Everyone who travels, whether for business or pleasure, often finds it necessary to remain in touch. In today's business environment, there's no such thing as leaving the cell phone at home. And even if you are able to remain incommunicado with the office, it's often important to remain reachable by family and friends at home.
Here are some tips to overcome three common travel mishaps:
1.
Forgot your charger? Everyone has at one time or another. Many of the newer cell phones, and even digital cameras use a 5-volt charger cable that ends in a mini-A USB connector. If yours is one of these, and you also travel with a laptop, you're covered. Simply purchase a Standard USB to Mini-USB cable. These are widely available, even at places like Target and Wal-Mart. Plug one end into your cell phone or camera, the other into a USB port on your laptop, and you can recharge the cell phone or camera without an AC supply. One thing to remember, if your laptop goes into sleep mode, or you turn it off, it will stop charging the phone.
2.
Poor cell signal? Cell phones are pretty much ubiquitous. Unfortunately, cell towers are not. We've all been in places where cell phone signal strength is marginal–perhaps just one bar. In these conditions, dropped calls are pretty much a given. That's okay if there are other alternatives, and if you will only be in that place for a day or so. If you need more reliable cellphone reception, consider a cell phone booster like the YX-300 personal signal extender from Wi-Ex (www.wi-ex.com). This $169 portable has an antenna that goes on a window with the strongest cell signal, and an interior antenna that picks up the signal from your cell phone, boosting it in both directions. If there's even a marginal cell signal, it can give you an extra bar or two, making your communications much more reliable. It doesn't work with Nextel, but does work with pretty much every other carrier's phones.
3.
No cell signal? Sometimes there just isn't any cell reception where you are. If you do have access to a broadband Internet connection, the MagicJack (www.magicjack.com) is a plug-in USB device that gives you unlimited VoIP (voice over IP) calling in the U.S. for $39 for the first year (which includes the device and service) and $19.95 for additional years. International calling isn't available yet, but when it becomes available, the rates are expected to be very reasonable. The software installs automatically onto your laptop, and you can either plug in an inexpensive regular desktop or wall phone using the MagicHack's RJ-11 jack, or use a software-based "soft phone" on the laptop using the laptop's microphone and speaker. If the laptop does not have a built-in microphone, an inexpensive "gamer" style headphone and mic combination provides good results.
Travel plans? Check out these resources at HP.com:
Rick Telberg CEO of Bay Street Group Research, is the most widely-followed analyst and commentator for the finance and accounting profession. He has helped launch and develop a host of leading products and services for accountants and financial advisors, including Accounting Today, Accounting Technology and Practical Accountant magazines, WebCPA.com, and e-commerce portals SmartPros and CPA2Biz. He serves as Editor At Large for the AICPA Insider family of e-newsletters and blogs at www.cpatrendlines.com.
Any views or comments expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and not necessarily those of any other organization. No person quoted or cited has any known connection to or interest in Hewlett Packard, and their appearance here should not be construed as an endorsement.
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