Taking off Travel blog

I love looking at new gadgets and there are some great ones on this month’s list.

Get Fit

There’s no reason to slack on fitness just because you’re on a business trip. On my last trip, I saw dozens of people get up early to use the hotel’s fitness room. If you’re lucky enough to have good weather, then walking or jogging are an option - and that’s where the Live-Lite comes in. From Perception Digital, this device measures steps and your heart rate, ensuring that you stay on top of your fitness regime.

Ergonomic Elegance

I don’t know about you, but I often travel with an external keyboard for my laptop to save my wrists. The trouble is that it takes up a lot of space. However, I may not have to do that for much longer, since Goldtouch has released a foldable ergonomic keyboard, the GoldTouch Go! It only weighs a pound and is supposed to be comfortable to use - $139 seems a small price to pay to avoid tendonitis.

Mouse Phone

For me, the Skype Travel Mouse comes under the category of ‘neat, but do you really need it?’ It’s a mouse that slides open to reveal a phone keypad. It also has a decent sized LCD display at 128×64 pixels, and is $35 plus shipping. The fact that you only need to use a single USB port for both mouse and phone is undoubtedly a plus, so it could be worth a look.

Charge It All - Or Almost

The Charge4All is yet another device that allows you to charge multiple devices from a single power connection. It won’t charge your laptop or anything else that needs high voltage, but it will charge MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras and the like. It’s $29.95.

Swiss Army Drive

You’ll need to pack these in your checked baggage, but the SwissFlash and Presentation Master Swiss Army Knives have all the usual array of gadgets as well as a flash drive with a maximum capacity of 32GB. There are also versions with built in laser pointers. Prices range from the low 60s to over $300.

New In Japan

We can’t wait for this one to hit our shores. It’s a credit card sized digital voice recorder - perfect for taking voice notes on the move (that’s if you haven’t already got it built into your phone). Rumor has it that you can record up to 30 hours of digital voice with this compact gadget.

So you’re going on a long haul business trip. While it’s great to be traveling to a far away destination, the mechanics of travel can be exhausting and stressful. If you know how to plan, though, you can make sure that you have a comfortable flight.

1. Seat Allocation

The first step is to get a good seat. If you do your research before booking, you may be able to choose an airline that offers a couple extra inches of legroom. That makes a heck of a lot of difference after you’ve been sitting in a plane for hours. I once took a charter flight from the UK to the Caribbean and it took three days for my knees to recover.

Seven Long Haul Travel Tips

2. Check In Early

Check in early to stand the best chance of getting the seat you want. I always like to arrive at least an hour before the given check in time. The best seat depends on whether I don’t want to be disturbed by others getting in and out of their seats (window) or whether I want the freedom to move around (aisle). Once I’m checked in, I can make an early start on my in-flight reading in the departure lounge instead of standing in line with those who arrived at the stated time.

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