If you’re like me, you love your tablet. My iPad is great for surfing the web, using apps, and reading. But actual work? Not at all. Typing for long periods of time is too difficult on my iPad, which makes it hard to get any real work done. I’ve often thought about getting an external keyboard, but many of the ones I’ve seen have been so bulky that I might as well use my regular laptop. Then I was sent the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad to review, and all of my feelings have changed.

Belkin recently launched their Ultimate Keyboard Case, and so far the reviews have been excellent. After my own personal experience, I completely agree. It’s meant to stay with your iPad all the time, so it functions as both a case and a keyboard (as one might gather from the name). The back has an aluminum shell, but the connecting pieces are nice and thin. It was very simple to slip my iPad into place, and after the initial charge (I let it charge for about 20 minutes) setup took maybe 30 seconds and was incredibly easy.

The keyboard is great—obviously smaller than a full-size laptop keyboard, but certainly large enough to get the job done. I really like that there are individual, separate keys—it makes typing so much easier. Plus the keys are big enough and in the right place.  It also really protected my iPad from the various large things I carry in my purse.

I carried it around with me (everywhere) for a few days, and here are the features I love. First, it is SO thin. Hardly thicker than my iPad by itself! Also, it weighs almost nothing, so I barely notice it in my purse, and I was able to fit it into regular purses vs. my normal large work purse. It takes up so much less room than my regular laptop, which makes using it in tight spaces (like conferences and airplanes) a breeze. When I wanted it to be just a tablet, the case folded back nicely and didn’t interfere.

As a travel bonus, since it’s an iPad I didn’t have to take it out at security. Woohoo! (Hey, I’ll take any time saver there.)

Will this replace my laptop for everything? No—I had a hard time adjusting to no mouse, plus I need all of those awesome MS programs (PowerPoint anyone?). But I love the Ultimate Keyboard Case, and will definitely use it with my iPad on all trips from here on out. I recommend it to anyone who travels often or needs a super portable computer. It is compatible with iPad 2 plus Gen 3 and 4, and is available for $129.

So who wants one?? To celebrate the release, I am giving away a Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case!! In order to enter, please leave a comment answering the following question: What is your best tip for getting through security quickly? The contest starts today and goes through Sunday, May 19, at midnight CDT. The winner will be chosen randomly, and as always only one entry per person.

My tip for getting through security quickly (besides TSA Pre-Check of course) is to have everything ready before you get to the bins. Have your liquids bag (if you take it out) easily accessible, have everything out of your pockets, and have your laptop ready to pull out. Or you could take an iPad with the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case, which doesn’t have to come out!

Good luck!!

A friend asked me yesterday about Kindles and security. (You may have seen the exchange on my Facebook page.) “Do you have to take your Kindle out at security the way you do with a laptop? Or can it stay inside your bag while it goes through x-ray?” Regular readers may have noticed that I am a HUGE proponent of eReaders, and count my old school Kindle to be one of the most valuable things I travel with. I take it on every trip, so can say without a doubt that you don’t need to take it out at airport security.

However, I know the latest generation of Kindles are more like tablet computers, and I’m less familiar with those. I do have an iPad that I travel with occasionally, and I’ve never had to take it out before. But of course we know that sometimes what happens in practice does not follow the actual rule (thanks for the consistency, TSA) so I thought I would check for sure. I went to the TSA webpage to see what I could find.

Here’s what I found after entering “tablet computer” into the “Can I bring my….” tool:

Small and portable electronic items (iPods, iPads, cell phones, etc.) do not need to be removed from their carrying cases.

Super, so iPads and other tablets don’t have to come out. Just for fun I checked eReaders, and the same message came up. Good to know! Of course, laptops still have to come out and go into their own bin.

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About a year ago my PC started acting crazy. After taking it to IT, they said that I needed a new motherboard and hard drive. Oh and by the way computers belonging to people who travel wear out faster than those who don’t, due in large part to the damage to the moving parts of the hard drive.

At this point, even though I have worked in the computer industry before, I kind of felt like my eyes were going to roll back into my head. Whaaaaa? Moving parts what? And I care why? Oh right. Because my computer is broken.

A little background: a traditional computer hard drive contains spinning disks and read/write heads. A solid state hard drive does not. The moving parts are more susceptible to physical shock, so when your computer is jostled around a lot, i.e. in and out of your briefcase, carried around at the airport, etc, the chances of it breaking or having issues are higher. (Thank you Wikipedia!)

When it was time for me to get a new system earlier this year, IT highly recommended I get a solid state hard drive since I travel so much. They have been on Macs for years, and are now available on certain PCs. So hopefully my new system will last longer than the old one!

Readers, have you had any experience with computer issues due to travel?

(I just want to reiterate that I am NOT a technical person, so if I’ve gotten terminology or anything else wrong, please be gentle!)

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Sponsored Review: Plantronics Voyager Legend

Plantronics Voyager Legend Review

In honor of the new Plantronics Voyager  Legend headset, Road Warriorette will be featuring some sponsored posts on behalf of Plantronics and has been compensated for her contributions.

I’ll be honest. I’ve never successfully used a wireless headset before. I had one with my old phone but I could never make it work, and it frustrated me so much that I gave up and reverted back to my standard white iPhones headset. So when Plantronics first sent me the Voyager Legend to review I delayed using it for a while because it made me nervous. What if I hated it? What if it didn’t work right? (I feel pretty dumb for feeling that way now. Live and learn!)

The setup. I was anticipating some hideously complex setup that required a doctorate in technology. I’m so happy I was wrong! Setup was super easy. I literally put the headset on my ear, pressed a button, and had my phone search for Bluetooth devices. Took thirty seconds, done, ready to go.

Using it. Next came the really scary part: actually using it. It felt very comfortable on my ear, even when wearing it for hours. It also felt very secure and didn’t come off at all. To test it, first I had the Home Warrior go into another room and call me. The Legend said, “Incoming call from Home Warrior. Answer or ignore?”  Whichever command I chose, it understood me. The sound was great—crystal clear on both ends.

I wore it around for a couple of days, and it worked really well. I had no dropped calls or issues with it. Although one day I had my curly hair down, and I’m pretty sure the guy at Starbucks thought I was crazy and talking to myself because my hair totally hides it.

Noise canceling. The Legend blocks noise really well. I had my husband wear it and go to some noisy areas so that I could hear for myself how much background noise seeps through. Specific noises, like the Mini Warrior crying, came through some. But general background noise, like crowd noise, couldn’t be heard at all.

Call routing. This was so cool. If I answered a call on my phone, I could switch it to the headset just by putting it on. I didn’t have to push any buttons or anything.

Other stuff.  The Legend has a mute button and a button to end a call. Once I figured out which was which they were a snap to use. I also tried using it to listen to music, although since it’s only in one ear I still prefer my regular headphones for that.

My one minor complaint: I wish it came with some sort of carrying case. I felt really nervous putting it in my purse without anything protecting it, even though it did fine in there. There is a charging case that will not only store it but also charge it, but it comes out next week so I don’t have it yet.

Overall? I freaking love this thing. I can finally get up and refill my coffee without worrying about jerking wires out of my ear because I dropped my phone. I can take calls while traveling without worrying that background noise will distract my caller. I can answer calls while driving without being dangerous. It was so easy that even technologically phobic or dumb people can use it without frustration. I would certainly recommend this as an excellent, easy-to-use device to anyone who works remotely or travels.  Or really anyone who wants to be able to talk on the phone and do something else at the same time.

Available for $99.99 on the Plantronics website.

Don’t forget, we are giving away a Voyager Legend headset! The sweepstakes is open until Monday night, so enter today for a chance to win!

Business Travel 101 is a series from a couple of years ago about making that first business trip as easy and successful as possible. I’ve re-tooled the series, and now it’s more comprehensive than ever! It covers everything a new business traveler needs to know for that initial trip, including essential tips for packing, security, safety, etiquette, and comfort.

It happens to the best of us. You’re chugging along: flying, working, meeting, dining, in general kicking tail and taking names. And then you get to your hotel room. You’re alone, without your spouse, kids, pets, or stuff. For some people this is a dream come true, and for the people who are glad to get away, more power to you.

For some, however, this is when loneliness kicks in. When I travel a lot I tend to get really homesick. For some strange reason flying at night can make me sad, which is not a good thing when I am on a multi-leg trip! Even when night flights are not involved, long trips can cause me to feel lonely and miss home. Here are my recommendations for working through it.

• Use technology. Using Skype or Face Time keeps you up to date on what’s going on at home. During domestic trips we talk every night, but when I go to Manila Home Warrior and I have Skype dates every morning (night time for him). It’s great to be able to see each other, catch up on our day, and it helps me feel less lonely. (This is especially important since being in a foreign country can be isolating all on its own!) A good friend sends his wife videos of their three-year old when she’s gone for work, which helps her feel connected. Also, don’t forget about plain, old phone calls! If you talk to your best friend or sister or mom on a regular basis, give them a call. Just because you’re not home doesn’t mean you can’t maintain your relationships.
• Keep to your home routine as much as possible. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time you normally do, or maybe even go to bed earlier and get extra sleep. Bring your skin and hair care items from home to  maintain your beauty routine. If you typically read for twenty minutes, or write in your journal, or watch Letterman, try to do those things. Read more of this article »

A recent study done by Concur (an expense management company) found nearly 90% of business travelers use apps on their trips. They also showed 62% of travelers use apps every single time. Not a surprise to me!

Some interesting specifics:

• Airline apps (44 percent), map apps (41 percent) and hotel apps (30 percent) top the list of the most-used travel-related apps.
•  Expense reporting apps are used by 43 percent of business travelers, despite more than 80 percent of travelers who cited expense reporting as a major pain point of business travel.
• Nearly a quarter (22 percent) of business travelers use five or more business travel-related apps during their trips.
• Thirty-two percent of travelers who are on the road at least three times per month were found to use five or more apps, compared to just 13 percent of those who travel less than two times per month.

On every single trip, no matter how short, I use TripIt, the app for whatever airline I’m flying, the maps app, Facebook (because I use it every day!), multiple news apps, and often The Weather Channel. I do not currently use an expense reporting app.

Readers, what apps do you use on your business trips? Five or more?

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I was perusing some older USA Today Hotel Check In posts, and the one about hotel wifi caught my eye.  Apparently, wifi usage at hotels has jumped dramatically—50% during a 9-month period in 2011 alone! Guests are connecting multiple devices, and streaming videos and live content in addition to the less bandwidth heavy email checking. As a result, some hotels are trying out tiered pricing options, and charging for a faster speed. According to the survey that they did, 66% of travelers are okay with a slower hotel wireless internet connection, as long as it’s free, and only 8% said they would pay extra for a faster connection.

My thoughts? It depends on several factors. If I’m on a personal trip, it is highly unlikely I will pay for wifi if there is a free option available, regardless of how slow it is. If it completely stops working, I can usually do any needed internet stuff on my phone. For a work trip, I typically don’t have time to stream content, and will really only do basic email and web surfing. The difference is that on a business trip I have to have internet, and if it stops working it is a problem. In that case, I would certainly pay for better service. And of course, my company would reimburse me.

A few tips to get the best out of your hotel wifi:

• Join the club. I have stayed in several hotels where club members get free internet, regardless of status level. It’s definitely worth a shot, especially at nicer hotels which can charge upwards of $10-15 per day.
• Go to the lobby. Even if internet is not free in your hotel room, there is a good chance it will be free in the lobby. And if it is free in your room but it’s super slow, the connection speed is often better in the lobby.
• Bring an Ethernet cord. Just in case the free wifi doesn’t work at all, a lot of places offer wired internet. This is where your travel Ethernet cord comes in handy. There are all sizes available, including this cool space saving retractable one.

Readers, what do you think? Would you pay more for a better internet connection? What are your tips for hotel wifi?

As you know, I am always on the lookout for cool new gadgets that make travel easier. During my perusal of the latest TravelSmith catalog (always a fun time!) I found a very cool travel plug adapter. It’s an adapter/converter, and includes a built in USB port for an extra way to charge all of those devices. The four most common plugs (the ones used in 150 countries) are also included. Plus, it’s small, so will save space. Very handy!

Readers, where do your favorite travel gadgets come from?

Don’t forget–contest coming next week!!!

I’ll admit it, I travel with a lot of little bags. Liquids bag, non-liquids toiletry bag, makeup bag, tea and Splenda bag, etc. They’re just so convenient for keeping things organized!! One that I don’t talk about often but that can really come in handy is my electronics bag. There are a few things in there that I keep with me all the time—in fact, this bag never comes out of my suitcase. Here’s what I keep in there:

• Ethernet cable. I have a retractable Ethernet cable (kind of like this one) that I keep in my bag. It’s very small, but can expand up to 10 or so feet. Really comes in handy when you’re in a hotel with crappy (or no) wireless and no cable to use. I almost never use it, but on the few occasions I do I am super grateful it’s there.
• Chargers. Of course. I have my computer, phone, and Kindle charger in there so I never forget them. Mine is similar to this Belkin version, but a little smaller.
• Webcam. I used to have a webcam in there, but my new laptop has one built in so I don’t need it anymore. If your computer doesn’t have one, no worries, as webcams are teeny tiny now. It’s a great way to keep in touch with family at home when you’re on the road.

Readers, did I miss anything? What do you keep in your electronics bag?

Don’t forget about the contest from Monster! Give an interview tip and enter to win a makeup kit and business card holder!

Aliza and Danielle being interviewed for .tv

You guys have heard a lot from my experience at Blog World, but I haven’t shared everything. One of the best workshops I attended was about empowering women to be public speakers, run by Aliza Sherman, Jill Foster, and Danielle Smith. Aliza and Danielle recently wrote MOM, Incorporated, about how to have a family and start your own business (which I bought, am currently in the middle of, and loving. I will review soon!). When I spoke to them, they were wrapping up a six week book tour. Of course I had to take the opportunity to ask these accomplished road warriorettes a few questions!

RW: You’ve been on the road for six weeks. What are your tips for being on the road a long time?

Aliza: I learned that it would be so nice to be independently wealthy. To have an entourage, Sherpa included. (laughs) Here’s a good tip: Amtrak has something called red-cap service. You can call in advance and tell them what train you’re on, and they will wait for you and be there ready to get your stuff.

RW: So it’s like an entourage!

A: Yes!

Danielle: That’s where the joke about having an entourage came from, because we had so much trouble with all of our bags. Our bags were packed with books, so they were extremely heavy. We had a red-cap help us in New York, and when we told him we were going to Philadelphia he called ahead and had someone waiting to help us.

A: He came onto the train and helped us with all of our stuff! It was a great thing that we had no idea existed.

D: Sometimes they don’t wear their red caps, and that can be highly confusing. Go to the information desk if you don’t see one and they will help you find them.

A: Another tip: travel with someone who has a great accessories bag. Then they can decorate with you with bracelets and necklaces and you look totally awesome.

RW: So find a friend with good taste and travel with them.

A: Yes! That’s the best tip ever. Read more of this article »