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08/22/13 | OOO

6 Tech Essentials for Your Travel Bag

Make your business travel more enjoyable and productive by packing your bag with the right technology.

By Jasmine France (Contributing Writer, Women 2.0)

Pitching new business, meeting with existing clients, and trying to recruit new hires sometimes requires a lot of travel. Make your trips more enjoyable by stuffing your carry-on with the right tech tools. Below are some suggestions to get you started.

Bose QuietComfort 20i Noise Canceling Headphones

A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones should be the first thing to go into your tech travel bag, since blocking out ambient sound is key whether your aim is to relax or to get things done on your flight. The Bose QuietComfort 20i Noise Cancelling Headphones are a great option, thanks to their comfortable design and useful features. The active noise reduction will take care of everything from the drone of the engine to whining children, while the unique “aware mode” lets you tune into important announcements with the touch of a button. There’s also a built in mic for taking calls and playback controls for your music. At $299.99, the QC 20i earphones aren’t cheap, but they’ll be useful well beyond travel time.

Logitech Keyboard Folio

If you can get away with it, a tablet is a much lighter and more compact option to travel with than a laptop. The iPad is a popular choice, but it’s hard to be completely productive using the on-screen keypad. You can protect the device and make it more like a fully-functional computer with a keyboard case such as the Logitech Keyboard Folio ($99.99). This handy accessory includes a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard with an integrated magnetic flip case in a choice of four colors.

Belkin Wireless Dual Band Travel Router

Despite the fact that nearly every hotel on the planet now has internet, you can’t always count on the speed and reliability of the connection. Belkin’s Wireless Dual Band Travel Router ($69.99) is a good back-up to have on hand, letting you create your own personal hotspot. The router offers high-speed dual-band performance for all of your devices, so you’ll be able to complete all of your online work in a timely fashion. And it’s super compact for easy packing.

Kensington International Travel Plug Adapter

For the times when you need to conduct business out of the country, don’t leave home without an international power adapter. Kensington’s International Travel Plug Adapter has been on the market for years, it’s still one of the most versatile and affordable ($19.99) options. The adapter features AC power plugs for over 150 countries, and each plug is built right in, accessible via switches on the sides. It has an integrated safety release button, but a spare fuse is also included just in case.

Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX

With all these gadgets and accessories–and the cables to go along with them–keeping everything neat and organized presents its own challenge. Pick up the Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX ($39.99) to make easy work out of this task. This compact, well-designed case includes 15 flexible spaces to hold cords, AC power blocks, adapters, batteries, USB drives, office supplies, and pretty much any other small electronics you can think of.

Apps, Apps and More Apps

One cannot overlook the usefulness of apps for any kind of travel. Some favorites include MyTSA Mobile, which displays real-time estimates for wait times at security checkpoints as well as tips for getting through faster; ParkMe, which populates parking rates and location and lets you book spots in advance; and FlightTrack, which provides real-time status information for delays and cancellations at more than 3,000 airports worldwide as well as the ability to view your flights on a zoomable map and see satellite weather data.

What gadgets are travel essentials for you?

FB 3About the blogger: Jasmine France is a travel-addicted, food-obsessed Bay Area writer with a decade of experience covering consumer electronics, digital music, mobile apps and cloud computing. Follow her on Twitter @WeirdEaredJas.

 

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