefully, all other essentials. But before you shut the main door and head out on that summer vacation, shouldn’t you be packing in some must have gadgets? Oh, and may we recommend adding a healthy supply of moderation while we’re at it… you are trying to get away from it all, aren’t you?  

Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air continues to earn consumer love—it’s fast and slim, with an ace keyboard! The 11-inch variant slips into spaces no larger than what an iPad requires and is a fully-functional computer with a 10-hour battery life. If you’re looking for a budget notebook instead, strongly consider the Asus Eeebook X205. Its 11-inch form factor cuts out excess bulk without sacrificing substance—there’s a comfortable Chiclet-style keyboard, a fast processor, a familiar Windows 8.1 UI, intuitive controls and a 12-hour battery life, all for a sub-15k price point!

Bose QC25

Noise-cancelling headphones are a bit of a revelation when you first use them – and I’m not just talking about the sticker shock that soon follows! Sure, they’re pricey (Rs.21,263), but the Bose QuietComfort 25 are the gold standard for drowning out the sounds of aircraft engines…and the noisy kids on the flight and escaping with your favourite album! If you travel a lot in general, a pair of QC25s is a sound investment. You could also consider the Plantronics BackBeat Pro for nearly the same effect at a much more reasonable price.  

Sony RX100 III

Sure, DSLRs and long-zoom cameras take spectacular pictures, but unless wildlife photography is your calling, the Sony RX100 III is apt for your vacation. It takes stellar images and videos in practically all conditions and, even though the zoom range is limited, the results are worth every penny. Plus, you won’t have to lug around a DSLR and a heavy lens kit!  

Samsung Galaxy S6 

It’s without question the phone to beat this year, but the S6 packs in a ton of stuff that makes it a great travel companion…that’s if you slap on a good case to protect it. For one, it takes great photographs from the front and rear cameras, especially in low-light conditions. The fast charging feature—about 10 minutes of charging gives you around four hours of use—is perfect for the quick splash-and-dash charging before you head out for the evening festivities. But remember that using GPS, maps and camera will discharge the phone at an alarming rate, so picking up a capable power bank like the Xiaomi 10,000mAh variant to top-up your phone when you aren't near a power source may be prudent…and life saving!

Amazon Kindle Voyage

Planning on catching up on your reading? Aim higher with the Amazon Kindle Voyage—with its high resolution screen, it’s the closest you can get to reading on paper without ever cutting a tree…and thanks to its sleek form factor, you can pack in one book (or a hundred) and it’ll fit in just about any corner of your carry-on bag. And when you’re lounging in that beach chair, the new physical page-turn controls will allow lazy one-handed use. It’s a tad pricey though at Rs.16,499. So unless you want the latest greatest, pick up the previous generation Kindle Paperwhite and you’ll do just fine! 

GoPro Hero 4  

If your idea of a perfect holiday involves trekking, rafting, biking, skiing, surfing or pretty much anything adventurous, there’s no way you can avoid the lure of the GoPro—a name that is practically synonymous with adventure sports and capturing a first-person view of all the action. The latest GoPro Hero 4 cameras are available in Black (4K video) and Silver (1080p video), feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for access to the GoPro app on your phone, and can capture up to 12MP photos at speeds of up to 30 fps. Add a waterproof case, and you can capture jaw-dropping underwater videos! Once you pick up a GoPro, phones and camcorders just don’t cut it anymore!

Moto 360

Smart watches are getting better over time, but the Moto 360 earns our recommendation for the most stylish yet functional smart watch for Android devices. Its swipe motion interface offers flight information, turn-by-turn directions and even local weather and currency exchange rates, helping you get around without looking like a tourist!  

Remote Cameras  

Want to keep an eye on your home when you’re away? While a ton of home network cameras from folks like Axis Communications exist, a relative newcomer called Dropcam is garnering considerable attention. Why? One word—simplicity. The $199 Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi camera's picture can be viewed online at any time, and it will send messages and pictures when sound or motion is detected. Plus, there’s a handy add-on feature that lets you keep seven days worth of recording online.

Selfie Sticks

They look silly, but they’re undeniably handy when you’re standing in front of a spectacular view and want to capture the moment, more so if you’re travelling alone. The more innovative models are now Bluetooth-enabled and allow you to take a picture using a button on the handle, instead of having to set the timer. While some are only meant for smartphones, others have a universal screw like a tripod, which allows you to mount cameras like the GoPro.   

Dos and Don’ts

Dos

1 Overseas phone and data roaming are prohibitively pricey. In most places, prepaid plans with some amount of voice and data plans offer significant advantages, and popular tourist destinations have tourist-friendly phone plans with cheaper dialing rates back to India

2 Make room for photos and videos you will shoot on vacation by transferring or deleting files on your phone and camera

3 Especially when traveling abroad, download maps and local information apps onto your phone so that you don’t consume data on Google Maps

4 Keep a back-up of your vital documents on the phone such as passport, tickets, hotel reservations and visas, and ensure your phone is protected via passcode

Don’ts

1 Don’t forget chargers for all your gadgets, extra batteries and memory cards for cameras and travel adapters if you’re travelling abroad. Keep some microfibre cloth handy for keeping lenses and screens clean

2 Use free Wi-Fi to save on mobile data—places like Starbucks and McDonald’s offer free Wi-Fi, as do most hotels. But these may not be secure connections, so don’t punch in credit card details or any personal data

3 Don’t overdo phone usage, unless you have a battery pack handy. To conserve battery life, lower screen brightness and turn off auto-updates. Use GPS sparingly, and if you’re in the wild outdoors with no signal, turn the phone on to airplane mode

4 Don’t forget to geotag photos— allow your phone to add location information to the images. This embedded information will help you remember where you were when you shot that amazing sunset  

olmdesk@outlookindia.com