Is it time to start travelling again post-covid? As you get ready to see how the rest of the country or world is doing, have a look at these travel tips. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, chances are you’ll be taking some of your tech gear with you. A smartphone to keep in touch and take photo’s with, your laptop for e-mail, work and browsing, a tablet or iPad for reading and movies – the list goes on. But is your tech as ready to travel as you are? Here are some tips from Y-Not Tech Services to get your tech gear ready.
Set Up Cloud Backup Before Leaving Home
Travelling can put our Tech at a higher risk of disappearing than while we are in our normal routine. We could forget our phone on the table of an unfamiliar café, our laptop could get swiped from our bag while we aren’t looking, and don’t get me started on getting in and out of taxis and Ubers. No matter what happens, when a device goes missing we have some serious problems on our hands. And one that can be avoided with some planning ahead of time is setting up a Cloud Backup so the data on our devices isn’t lost. You can use services like iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive to keep a copy of your data in the cloud so you can retrieve it, even if your device is gone forever. While you’re setting it up, why not upload a copy of your travel itinerary, tickets and other important documents so they are available to you in case you lose them?
Cable Check
Before you start globetrotting it’s a smart idea to do a cable check – make sure you have the required charging cable for each of your devices. Depending on the tech you are packing for the trip you could need any of the following cables:
- USB C
- Micro USB
- Laptop Charger
- USB Wall Adaptor
- Digital Camera USB cable
And while we are on the subject of cables – you might want to consider packing a Power Bank if you will be away from an outlet for extended periods on your trip. You’ll also want to keep in mind that you might require an adaptor and voltage converter before you can even plug your devices into the wall. Be sure to pack these if required. Having all the necessary cables will save you from wasting time and money going out to buy replacements so you can use your devices.
Be Prepared to Be Offline
It’s easy to get used to always being online. Between Wi-Fi at home, work and every restaurant or coffee shop, plus Mobile Data for in between we are seldom truly offline. This can be a detriment when we find ourselves at our destination without internet access. If we regularly rely on internet access and our important documents are stored in the cloud we could be in trouble. It’s smart to spend a few minutes before the trip and download important documents to our devices. Keep them stored locally so they are accessible even when you don’t have Internet access.
On the subject of being offline, you might also want to download Google Maps of the area you will be in and store them on your device. This can help you navigate unfamiliar territory.
Label Your Gear
With the higher risk of losing your gear that travelling brings, it’s wise to label them. Y-Not Tech Services suggests putting at least your phone number on all your devices. You can often add text to the lock screen of devices or attach a label that you can peel off after you get home. Having your phone number on your device allows people to contact you to get your gear back to you if you lose it.
You could even take this one step further with tracking tags as you can find here.
Tech Vaccines
Before travelling abroad, we make sure our vaccinations are up to date. We should do likewise for our technology. Set aside a few minutes before travelling to make sure that your devices are up to date. Make sure your Operating System on your laptop is up to date and your Virus Definitions are current. It’s also a good idea to run a manual virus scan to be sure you’re system is clean before you go. If you have a hard time staying on top of this type of thing, consider signing up for Y-Not’s Stress-Free Antivirus.
If you follow these tips before heading off on your adventures or work travel trip you can avoid major tech headaches putting a damper on your trip. If you need assistance with anything discussed in this post feel free to contact Y-Not Tech Services.
