Steve Bass's Home Office: Travel Tips for the New Year
Easier packing; how to travel with gadgets; best airports to sleep in.Steve Bass
Every few weeks my editor encourages me to leave my home office. "Get out into the sunshine, Bass," he usually says, sounding caring and benevolent. "But make sure you take some travel gizmos to test." He's not necessarily altruistic, but it's good anyway because I get paid while I'm on the road--and my vitamin D levels are being replenished.
Traveling ain't what it used to be, especially with all this added security. So to get the year off to a good start, I rounded up just what my editor wanted: tips, products, and ideas to make your time on the road more productive and occasionally even pleasant.
Okay, Let's Go
Thanksgiving's long gone, I know, but PCWorld.com Senior Columnist Tom Spring is stuck in a time warp. His "Travel and Dining Guide to a Wired Thanksgiving" has hefty number of tips, from mapping sites to ways to dodge the crowds.
If you're vacationing by auto, our well-traveled editor Dennis O'Reilly explains how trip-planning programs work, and how well they perform. Read about his cross-country slog in "New Road-Trip Reconnaissance Software."
The Security Conundrum
Getting through security with your notebook, handheld, mobile phone, and other electronic gadgetry is going to be challenging. PCWorld.com Senior Columnist Tom Spring tells you what to expect when you pass through the security arches in "Airport Security Targets Tech Gadgets."
And when you're ready, take a gander at a piece by Jim Martin, our travel expert. He tells you how to avoid security headaches with his "Mobile Computing Tips: Air Travel and Notebooks."
Dig this: So you're considering a trip abroad? It's critical you understand the unique characteristics of gestures. For instance, in the United States, holding your thumb and second finger to form a circle with the other fingers outstretched means "okay" or "I agree." Far be it from me to tell you what it means in Europe--especially in a family newsletter. If you want to learn more, visit the "Gestures Around the World" page.
Traveling--and Home Office--Gizmos
Say you're standing in line, waiting to pass through security. If you have a Kensington Pocket Type Portable PDA Keyboard for the Handspring Visor, you can type to your heart's content. Attach the keyboard to the bottom of the Visor, and use your two thumbs (or tiny little fingers), to type. The $50 gizmo has a QWERTY layout, a little wheel for scrolling, and keyboard shortcuts.
Still standing in line? Here's another keyboard to try. Alan "Hunt and Peck" Stafford tells you all about it in "All Thumbs? Try This PDA Keyboard."
Tips for Mobile Phones
I found two cell-phone gadgets that'll make your life a little easier on the road. The first is CellSocket, a cell-phone docking station. Connect the $99 CellSocket to a regular phone and pop your cell phone into the CellSocket. Then when you make a cellular call, you use your regular phone. The advantages? Using a standard phone while sitting at a desk is more comfortable than using a cell phone. You also get to use up all those leftover minutes from your wireless calling plan.
At a trade show I spotted a fanny pack that carries a mobile phone and a PDA. It's a PDA Pro Phone (don't you just love that original name?), costs just under $35, and attaches to--of course--your belt. What's neat is it's not exceptionally thick, and it flips open while on your belt to let you take a quick peek at your PDA. Cool, eh?
Another way to lighten your travel load: Buy one device that doubles as a cell phone and a PDA. The $500 Samsung SPH-I300, which has a color screen, is the one you want to look at.
Dig this: You're at the airport, it's midnight, and you're listening to the announcement that says your flight's just been cancelled. Should you fork out for a hotel room or save a few bucks and sleep in the airport?
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