Technology has evolved hugely in a very short amount of time, the proliferation of gadgets and portable tech on the market mean that there’s never been a better time to go travelling with technology.
A mere decade ago, laptops used to be unwieldy and weigh enough to make you think twice about taking them anywhere, digital cameras produced poorer quality pictures than analog cameras, and phones could make calls, send text messages and wake you up (if you were lucky!). Nowadays, high quality laptops, smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, and more are all available in easily portable form. All the better for travelling with! This article will list 5 of the best techie gadgets available for the modern traveller.
Smartphone
A smartphones can do almost everything its larger brethren can, and many have far superior processing power in comparison to 90s home PCs. They can access the internet, play music, films nd games, be used to check emails, take photographs, send text messages, access maps and a great deal more. Of course, their pocket sized design means they’re easy to carry when travelling.
Due to their power and versatility, a good quality smartphone is a must for every traveller. They tend to a ubiquitous item with the more well off holiday maker these days and the availability specialised travel apps makes them a great tool for helping with local translations or remembering your travel information.
It is important to get a smartphone with good battery life. When travelling, charging opportunities can come far and in between – a phone with a large battery will last longer between charges.
The phone should also be unlocked and capable of using GSM sim cards. Locked phones are only connected to a single phone network and cannot be used while travelling without costing a small fortune. With an unlocked phone, a local sim card can be used that allows for cheaper calls, data and text messages. This is particularly useful for people who may be travelling through multiple countries.
Tablets
Prior to the release of the original iPad, tablets were somewhat cumbersome and had a price tag that tended to put a lot of people off. The iPad’s simplicity and competitive cost in comparison to many laptops – and the fact it was Apple’s latest gizmo – piqued a number of tech fans’ interest. The tablet market abounds with portable devices that can quickly and easily access the internet, be used for watching films, reading books and sorting your photos on the move more easily than is possible on a smart phone.
Aside from Apple, Google’s Nexus, Samsung, Xperia and even Amazon, with their Kindle, have entered the tablet market with many popular devices available.
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras have improved a greatly in the past two or three years, with entry level models capable of taking stunning images.
A number of niches have been developed within the industry that are directly targeted at people looking to take great travel snaps. Cameras armed with an optical zoom that can reach up to 20x magnification have been released by many manufacturers, which while not offering the control and flexibility of an SLR – mean that good panoramic shots can be taken on the fly.
Supercompact cameras are also increasing their market share. These cameras utilise high quality sensors in a camera shell that is no bigger than a standard compact camera, allowing for near-SLR quality pictures in a tiny, portable body.
Super light laptops
As has occurred frequently in recent years, Apple seems to have managed to make and sell gamechanging gadgets and open competitive new markets. Its MacBook Air was a laptop aimed specifically at being lightweight and portable but with significant processing power. Since then, almost all the bigger name manufacturers have launched their own versions including Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Toshiba to name a few.
The other tech giants Google with their Chromebook and Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform have also made strides into the affordable, portable laptop areana, so it’s certainly an area of exciting growth.
Portable speakers
Music is one of the greatest joys in life, and these days it doesn’t have to be sacrificed while travelling on the road. Great leaps and bounds have been made with the amplitude and sound quality of small speakers that can easily be packed into a day sack or backpack. For example, the Jawbone Jambox was unique when it came out as the first highly portable Bluetooth speaker that was capable of producing high quality sound. Since the release of the Jambox, a number of competing products have been sent to market, that are capable of giving users high quality sound while on the move.
As gadgets get ever more refined, it’s becoming easier holiday makers to take them on their travels. It may not be for everyone but in our gadget laden world, there’s plenty out there for the tech geek to help them get the most out of their holidays.