Must Have Travel Gadgets For Summer 2010

Welcome Rudy Maxa listeners.  Over the weekend of June 12-13, I will appear on Rudy’s show to talk about my recommendations for must-have gadgets for your summer travels.

I’ve broken the list out to categories, based on how I like to travel and things I want to have in my travel bag.

Google's Nexus OneFirst: A Good Mobile Phone. While on the road, you need to be able to keep in touch.  Whether it’s to call the hotel to get directions or to call home and find out how the kids or Grandkids are doing, a mobile phone is essential.

My recommendation is to get a smartphone, because these devices are capable of so much including maps, taking photos, or emailing home.

If you are traveling stateside, I’d recommend the HTC Incredible from Verizon Wireless or Apple’s iPhone.

Going overseas, you will need to have a phone capable of being utilized on foreign networks, also known as GSM.  In this case, the Apple iPhone will be of service, just be sure you activate international calling with AT&T before you depart.  Also, if you would like an Android phone, seek the Nexus One from Google.  The Nexus One is unlocked and can be used with any service provider overseas, unlike the iPhone.

For those who want a more basic phone, check out the unlocked Nokia models at Amazon.com. To me, the best bang for the buck is the Nokia X3.  This will work worldwide and features a great screen and decent camera and can be had for $130…buy this before you travel and you’ll be set.

Portable Computer:

It’s hard to beat a Netbook.  These portable little workhorses can do everything their bigger brothers can do.  However, Netbooks are easily packable, get great battery life, and offer a huge amount of utility for their size and price.

I would recommend the Asus 1005PE which has a 10″ screen and a whopping 13-14 hours of battery life and Windows 7.

Alternatively, you can utilize an Apple iPad.

Digital Camera:

While on vacation, you need to be able to capture the moment.  A new Samsung camera has a unique feature – a screen that faces forward that allows you to take a photo of yourself and see it as it will be taken.  it’s called the Samsung TL220 DualView Camera.

GPS Unit:

The Garmin 1370T provides some amazing features including a 4.3″ screen, ecoRoute, lifetime traffic alerts and Lane Assist that provides guidance on which lane to be in for upcoming exits.  And the 1730T has an important feature – it includes European maps out of the box.  This device goes for $243 on Amazon.

Needed Accessories:

Now that we have all these gizmos and gadgets, what accessories can make them function better.

The Monster Outlets-To-Go Powerstrip provides a compact and easy way to keep all your gear charged up and ready to go.  Power outlets are very hard to come by sometimes in airports and coffee shops, and the Outlets-To-Go gives you power to offer others (you’ll be a hero!).

How do you plan on carrying all this gear around?  The Booq Boa Flow M bag will carry your DSLR camera, laptop computer, and all the needed accessories in a stylish bag that isn’t too bulky.

One major concern when traveling is losing your gear.  A service from GadgetTrak allows you to get your gear back in the event it’s stolen.  With GadgetTrak, you install a package that sits on your computer.  In the event of theft, you activate the software and can see where your PC or Macintosh is at any point in time.  GadgetTrak is also available for cell phones such as BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone (coming soon).

Getting online is always a major problem when traveling.  Sure Wi-Fi is available in many places, but often you have to pay to use it.  Boingo is a subscription service that is a low monthly price (starting at $9.95/month) that gives you access to 125,000+ hotspots.  You can purchase plans for both your laptop and mobile phone.

Truphone is an alternative calling service that allows to call abroad for very cheap all over the world.  See Truphone.com for more information.

One comment on “Must Have Travel Gadgets For Summer 2010
  1. Pingback: My Appearance on Rudy Maxa Show: Travel Gadgets for Summer » Techcraver.com | Craving Tech, Craving Life!

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