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Business travel can seem glamorous to the family and friends whom you have to leave behind. After all, they get to see your trip through the rose-colored glasses of your social media feeds and the pictures you send home to your family’s digital frame.
But those of us who travel frequently know that it can be quite a slog. There’s all that time you have to spend waiting in airports, and getting to and from your meetings, and trying to get WiFi on your iPad so you can send that presentation by the deadline…the list goes on.
That’s why there are so many excellent gadgets out there to make business travel a bit easier. Here are a few of our favorites.
A portable wireless router
We’ve all been in those hotels that, for whatever reason, are still using Ethernet cables for their in-room internet connections.
And if you’ve been sitting at a conference table all day, the last thing you want when you get to your hotel room is sit in another uncomfortable chair, tied to a desk, while you Skype with family or do some research.
A portable router lets you set up any location’s internet as wireless, which also lets you connect several devices at once.
Streaming stick
There’s no reason to rely on spotty hotel cable or, even worse, Pay-per-view for your entertainment while you’re traveling.
Bring along a streaming stick like the Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick and you can access everything you’d be able to at home. They’re tiny, so they’re easy to pack – just make sure you don’t lose them among your clothes!
Luggage tracker
If you’re a bit of a nervous traveler, or if you’ve lost a bag to the airlines before, traveling with a luggage tracker might ease your mind.
These small devices that you place in your luggage connect to an app on your phone. When you log in, you can easily see where your luggage is (hopefully, it’s in the same city you are!).
There are several on the market, and many can be used to locate other items too – your wallet, your phone, even your car. Do your research before buying, as some require subscription fees.
High-tech travel wallets
Travel wallets have come a long way from the days when they were just big wallets with an extra pocket for your passport.
Today’s travel wallets come with high-tech features like tracking devices that can alert you to your wallet’s location if you lose it or someone steals it.
Some offer RFID shields that can protect the RFID chip in your passport from being scanned by a hacker. Since these chips carry the same identity information that your actual passport does, it’s a good idea to protect them – all an identity thief has to do to steal the info is use a small RFID reader to scan your purse or wallet at close range, like in the subway or in a crowded square.
Nixplay WiFi Cloud Digital Frame
One of the most fun ways to stay connected to family while you’re traveling is through pictures. You can send them to a loved one’s smartphone or post them on social media, but if you really want to show them you care, send them to your family’s digital frame.
By using the Nixplay app, you can instantly send photos to the frame – even if it’s in your family’s living room thousands of miles away. You can even create playlists for your family to see while you’re lounging in your hotel room.
Of course, you can bring a digital frame with you, too. Then your family can send you pictures that you’ll see when you get home after a long day of work.
Business travel can be a troublesome necessity at times, but these gadgets can help you make it a little bit easier. For more advice on making your business trips more comfortable, read our post “Creating the Perfect Digital Frame Playlist to Take on Your Next Business Trip.”
Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.
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