Technology has become an integral part of travel, making travel easier and less stressful, and even providing opportunities to travel to those who can’t. During the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Travel Lunch & Learn Event, I learned about the latest technology that will help make travel easier. Whether your travel consists of a staycation, a road trip or an international flight, there is a piece of technology that will make travel easier.
Ensure Your Car is Road Trip Ready
When taking a family road trip, it is important for your vehicle to be in good shape. Good tires, good brakes, oil checked, etc. With the Hum+ connected car service by Verizon, you will always be up-to-date on your vehicle’s health. Oftentimes saving you a trip to the mechanic or an expensive bill. And should you need help, let’s say your car breaks down on the road, Pinpoint Road Assistance is just a push of a button away.
Never Miss Your Flight Again
Are you among the 40% of travelers who arrive at the airport late? If so, you may want to get yourself a Modobag to help you zip through the airport when you are running late. The Modobag is not your average suitcase. It is a ride-on suitcase that can move you through the airport at an average of 5-7 mph. With this bag, you can say, “bye” to running through airports to catch your flight.
Watch Your Favorite Shows While You Travel
We have all been there – getting to a hotel to only have limited television stations or none at all. Guess what? You can bring a media streaming device like the Roku Player, and have all of your favorite channels and shows with you. This is great for family travel when the kids need something familiar to keep them calm.
Savor the Memories of Your Trip with a Great Photo
I own a DSLR that I used to bring with me during our travels, but due to its size, I stopped bringing it, plus my cell phone takes just as good photos. But, Sony came and changed the game with the RX100 V. It is a small camera packed with an AF speed of 0.05 seconds, continuous shooting speed of 24fps, and the most AF points (315) for a compact camera.
The camera is lightweight, can fit in your pocket, and it is great for bloggers and travelers who can’t wait to share their experiences with their followers. The camera allows you to edit your photos directly from the camera. Pretty awesome!
Turn Down the Noise & Relax
Whether you are on the road trying to block out the kids arguing in the backseat or on the plane trying to get through your flight without being distracted by in-flight activities – you need noise-canceling headphones.
Sony’s True Wireless Sports Headphones WF-SP700N, are the world’s first noise-canceling headphones with a splash-proof design. I typically shy away from earbud type headphones because they generally do not fit my “baby ears”, but these fit perfectly due to the flexible material. I also like them because although they are noise-canceling, you can turn on ambient sound mode just in case you need to listen out for your kids.
The Ashley Chloe Helix Cuff™ is the perfect wireless headphone choice for travelers who like to remain fashionable. The adjustable cuff comes in a variety of colors, but I love the black and gold. It features Smart multipoint connectivity, AptX technology, cVc noise reduction, and Bluetooth.
Virtual Reality Brings the Destination to You
Traveling to a specific destination is not so far out of reach anymore. With virtual reality technology like the HTC Vive Pro, you can travel [virtually] anywhere in the world. It was fun being able to “walk” through the streets of New York City and revisit Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.
Protect Your Phone
It happens. You drop your phone while trying to get the perfect shot, and now the screen is either cracked, the phone has water damage or doesn’t work at all. The latter means, you’ve just lost all of the photos from your trip. You should invest in a shock absorbent phone case that gives you access to ports and various buttons on your phone like the ones offered by Speck Products. They’re functional and fun.
Have you ever had to protect your phone from the hot sun while traveling? I’ve experienced my phone over-heating on a few occasions, once while in Morocco and another during a beach vacation. I could have used a myFlipShade to block sunlight, rain or even nosey eyes from hitting my screen. The myFlipShade can be used alone or with a phone case, and it doesn’t make the phone bulky.
Never Panic About Losing Power on Your Devices While Traveling
Did you know that 90% of us panic about the batteries on our mobile devices losing power? Imagine being at your dream destination and the opportunity hits for you to take the perfect shot, but your phone is dead! Or what if you are on a baecation, away from your kids, and you can’t do a video call because your device(s) are dead? That can easily be fixed with a myCharge Home & Go portable charger.
The myCharge Portable Charger is a 4,000 mAh portable battery that provides up to two times the extra battery life and a USB port. It can also be used as a wall adapter. If you purchase the Pride Limited Edition charger (pictured below) 5% of sales go to The Trevor Project, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention services provider.
Faster Speeds Headed Our Way
Just when you thought your wireless speeds couldn’t get any faster, here comes 5g technology, which is slated for launch in 2020. 5g networks are promising to offer faster speeds, with an average download speed of around 1GBps and more reliable connections.
I had so much fun hanging out with my fellow bloggers learning about technology to make travel easier. Thank you to Danielle Wilson (Dellahsjubilation), Suzanne Kantra (Techlicious), and Danielle Cassagnol (Consumer Technology Association) for putting together this informative event.
Which item(s) will make your travel easier? Comment Below