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What is your top "must-have" travel gadget?

What is your top "must-have" travel gadget?

Old Feb 5, 2012, 9:25 am
  #46  
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Originally Posted by nmenaker
once you get SIRI and voice rec on the ipad 3, this will change dramatically.
But will that combo work on a flight with no wifi/phone connection, and do you really want someone sitting next to you yakking into their iPad when you're trying to concentrate on something else?
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 9:34 am
  #47  
 
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Bose headphones!

Originally Posted by FrequentTravelr
Hi all, I'm looking for ideas for a present. What is your top "must-have" travel gadget?

Thx!
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 9:54 am
  #48  
 
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flight only?

Originally Posted by Jimmie76
But will that combo work on a flight with no wifi/phone connection, and do you really want someone sitting next to you yakking into their iPad when you're trying to concentrate on something else?
I don't think the above requirement for travel gadget was "in flight only"..for those who commented that they need a physical keyboard to be efficient when travelling, the option to be able to use a headset and siri for the majority of easy text input could help them overcome the thinking that an ipad would not be suitable to writing while travelling.

Personally, I take the apple BT keyboard for the ipad/iphone as it is very small and light and is great when I just want to use the ipad for email/response/creating/doc editing, etc.
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 2:57 pm
  #49  
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Well I just flew to MAD via UA/CO and they show a video with Smisek talking about satellite Internet on their planes. So if you're willing to pay for it, looks like you'll have Internet on flights, including over water.
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 6:42 pm
  #50  
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Originally Posted by nmenaker
I don't think the above requirement for travel gadget was "in flight only"..for those who commented that they need a physical keyboard to be efficient when travelling, the option to be able to use a headset and siri for the majority of easy text input could help them overcome the thinking that an ipad would not be suitable to writing while travelling.

Personally, I take the apple BT keyboard for the ipad/iphone as it is very small and light and is great when I just want to use the ipad for email/response/creating/doc editing, etc.
Granted, I just find I do a lot of typing when I'm not sleeping on a plane and therefore I would still want a physical keyboard like the apple BT. Also not all of my destinations have wifi, or even the internet in one case.
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 7:10 pm
  #51  
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Originally Posted by FrequentTravelr
Hi all, I'm looking for ideas for a present. What is your top "must-have" travel gadget?

Thx!
Welcome to FT

Personally I don't travel anywhere without my Sony Worldband Radio but then I like listening to the Saturday Sportsworld on the shortwave BBC World Service which covers the UK football (soccer) matches. It's a Sony ICF-SW7600GR



but it's not the lightest one they did. A real travel model that I don't think is made anymore is the ICF-SW100 which does the same job just massively smaller. I can't find a copyright free image of that though, there is a youtube video here showing how small it is and how well it works.

Last edited by Jimmie76; Feb 5, 2012 at 7:26 pm
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Old Feb 5, 2012, 9:29 pm
  #52  
 
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1. My iphone- I had a nightmare that I was in an airport without my iphone and didn't know where to go.

2. Got a kindle fire for Christmas- really looking forward to traveling with it.

3. My Sennheiser PX-100 headphones- wish I had bought another set when I bought these. I have hearing aids in both ears, so earbuds are out. These fold up well, are comfortable and I think the sound is great.
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Old Feb 6, 2012, 1:32 pm
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Originally Posted by Dubai Stu
ATT and Verizon both used to have international smart phone plans. Both companies eliminated the plans a couple of years ago, but many of us have managed to stay grandfathered in. It has sometimes been a struggle, but I still have it.

ATT still offers an international blackberry plan to some corporate customers.
That's very cool - How much does the unlimited plan cost?
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Old Feb 6, 2012, 11:41 pm
  #54  
 
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Adding my (short) list:

- Macbook Air 11" - small enough to use in coach if necessary
- Shure e3c noise isolating headphones
- iPhone 4 with international data (and hotspot functionality) - this is a lifesaver
- Priority Pass lounge card. Not a gadget, but a great gift.

Everything else is gravy. Some of the gravy:

- Energizer extended battery for the Macbook Air - I get 10+ hours of battery this way, easily coast to coast uptime working or watching movies.

- Plug adapters for UK, Europe - covers most lounges worldwide

- Kindle touch - for reading in the hotel at night before falling asleep

- Cheap $3 ten-foot extension cord - because those hotel outlets are never where I want them, I like to charge my phone next to the bed.

- Magazine subscription to The Week - I can always grab that week's issue before I go and read half during takeoff, other half during landing and feel somewhat informed of current events
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Old Feb 7, 2012, 1:09 am
  #55  
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Originally Posted by DMSFCA
Adding my (short) list:


- iPhone 4 with international data (and hotspot functionality) - this is a lifesaver
Through AT&T or are you talking about local SIMs in other countries?
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Old Feb 7, 2012, 4:38 am
  #56  
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Mine
11.6" screen 4GB/500GB Netbook
Unlocked quad bad GSM and AWS/UMT phone
If you add a vibra+or, this collection is guaranteed to meet everyone;s needs.
For longer trips, I also carry my CPAP and for shorter, I drop the netbook off the list.

Last edited by Yaatri; Feb 24, 2012 at 9:04 am
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Old Feb 7, 2012, 5:17 pm
  #57  
 
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1. Sony Z12 laptop
2. iPad
3. Bose noice-cancelling headphones

Total weight: six pounds

I hemmed and hawed for almost three years about getting one of those Sony Z-series laptops. It was, by far, the most I ever spent for a laptop but with its small form factor, Full-HD screen, SSD drives and computing power, it's really hard to beat. Best investment I have ever made.
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Old Feb 9, 2012, 4:26 am
  #58  
 
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Anywhere I go:
--iPad 2 w/ Kindle app, music, videos, iBooks, TripIt.
--Etymotic HF2 Headset (high attenuation about as good as active cancellation) for the plane.
--AKG Q460 headphones for the hotel.
--Asus WL-530g Mini Router flashed with DD-WRT, OpenVPN (StrngVPN subscription).
--Panasonic LX5 camera.

Depending on where I'm going, I also take the Sony ICF-SW7600GR mentioned above, and a Princeton Tec headlamp.
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Old Feb 9, 2012, 5:03 am
  #59  
 
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I do not think anyone mentioned an ear-popper (get it from London Drugs in Canada, it's prescription only in the US) and a travel washlet. These two, a Bose headphone, an eReader are absolute musts for me.
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Old Feb 9, 2012, 6:05 pm
  #60  
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Originally Posted by chelmkamp
Anywhere I go:
--iPad 2 w/ Kindle app, music, videos, iBooks, TripIt.
--Etymotic HF2 Headset (high attenuation about as good as active cancellation) for the plane.
--AKG Q460 headphones for the hotel.
--Asus WL-530g Mini Router flashed with DD-WRT, OpenVPN (StrngVPN subscription).
--Panasonic LX5 camera.

Depending on where I'm going, I also take the Sony ICF-SW7600GR mentioned above, and a Princeton Tec headlamp.
Glad I'm not alone in that.
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