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Best Technology For Long-Distance Travel?
Posted by
kdawson
on Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:09 AM
from the unbeaten-path-warrior dept.
from the unbeaten-path-warrior dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Over the past year I have traveled across the globe for work but I can't seem to find the right balance of technology to take with me. After reading a CNET article about tech for traveling, I'm still slightly undecided about what hardware suits me best. On the work side of things I need a laptop, nothing fancy but it can't be too heavy or slow. I also need a smart phone that can receive emails across the world and if possible a satellite navigation device, as I need to get to less-traveled locations on a regular basis. From a personal perspective I need my music but I don't care about video, so I'm looking for something with high-quality audio and great battery life. A compact camera wouldn't go amiss but dSLRs are too heavy for my needs and carrying strength, so something I can tuck in a pocket would be perfect. Any suggestions greatly appreciated."
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Firehose:Best technology for long-distance travel? by Anonymous Coward
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Hmm... I think (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hmm... I think (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hmm... I think (Score:5, Informative)
best camera (Score:5, Informative)
Thus you want a camera with digital image stabilization, as good wideangle as possible and at least 5 megapixels. Last time I did the round up (a few months ago) there were surprisingly few cameras that met these conditions - mostly because most of what is on the shelves in "Best Buy" (not best for at least several years) does not have any wideangle whatsoever.
My purchase was Panasonic Lumix LX-2 [dpreview.com] which, at the time, was not available in any store in Boston so I had to order it from Vahns. I was not disappointed and even found the movie mode to be useful - it has a higher resolution than my camcorder (which is NTSC like) and, best of all, the movie files are mpeg4 encoded and play readily on my Kubuntu systems.
Re:best camera (Score:5, Insightful)
Something that takes normal AA or AAA batteries.
Spare yourself from taking a million adapters that may or may not work, plus it's less devices to plug in once in the hotel.
Addendum (Score:5, Interesting)
First, I wiped it clean. Next I set up two accounts, on that I would use, the other set to be the default, no password login, in case customs wanted to see what I was up to. Browsing was done through an SSH tunnel to my home proxy server (mainly because my own blog was on China's great firewall) and any files I wanted to keep were SCP'd back home.
Web mail is better than a POP app, as long as you avoid Nigerian net cafés and use your own laptop. Skype seems fine everywhere.
Take a pocket digital too. The one you have from a few years ago. Use that for all of the crap photos you will inevitably take and save your film for the good stuff. Upload all of the digital junk to Flickr or whatever from your hotel every day, so you won't worry about losing it.
For the real pictures, use film and take your time to enjoy it. Slow down and write down your impressions of the place and give it some real thought.
Enjoy your trip.
Re:Ideal Solution (Score:5, Funny)
Come on, everyone knows the answer to that ... (Score:5, Funny)
A towel and a copy of your HHGTTG,
And maybe a hammer to whack Marvin with. If he's going to be so depressed all the time, might as well give him a reason to be.
Asus eee pc (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Asus eee pc (Score:4, Informative)
I've only had it a few days, but the keyboard already feels completely usable, and the ridiculous boot times and portability (and cost) can't be beat IMHO.
The touchpad is as usable as the touchpad on my thinkpad (though I am a fan of the IBM nipple pointing device when you have to make do without a mouse), but it does work well (I guess if touchpads fundamentally sucked Macintosh laptops wouldn't ship with them).
I'm not sure about installing XP personally, unless there's a compelling reason to do so, when you can get Ubuntu with that 3D visual bling that seems to run great on this little machine based on youtube videos floating around. I'm holding out to the base software mostly because boot times would suffer with anything else, and it comes with just about anything you would actually need to get work done with a portable computer. Firefox, flash, MS Office Docs, and multimedia all just work with less (zero) tweaking than with a windows computer
I was impressed with the OQO (had a chance to play with one extensively) for portable computing, but the price difference makes it a no-brainer for me. In fact, work would have paid for either of the two, but I'm a Linux (GNU OS really?) fan, so a workable command line meant that my job will refund me 400 bucks instead of a couple of grand
If your work is mostly Photoshop (or Gimp) then a tablet might make more sense
YMMV, of course, but I'm happy as a clam with the eee pc
+1 Mobility, but -1 Strength (Score:5, Funny)
DSLR vs. compact (Score:4, Informative)
The perfect is the enemy of the good. (Score:4, Insightful)
Someday, we'll all be wearing digital clothes and contacts like in Rainbows End and it will meet all your needs. Until then, you're going to have to choose between carrying a few different gadgets and giving up capabilities.
P.S.
Does the "the government can revoke your certificate and kick you off the net" idea freak anyone else out? It sounds like Vernor Vinge understands trusted computing.
HTC TYTNII (Score:4, Funny)
Quad band GSM, 3.5G data, bluetooth, wifi, 3.0 MP camera w/autofocus (no flash)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Kaiser [wikipedia.org]
As for music, I have a 2 gig micro sd card (You need more than 2 gig b/c typ nav prog and maps run 1-1.5 gig) and have it loaded up with phil hendrie (I love ted's of beverly hills steak house) and some music. Helped me get through many 70 hour weeks in the office. Use BTaudio to toggle audio redirection to the bluetooth headset if you don't have something that does a2dp.
Built in GPS great. You don't plan on getting lost, you just do. Having a GPS always in your pocket has saved me many times.
I must warn you though, many users are royally 3.14ssed about the video performance due to "missing drivers". see http://htcclassaction.org/ [htcclassaction.org] and http://slashdot.org/firehose.pl?op=view&id=469774&from=badge [slashdot.org] for more info.
Grump
Just do your own research. (Score:4, Insightful)
Want a small laptop? Eee for price, ThinkPad/Macbook Air if you have an unlimited budget, or Toughbook and such, etc. Global Smartphone? Blackberry on quad-band GSM. Music? iPod Nano or Shuffle for battery life. Compact camera? Just go out and get one. Dpreview.com and dcresource.com are both good sites, and they're all compact, portable, and great for traveling. Look for ruggedized and/or waterpoof models if that's an issue to you, or look for models with manual controls if that matters to you; otherwise they're all pretty similar these days.
Don't know about sat nav.
Your question is so vague it's worthless. Who doesn't travel or use electronics on the go these days? Simple, basic answers are all you're gonna get unless you can be more specific with your requirements. What's your total budget, and how much do you want to spend on each device? Which countries are you going to be traveling to? Japan, Europe, Africa, Antarctica -- they all present different situations and challenges. Which sorts of environments -- standard business, outdoors, high-mobility? And how much weight are you planning on carrying? If a DSLR is too heavy, do you really want to lug around a bunch of gadgets everywhere you go?
Re:Just do your own research. (Score:4, Informative)
From what he said I think I know what he needs. A Nokia e90. My wife has the e61 and it does 90% of the computing tasks I need. Wi-Fi, 3G, phone, office documents, acrobat, web browsing with Opera, Blackberry support, exchange, & Skype. The e90 is big enough to do any office task on and small enough to take with you. It has 2 cameras (one 3m with flash) and is a great MP3 player. If you don't believe me read Maddox's review of the iPhone vs. e70 titled "The iPhone is a piece of shit, and so is your face." [thebestpag...iverse.net]. Granted the e90 is a little different than the e70 but who is going to notice that the e90's balls are made out of tungsten instead of steel with kicking them? Plus it runs on Sybian, a great OS with lots of support and not a bitch of M$ or a BSD rip off with flashing colored baubles.
You know it is a great product because the US cell phone companies will only sell a crippled piece of shit version (e62) in the US.
Re:Just do your own research. (Score:5, Informative)
I think you meant Symbian [wikipedia.org] not Sybian [wikipedia.org].
No Laptop (Score:5, Interesting)
Sure you might want to work on the airplane while you fly over the ocean. Print it out, bring a pen.
Ridiculous shill (Score:4, Funny)
By far the best tech for long distance travel is.. (Score:5, Funny)
A Couple Thoughts... (Score:5, Insightful)
First, you don't need your music. You simply want it.
Second, anything you return to the USA with may be taken at the border and searched, including computers and storage devices. Be aware of the information you're traveling with, and where it's backed up otherwise.
Thirdly, don't take anything you can't afford to lose. The USA are not the only border guards you'll face, along with all the other predators out looking to take advantage of the richly equipped foreign traveler.
Re:A Couple Thoughts... (Score:5, Interesting)
Everything you have when you travel can and will be lost (one day or another). I have had laptops, external hard-drives (including ipod), flash drives, cds seized without cause by customs official in some countries. Probably because they wanted to have it for themselves and there is NOTHING you can do about it unless you want to risk spending a couple of weeks in jail for a $100 HD. They might just be able to find some marijuana or cocaine on you if you won't let go and try to make a fuss.
I have a synchronization software that run on my laptop and send every updated file back "Home" (over ssl) as soon as it detects an internet connection. So if my laptop gets "borrowed" I'll only lose the value of the hardware and not the actual work.
Encrypted drive can be fun but might also get you into more trouble than they are worth. Last time a custom official asked for my windows account password I was in a locked room, he had stored my passport in his drawer and was carrying a gun. Again, not worth it. Just make sure that there is as little sensitive information on your laptop as possible.
I travel in some rough countries, some of them under embargo by the US (I am not a US citizen), some of them on the "axis of evil", some of them just plainly plagued by corruption. (And some of them quite nice and relaxing but they aren't funny to talk about)
If you do the same, keep some spare change for bribes (at least fifty $1 bill), convert part of your cash to traveler's check, keep you credit card separate from your wallet. Do not trust safe in hotel, even if you can "choose" the code, management has the master key anyway.
Oh and don't go to the local brothel even if the taxi driver tells you his nice brother run the place.
About taxi driver when you find a "good" one, always give him a large tip and keep his number that will create an strong incentive for him to come pick you up very quickly and to "protect" you during your stay (otherwise he'll lose his good tipper). But we're not talking about technology here so I guess I'm out of scope.
Here is my list... (Score:5, Informative)
Business Trips Overseas (Score:5, Interesting)
Last time I went on an international business trip, I took one carry-on with my clothes packed in vacuum-sealed bags. As far as electronic items, I took my 60Gb iPod and my HTC TyTN... oh, and a set of noise-canceling headphones. Not to mention an eye-mask and ear plugs (so I could sleep). That's it... nothing else.
I had packaged up my laptop and other business-related paraphernalia in a secured box and shipped using an insured carrier the day before I departed. Yes, that meant I was "sans laptop" for a day... but really... with my TyTN able to get my email and web browsing I didn't miss it. The laptop and stuff arrived the day after I did and was quite secure... I didn't have to run the rigmarole of dealing with the TSA or their foreign counterparts with my laptop, and I had the security of knowing all my luggage was in the overhead during the entire flight and wasn't getting lost somewhere in the depths of Newark's baggage handling facility (those who've gone through Newark know this pain).
Sure, the shipping wasn't cheap but I was able to write it off as a business expense since all I was shipping were business items. I treat either carry-on or checked bags as an insecure location to store critical information. Yes, there's a risk that a loss may occur with a carrier like Fedex or UPS as well, but if it's insured then you can claim it back. Oh, and make sure the data on the drive is encrypted if you're really feeling paranoid.
So what if I'd wanted to work the day I arrived? Yes, that would be a catch. However, the first day after you arrive internationally, you're almost never going to be functional. You're going to want to sleep. However, just on the off-chance I had a bug up my butt to actually do some work that day, I put critical information (critical to the project at hand plus a few other minor items) onto the hard drive of the iPod, and a copy on a 2Gb USB stick... both encrypted of course. That way, I'm pretty much covered.
Did the same on the way home and couldn't have been happier. There's little reason to take a laptop onto a trans-oceanic flight these days... most of the airlines do in-flight movies. Even if not you can put movies on your iPod or iPhone or (insert media player of choice here). I have considered in the past getting one of the nice portable media centers to carry on international flights, but to-date I have never needed them. Plus, I make a point of getting red-eyes (overnight flights) so that I'm almost forced into a position where I get a few hours of sleep. That makes the travel much more bearable.
Think about your priorities and make a decision from there what you need to bring... but bear in mind a laptop is LOW priority if you're sensible about your other technologies. Laptops are also a risk, and when I travel the only places I like to carry my laptop are between the hotel and the office... and then ship it to my next port of call. I find travel a LOT less stressful since I started this because it means you have a minimum of stuff to keep a track of, and so long as you make sensible use of encryption your data is as secure as reasonable.
Re:Beware US official theft (Score:5, Funny)
As befits your status as a Special Guest of the United States of America, you will also be afforded certain unique privileges unavailable to ordinary citizens and travelers. You will be exempt from federal and state tax requirements, including sales and room taxes normally charged to visitors. Your return air ticket, while unrefundable, will be reissued free of charge upon your completion of our program. During your stay, you will have unlimited access to newly-reorganized judicial services that offer unmatched speed and efficiency, and specially trained staff will be on hand to aid you with personalized attention.
Once again, the United States of America welcomes you with open arms. We treat our guests well, and we are determined to make your stay a long and productive one.