I love technology; I get it from my dad, he is the type of person that always has the greatest and latest technology out there. Technology is such a great thing, if it is used properly it can make everything in life so much easier and convenient.
When I started traveling for my job almost two years ago I was not a very big fan of it. At first it was very inconvenient, I remember my first time traveling my purse was filled with all kinds of cables to charge my multiple electronics and i couldn't get anything out because it was such a jumbled mess. I have come a long when since that moment, and there are a lot of gadgets that have helped me enjoy traveling week after week.
The following are in my opinion some of the best gadgets/apps that can make traveling easier:
1)
Mophie Juice Pack Helium: I actually own this for my iPhone 5 and I love it!! I can go two days without charging my phone and it is not bulky like other phone chargers I've seen before. This is especially helpful for when I forget to charge my phone the night before I travel, with my Mophie I know I will have enough power to get through my travel day. It also comes in 6 different colors so you have options to pick from (I have mine in pink!)
2)
Mophie Space Pack: I know what you are thinking, this looks just like the case I talked about about above. Not so fast, this neat case actually charges your phone AND provides you with up to 32 GB of extra storage. This Space Pack is available for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. I love this because i always have a hard time with my iPhone running out of space, this is definitely on my wish list!! (if I don't upgrade to the iPhone 6 of course)
3)
Smart Technology Gloves: Since I travel to cold weather places for work I like to have my winter accessories handy around this time of the year. One of the problems is that when I was wearing gloves they were usually bulky and I couldn't use my iPhone or tablet. Then I realized that there were gloves specially made for touch screens and I was really excited, so last winter I started looking for the perfect pair of slim, fashionable, reasonably prices smart gloves and I didn't have any luck! Finally this year Target; one of my favorite stores, had the answer for my freezing hands! The have a great variety of
smart gloves, they are reasonably priced and super stylish. I actually bought a pair of Houndstooth smart gloves this year and I really like them!! They fit your hand like...well no pun intended...like a glove should fit, they are also super warm so my hands are never cold :)
4)
Grid-It Organizer: This is an amazing product! You can organize all of your cables, mouse, USB drives, portable hard drives, anything you can think of and keep it all in one place without getting lost in your bag. It is not bulky so it fits anywhere, and it is light enough that it won't weigh your bag down but sturdy enough that it won't bend once you put all of your stuff on it. This company called cocoon has a lot of
options to choose from, they even have one where you can put your Mac book air inside. I had a coworker that used it inside her purse to keep her phones, lipstick, make up, car keys, etc organized!
5)
FlightStats App: This is one of my favorite apps on my phone (after pinterest of course!) This app allows you to track your flight based on airline and flight number. The reason I love this app so much is because it is very accurate, it tells you if your flight has been delayed or cancelled, if the gate has been changed, average percentage that this flight is usually on time, and you can track you flight at any point during your travel. You might think, well all airline apps let you know that; and yes you are right but this app informs you of your flight status even before an airline so you will always be ahead of the curve :) You can also track your flight through their
website.
6)
Noise Canceling Headphones: When I first heard about this I didn't think they actually worked, then I got some
Bose noise canceling headphones and I am never going back to regular headphones!! A couple of weeks ago there was a crying baby in my flight, and I don't mean just crying, I am top of his lungs screaming baby during the whole 1hr and 45min flight! Right after I got on the plane I put my headphones on and I wasn't able to heard the crying baby anymore! The reason I like my Bose headphones is because they go inside your ear, but they are not uncomfortable or painful when you lay on them (I always take naps during my flights!) I know some people like the all around headphones; so some other good options for noise canceling headphones can be found
here,
here, and
here.
7)
Mac Book Air: I recently bought a 11 inch Mac Book air and I can't believe it took me this long to get one. It is so light and compact that it fits in my purse, but the screen is big enough to work or watch movies on the plane. One of my favorite parts about this laptop is that the battery lasts so long that I don't have to worry about finding a plug while I travel.
8)
Hotstop: I know most airports offer free wifi no-a-days, but I like to travel with my hotspot just incase I need internet access somewhere that there is no wifi available. This has been very helpful because most of the time client sites don't offer wifi, or their wifi is for employees only so in those cases I am able to use my hotspot and get things done! The hotspot I own is
AT&T Unite and I really like it because it has great connectivity and it's tiny so i can carry it in my purse.
Here are some more hotspot options for different carriers.
9)
Multi-outlet surge protector with USB chargers: I always run into the issue that there are never enough plugs for everything I own, this multi-outlet connection is as efficient as a outlet strip but it is less bulky. Another upside to this is that is also comes with USB connectors, which is great for me because I am always losing my plug in boxes! It comes in 1, 3, or 6 outlets so you can chose the one that fits your needs.
10)
xScale: One of the worst things that can happen is when you get to the airport and your bag is overweight, you have to options; either pay the $100 fee or take stuff out of your suitcase. This company
Heys came up with a solution to avoid oversize luggage. The xScale is a portable scale that you can use to weigh your luggage even before you get to the airport, it can weigh luggage up to 110 lbs and it is accurate within .5 lbs.
11)
Gate Guru: This app will alert you if there has been any gate changes, delays, or layover time adjustments. Gate Guru provides you will a detailed itinerary of your current and future flights, it also provides you with an 'Airport Card' which contains information about amenities, airport tips, weather forecast, maps of the airport and more. You can also rent a car from Avis at a discount rate using this app.
I hope these gadgets will make your traveling easier and more enjoyable! :)
Love, Isabel
