GEAR FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR
Some fantastic travel
accessories that should be on your wish list...
ARROW SMART SHIRT
A good, well-fitted shirt
goes a long way in making a formidable impression at business meetings. But if
you're looking for something beyond the usual, you might want to consider the
Arrow Smart Shirt (`2,099 `2,999).
Available in more than 10
colours, this range of formal wear is equipped with a Near-Field Communication
(NFC) chip embedded in the cuff of the left sleeve.
With the Arrow app from the
Google Play store, you will be able to configure any one instruction to that
sleeve, including sharing your business card, Facebook or LinkedIn profile;
accessing a favourite app; pairing your handset with a Bluetooth device;
playing your favourite song, or even accessing your music playlist.
Once these tasks are
configured in the app, you just have to tap an NFC-enabled handset on the
sleeve to complete the action. For instance, you can share your contact details
with a colleague by simply touching their NFC-enabled handset to your cuff
or, you could set your phone on silent by tapping your handset to your sleeve.
It should be noted that the
Arrow Smart Shirt works only with Android handsets that come with NFC
functionality; iPhone users will have to wait till Apple decides to support the
touch technology.
http:www.nnnow.com
TARGUS & SECRO UNIVERSAL ADAPTER
If your travels take you
beyond our shores, invest in a good-quality plug adapter. Different countries
have different standards for power points. With this multi-purpose plug, you
will be able to charge all your gadgets irrespective of where you are headed. Here,
you can pick up the modular Targus All-inOne Universal Adapter (APK01AP) (`499)
or the Secro Universal Adaptor (`499); both of which can be used in over 20
countries. Notably, the Secro also has two USB ports with 5 Volt Ampere output
for charging smartphones and portable media players.
To check what type of
socket is used in the country you are visiting, go to
http:www.iec.chworldplugsmap.htm amazon.in | flipkart.com
SANDISK EXTREME PRO
When time is of the
essence, you really don't want to be held back by slow hardware. So, whether
you want to transfer multiple gigabytes of holiday photos from your laptop, or
backup entire databases, spreadsheets, documents, presentation files and
statistical graphics onto a memory stick, you might want to consider the
SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.1 Flash Drive.
This device available in
128GB (`6,850) and 256GB (`11,999) capacities uses solid-state memory , and
this makes it more robust than an external hard drive. You get an aluminium
body for durability, and the stick even comes with proprietary SecureAccess
software that promises 128-bit file encryption and password protection. In
tests, the SanDisk Extreme Pro boasted of a read-write speed that's slightly
higher than an SSD external drive when connected to a USB 3.0 port, and over
three times faster than any other standard pen drive. Besides, it packs all
these features into an ultra-portable form factor.
amazon.in | flipkart.com
NOKIA 3310
Apart from its pure
nostalgic value, the reimagined Nokia 3310 (`3,310) could be a good backup
handset for the frequent traveller. It comes with a 2.4-inch curved display ,
dual-SIM support, a 2MP camera, a flashlight function, calculator, calendar,
voice recorder, FM radio, MP3 player, a very basic web browser, and Bluetooth for
wireless connectivity .
You don't get any
smartphone apps no email, social networking and internet messaging and this
can be a blessing in disguise when you're on “Roaming“ and do not want to incur
data charges from apps working in the background. What you do get, however, is
a standby time of up to 25 days; talk time in excess of 20 hours; MP3 playback
for over 50 hours, and FM radio playback up to 39 hours.
The 3310 supports basic 2G
connectivity, but no Wi-Fi access; you still get 16MB of storage, and support
for microSD cards up to 32GB. When not in use as a backup cell phone, you could
use it as an MP3 player, a voice recorder, or an FM radio.The handset is
available in four colours: red, yellow, dark blue and grey from
brick-and-mortar mobile stores.
http:www.nokia.com
VERSATYL TRAVEL JACKET
Every sartorialist geek
should invest in the Versatyl (`1,999 `2,499). Made out of 100% polyester
(like the type used in windcheaters), this jacket comes with 18 pockets and 14
zips. You get a large slide-in pocket on the inside to store a 10-inch tablet,
another for your phone, and it also has multiple pockets on its sleeves to
store keys, coins and pen drives. It has spaces for a portable charger, hard
drive, ID cards and even your passport. You get hand warmers that retract under
the sleeve when you don't need them, and there is a slot for your headphones, a
loop for sunglasses, a pen holder and a pouch for a flashlight.
The Versatyl--available in
four colour com binations: black and grey , blue and black, black and red, and
light blue with dark blue--comes with a detachable hood, and side vents to keep
you cool; it has prominent reflector strips on the back and front to guarantee
visibility in the dark. And if all of this isn't nifty enough, this 590g jacket
can be folded into a satchel for storage. If you're wondering, it doesn't look
bad at all, even when you fill most of its pockets: It fits well and doesn't
sag even with all the extra weight; just as long as you don't overdo it well,
because you wouldn't want to look too geeky either, would you?
http:www.versatylwear.com |
http:www.amazon.in
PORTRONICS ELECTROPEN 4
The Portronics Electropen 4
(`5,999) comprising a receiver and a stylus lets you scribble notes and
diagrams on paper, and then digitises it all on the fly. The best part, the
latter uses a regular ball-point refill.
When you place the receiver
on any A4 or A5 page, it detects the stylus and scans whatever you write before
transmitting it onto its MemoPlus Android app. In the offline mode, the pen can
store up to 100 A4 pages to its built-in flash memory . This can be saved to
the laptop later with the Note Taker Windows app.
MemoPlus also includes
editing tools where you can choose ink colour and stroke thickness. You can
even configure the pen to create a video capture along with audio notes of
whatever you draw on the paper.
Both, the receiver and pen
have built-in rechargeable batteries that are rated to give over a day's worth
of use.
http:www.portronics.com
ZEBRONICS POWER GRIP
Hotel rooms usually have
one or two free power outlets for charging your gadgets.Also, if you are
abroad, you are limited by the number of travel adapters you have at your
disposal.
Instead, just plug the
Zebronics ZEBTS202 Power Grip (`1,050) into your travel adapter and you can
charge up to eight devices from a single power outlet. This extension board is
equipped with four multi socket plug points and an equal number of USB ports
with an output charging current of 2.1 Amperes. If you need more points, get the
Zebronics ZEB-TS102 (`1,195) for its six plug points and four USB ports. Both
extensions come with a 2m power cable, and are fabricated out of flame
retardant plastic, with overload protection.
http:www.theitdepot.com
SACO GADGET ORGANIZER POUCH
Travelling with a bunch of
gadgets and devices means you also have to carry myriad cables and chargers.But
throwing all of this into your backpack also means a lot of tangled wires, and
having to dig into the dark recesses of your bag to find the right accessory .
Well, not if you pick the Saco Gadget Organizer Pouch (`450) that's fabricated
out of durable, water-resistant material.
It comprises four large and
eight small elastic organisers to hold items like cables and pens drives; two
small and one large mesh pocket with zippers for an external hard disk and
power bank; yet another small mesh pocket with a Velcro closure for your memory
and SIM cards, as well as two extra mesh pockets with easy access to store
whatever else you might want. The Saco pouch's roll-up design also makes it
extremely convenient to store in your backpack or suitcase.
http:www.amazon.in
PORTABLE 4G WIRELESS ROUTERS
If you need high-speed
connectivity on the go, but don't want to pay the steep tariffs that hotels
charge you for web access, consider a portable 4G Wi-Fi router that allows up
to 10 devices to connect to the internet.
Here, you could consider...
The Vodafone R216 (4G)
(`2,399) that offers dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi. It comes with plans
that start from `650 with a download limit of 5GB per month.
Or the Airtel 4G Hotspot
(`1,950) that includes a microSD slot with support for a 64GB memory card so
you can share content with devices connected to your wireless hotspot. Its
pre-paid data plans are flexible, starting from as low as `33 for 85MB up to
`994 for 20GB, with a validity of 28 days.
Finally, there is the Jio
4G Hotspot (`1,999), which can be recharged with a `per-day' plan at `19 for
200MB, or you could avail of the 84GB plan with a validity of up to 84 days
for `309.
Before you choose, check
the service provider's website for the latest plans for your city.
http:www.vodafone.in |
http:www.airtel.in | http:www.jio.com
In “7 Smartphones Under `30,000“
carried in Techtonic last week, the Honor 8 Lite was listed with 3GB RAM and
16GB storage, when it should have read 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The error is
regretted.
Savio D'Souza and Ashutosh
Desai TNN 27MAY17
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