Brandon Muramatsu

Gotta Have Travel Gadgets

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Every morning, and many times throughout the day, I read a number of general news and Mac/technology-specific websites. This morning I ran across a link to this Time Magazine Article on 25 Gotta Have Travel Gadgets via CNN. (I’ll have to cover what I think of CNN’s “sensationalistic” trends of the last couple years in another post. Maybe, if I remember.)

I was very pleased to see the Apple Airport Express as the number one gadget. I know that it’s one of my favorite travel gadgets for the reasons listed (use in a hotel room). I’ve also been able to spend many a meeting providing access for the entire meeting room, as well. Hrm, one wired connection and everyone wants to get on the net? Hrm, hotel wireless not able (and/or too expensive) to meet the needs of the meeting? Well, I might just be able to help out.

So from the list, here are my favorite travel gadgets:

  • Apple Airport Express (#1)
  • Canon Digital Camera (#2, I’m currently using a Canon SD950IS Digital Elph)
  • MacBook Air (#4, Well, I used to have one of these. It is underpowered in the video and memory department, but it was a pleasure to travel with this laptop.)
  • Apple iPhone 3G (#6, These are just plain cool. I can surf the web and read my email from wherever I get service. The web surfing experience is much better than with the Blackberry I had, though reading and sending email was more convenient. I just wish the battery life was a bit better for a full day of travel. And it can get very expensive to use the iPhone when travelling abroad.)
  • Noise Cancelling Headphones (#14, I’m currently using the Bose QuietComfort2 headphones. I’ve had them for I don’t know how long–but they were an upgrade to the original Bose QuietComfort headphones. It’s still loud on a plane or in the terminal, but it’s much more relaxing to wear these while on long trips. My biggest gripe? The Bose headphones take up a lot of space! So, on shorter trips, I use a Etymotic Research ER6i in-ear, noise isolating headphones.)

There are a couple items on the list that I should carry with me: the Kensington Mini Battery Pack and one or two Wine Skins.

What gadgets do I carry that aren’t on the list?

  • iPod (Currently this is a 1G iPod Touch. I want to be able to listen to music and podcasts, and watch movies without fearing exhasuting the battery in my iPhone.)
  • Mouse with a retractable USB cord (A wireless mouse might be more convenient, but I also use the mouse on airplanes and they tend to discourage the additional wireless signals.)
  • Two-prong to three-prong (grounded) adapter (I mostly use this while travelling abroad when paired with a plug adapter.)
  • Retractable Ethernet cables (Usually I carry two of these along with a male-male adapter, for when I have to use wired ethernet.)
  • Ubiquitous USB Flash drives (I usually have a couple of these.)

What’s in your bag?

/by