Traveling with Technology

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of these products for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.  Products with a * before the name were review samples.

I recently went on travel, and took a good bit of my gadgets with me.  Some of it I found useful, some I probably will take with me again.  I decided to pull together a list of what I took with me (from a gadget perspective) and my thoughts on each item.  I don't really plan to list the details of the standard stuff people might bring - laptop, smartphone, tablet or smartwatch ( yes I had all of those with me ).

NOTE : Each item is either linked to my blog review, Amazon review, or just a generic product page.

Battery Packs

*RAVPower 18200 mAh (Model RP-PB26): This is a pretty large battery pack, and I did find it useful on the flight itself but other than that I didn't use it much.  I think it is a great high capacity pack, but I found myself grabbing the smaller one below.  I just didn't use my tablet as much as I thought I would at the airport or on the flight.

*RAVPower 7800 mAh (Model RP-PB31): I used the battery pack pretty much every day, mainly to keep my phone charged while I was using it as a hotspot.  Although it isn't a high capacity like the one above, it did the job for the day to day needs.

If I had to pick one of the two battery packs above, I would go with the larger capacity - basically it ends up being insurance just in case I do need the juice (or a coworker needs to charge their phone too).

Bluetooth Gadgets

*TaoTronics Shower speaker ( Model TT-SK03 ): I actually got this right before I went on travel, so I figured it would be great to test (no worrying about playing loud music in the morning and waking up others).  I don't know if I will take it again, but it is pretty compact so I may bring it along just in case.

Wallet TrackR: Honestly I didn't get any real use out of this - I put it in my luggage, so I was able to look at the screen and see when it was close but normally by the time the phone found the tracker the luggage (when waiting at baggage claim of the airport) it was only a minute or two away from being seen.  Neat gadget, but the way I used it didn't really provide any benefit.

*Ukonnect Bluetooth keyboard: This one is pretty simple - I planned to use my Nexus 7 tablet while on the plane, and basically I didn't do it.  I didn't really run into any other situations where I felt the need to break out a keyboard.

Chargers

*RAVPower Qi charger (Model RP-WCN13): I took this with me for my Nexus 7 tablet, but honestly in the hotel I was normally sitting near a charger or just didn't use the tablet that much so I didn't even use it.  It is pretty small so I might try it again next trip.

*Bestek 5-port 8A USB charger: I used this every day to keep my multiple devices charged, I have reviewed other multiple port chargers but this and the RAVPower 4-port (Model RP-UC07) are probably best for travel since they come with cords instead of plugging directly into the wall.

Other Gadgets

*RAVPower FileHub RP-WD02: This is a pretty unique device since it acts as a portable router and file sharing device.  I didn't really use the file sharing aspect on this trip.  For the wireless router, I was thinking I could hook it up in the room (if the hotel had an Ethernet jack) and use my own secured WiFi instead of the open WiFi of the hotel - unfortunately they didn't have network cables in the room and I was too lazy to go downstairs so I just used my smartphone hotspot instead.

I did find an interesting use while flying out - I was able to use this device to connect multiple devices (via 1 account) to the in-flight Internet.  I honestly just did that to see if it worked, especially since their support people said there was no way to do that.

One other advantage - if you are taking a device that probably can't go to the login page of hotels ( game system, Chromecast etc) this little gadget should help in that sort of situation since your devices connect to your router and that router connects to the hotel wifi (or Ethernet) - so as long as you have 1 device (laptop, smartphone or tablet) that can click on the agreement the other devices can leverage that same connection.  As a side note, there is a newer WD03 model out.

GoGo Inflight Internet: This is isn't really a gadget I took with me, but it was neat to use this service on the flight.  I learned a few interesting things from using GoGo:

1) On my Android devices, some Google apps seem to work even if you haven't paid for a pass (such as email)
2) Chat with their support, they can sometimes hook you up with a discount.

Google Chromecast: I was able to catch up on a few episodes of Blacklist using my Chromecast, and considering how small it is I don't see a reason why I wouldn't carry it along just in case the TV didn't have anything I enjoyed.

*Bestek 2 port 5000 mAh charger: This actually acts as a 2-port charger and a battery pack.  I didn't really use the battery pack function ( since I already had 2 others ) but I used the 2-port charger on the nightstand near me so I could keep my phone and watch nearby.  I don't know if I will take it in the future, the fact it supports 2 functions gives it a few extra points.

Breffo Spiderpodium: This is not exactly an electronic gadget, but it is a very useful smartphone holder.  I think it is great for travel, because you can flatten it out and easily pack it.  I used it to hold my smartphone in my rental ( which I used for navigation ) so I think it is definitely a good item to bring on travel if you are going to have a rental.

Overall, I have a good idea of how I will adjust my gadget packing for my next trip.  Some of the items that seemed like good ideas but didn't get used will likely not make the trip, of course that is probably when I will actually need them.

TaoTronics Portable Bluetooth Speaker with NFC ( Model TT-SK02 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a TaoTronics Portable Bluetooth Speaker ( Model TT-SK02 ) for a product review. The speaker included a power cable, audio cable and battery.  All of the recent Bluetooth speakers I have tested had a built-in battery (that you couldn't remove), for this to have one you could remove was interesting.  This speaker also had NFC, which isn't common in the speakers I have tested.

Speaker, battery, and cables

The speaker itself was just a bit smaller and lighter than an Inateck BTSP-10 speaker I have reviewed before.  The design was pretty simple - no color or anything fancy, but for something like this function is more important than looks ( in my opinion ).

Top of speaker
Left to Right : Controls, NFC touch point and microphone

Normally pairing these types of speakers is fairly easy, but this speaker has a built-in NFC so for devices that are NFC capable you can just tap your phone/tablet to the speaker and begin the pairing process.  If you have multiple devices, or multiple people that will share the same speaker, the NFC capability is actually useful.

Back of speaker including power switch, Aux in and microUSB charging port

I found the audio quality and loudness to be pretty good, the low end bass wasn't as deep as I recall from the Inateck speaker I tested but as I mentioned this one is a bit smaller / lighter so the speakers themselves are likely a bit smaller in this unit.  However, even with that minor difference the audio quality was still good.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Portability: The speaker is small and light, making it very portable and the built-in speaker means you can use it pretty much anywhere you want.

Ease of Use: It was easy to use this speaker, and the NFC capability made pairing even easier if you had a NFC capable smartphone/tablet.

Quality: As with any portable speaker, you have to be realistic with your expectations -- don't expect something like this to replace your car stereo or home sound system but if you want a portable speaker for enjoying things outside or for travel use this one sounds good.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker this is a great option to consider.

TaoTronics Product Page: http://www.taotronics.com/taotronics-tt-sk02-bluetooth-speaker-.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00TMRUKQG

TaoTronics Water Resistant Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Shower Speaker (Model TT-SK03)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a TaoTronics Water Resistant Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Shower Speaker (Model TT-SK03) for a product review.  Only a speaker and power cable were included, but really I wouldn't expect anything else.  I have tested various Bluetooth speakers, but this was the first water resistant speaker.  I didn't really like the fact that the power cable was not a standard microUSB cable, but I have to imagine they made that decision for a reason.

Speaker and power cord ( USB on one side and a non-standard plug on the other )

I definitely wanted to test the speaker out as it was intended, so I tried it out in the shower.  The audio quality was pretty good, and it was loud enough to be enjoyable even with the shower running.  The controls were easy to use.

Large suction cup

The suction cup seemed to hold pretty well, I left it mounted during the day to see if it would fall and luckily it didn't.  I didn't test the speakerphone ability frankly because I don't plan to make or receive calls while in the shower but if I do test it, I will update this review.

Close up of controls

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Water Resistant: Of course this is the main selling point of the product, it is water resistant.  Normal shower use should be fine, but be smart - I wouldn't put it under direct water all the time or put it under water.

Easy to Use: It was very easy to use this speaker, just like any other product take a moment to review the instructions before using it.

Sound Quality: I didn't do a side by side test with other Bluetooth speakers because frankly this is being used differently than other speakers.  However, during my real world tests the speaker volume and quality was good enough to use while still being heard over a running shower.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a water resistant speaker, this is a great option to consider.

TaoTronics Product Page: http://www.taotronics.com/taotronics-tt-sk03-bluetooth-speaker.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00T2K0ROI

Ukonnect Hifilink Music Audio Streaming Receiver Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Ukonnect Hifilink Music Audio Streaming Receiver for a product review. The receiver itself came with a USB to micro-USB power cable and two audio cables - one with headphone style jacks on both ends (possible use : aux-in port of a car or radio) and one with RCA connectors (possible use : home stereos with RCA inputs).

Hifilink Receiver

Unfortunately the plastic case of this unit was damaged, basically one of the parts of the cover was loose and I could just take it off which also gave me a chance to peek inside.  On the plus side, a few rubber bands held it together and it still worked.  I reached out to the company and they confirmed that they would replace the unit.

Well normally you don't want your device to open up like this but might as well take a pic!

I have tested Bluetooth based devices before, but this was the first unit that I have tested that was WiFi based and before I actually tested the product I had some concerns kicking around in my mind.

My first concern was related to the WiFi operation but after some testing and review of the product manual it seems this unit has two modes:

1) The unit can act as a standalone WiFi point, which is useful if you are in an area that does not have an available wireless network.  The only drawback is that most mobile cellular devices use either WiFi or cellular for data - but not both.  So if you are connected to this unit with your smartphone, you will probably lose access to the Internet.

2) The unit can access as a wireless client and connect to an existing wireless network.  So, as an example, if you use this at home you can connect the Hifilink to your home wireless and then any other devices should be able to see it.

I used option 2 primarily, with my Moto X and it worked fine.  With Apple devices it apparently uses the built-in Airplay protocol, but with Android you have to use 3rd party applications - they mention BubbleUPnP and that is the software I tested.  The volume control of the software didn't seem to work (made minor adjustments to volume) but honestly that is what I prefer - just one volume control on the unit, with many of the Bluetooth adapters you had to consider the phone/table volume and the Bluetooth receiver volume.

Two audio cables and one power cable

Overall the setup wasn't really difficult and the audio quality was pretty good.  It seemed to have enough output power to push my Turtle Beach XO FOUR headset with no problem and even had good bass.

For my music, I primarily use Google Play Music.  From what I can tell there is no way to directly use the Play Music software with this unit, however the BubbleUPnP software actually somehow interfaced with my library and I was able to play songs from my playlists.  However, since you aren't using the actual application you will lose access to certain features you might be used to.

This device does have some limitations which aren't necessarily a problem with the product, just factors you need to consider as you determine how you will use it.  First, I don't think this device would be a good fit for "in car" audio simply because whatever device you are using will no longer have Internet access but if you are using a WiFi only tablet that isn't an issue.  Second, you have to use BubbleUPnP (or similar) software to push audio, so you can't just expect every app to push audio/music to this adapter.  That is an Android specific limitation, and may not be true with Apple devices.

On the plus side, I could see a device like this being a great gadget in a house (or college dorm) where you may have multiple people that want to push music to a sound system.  You also avoid the distance limitations of Bluetooth.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Compact: The receiver itself is fairly light and think, smaller than my Moto X smartphone.  It has a built-in battery so you can use it with headphone to walk around the house with no problem and without worrying about the distance limitations of Bluetooth.

WiFi Connectivity: This unit can act as a client and connect to an existing WiFi network, or can act as a standalone access point.  Once you have configured both modes, simply pressing the power button 3 times will toggle the two options.

Output Options: The unit has a standard audio jack (either for headphones or to connect to an aux-in connect) and it also supports digital audio output.  I did not test the digital output.

Bottom line: This is a neat little gadget that acts as a WiFi audio receiver which allows for some interesting approaches on how to use it.  If you have tested Bluetooth audio receiver, definitely consider this product as an alternative approach to wireless music.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00OFBF0K0

Ukonnect Bluetooth Ultra-compact Foldable Keyboard Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Ukonnect Bluetooth Ultra-compact Foldable Keyboard for a product review. When folded up, the keyboard is fairly small - about the size of a smartphone, just a bit wider than my Moto X.  The keys are about the same size as the keys on my laptop, and when unfolded the distance between the keys on the top row ( from Q to P ) is about the same as my laptop.

Basically this is a compact keyboard that still is usable -- not something so tiny that you have to peck at the keys to even use it.

I tested the product on my Nexus 7 tablet and a Windows 7 laptop, both completed the Bluetooth pairing without any problems at all.  The special keys ( such as controlling volume ) worked great on both device.

Keyboard unfolded

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Compact: When folded up, this keyboard is about the size of a standard smartphone and when unfolded the key size and spacing is similar to a normal laptop.  There isn't a dedicated row at the top for numbers or function keys, and that is where some of the space savings happens.

Ease to Use: I had no problem pairing this keyboard with various devices I tested.  It folds up easily, and there are no special tricks you have to learn to use it.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a portable Bluetooth keyboard, this is a great option to consider.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00O5CGN2I