Summer may be almost over, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop going on vacation. Depending on your schedule or budget, you might be able to squeeze in one more long weekend away before the weather starts to cool off and it’s time to get back into your regular routine.
While you are busy packing up your swimsuits, t-shirts and shorts, be sure to also take the time to find some handy tech tools that will help make your vacation even more enjoyable, easy and safe.
A Backup Battery
While vacations are a great time to get away and relax, you will probably still need to stay connected with your friends, family and employees back home. In order to make sure your smartphone doesn’t go on vacation too, bring along a back up battery. For example, the Mophie battery pack works really well without making your slim phone super bulky. Mophie offers battery backup cases for just about every type of iPhone under the sun. Another option is Juno Jumpr,which features lithium polymer battery cells that are light and thin — yet still powerful.
A Travel-Sized Surge Protector
Since traveling these days typically requires taking along lots of electronics, it’s a great idea to pack a travel-sized power outlet/surge protector combo unit. As Entrepreneur notes, having one of these on hand prevents you from having to decide if you want to unplug the hotel TV, alarm clock or lamp. The Flipit Travel Surge costs about $20 and includes three power outlets, two USB ports that will charge your iPad or other tablet, and a powerful surge protection feature that will prevent device-related disasters from occurring.
A Luggage Tracking System
There’s nothing worse than sitting on the tarmac on the plane, watching the guys and gals load all of the suitcases into the belly of the aircraft, and not seeing your family’s bags in the mix. Thanks to a handy device like Trakdot, you can keep tabs on your luggage throughout your journey. This tool will send you an email or text message to alert you that your bags have — hopefully — made it to your actual travel destination. You can also use Trakdot to track your belongings anywhere in the world. This is especially useful if your suitcases do end up on the wrong plane and end up enjoying a fun vacation in Hawaii while the rest of your family is waiting on line at Disneyland.
A Way to Prevent Identity Theft
Thanks to safety-related companies and websites, even the process of making your airline reservations can involve an added safety feature. For example, if you enroll in LifeLock while booking your trip through the American Airlines website, you will get a discount on your LifeLock membership, bonus miles and peace of mind knowing that you and your family will be protected from identity theft while on your trip.
A Great Way to Communicate With the Locals
While a program like Google Translate comes in handy when traveling abroad, when an emergency comes up — like a sudden and urgent need for a bathroom or car trouble in your rental car — a live translation tool is definitely the way to go. TalkLingo is an app that offers live interpretation in 20 different languages, all in less than one minute.