Jamie Tucker has collected some gadgets that you might not have thought to take on vacation.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — The summer travel season typically kicks off over Memorial Day weekend, when people take their first vacations.
Your Airbnb, hotel, or condo rental may have most of the comforts of home, but when it comes to technology, you always want more. Just like more power outlets, your technology just isn’t where you need it to be.
Here are some helpful vacation gadgets.
Bringing a portable hub or power strip can definitely help. This one from Anker is about $20 and has six AC outlets, two standard USB, and one USB-C port. You can use it to fast charge your tablet or smartphone. Note that cruise ships allow power strips, but not ones with surge protectors. You’ll need a power strip without a surge protector on a cruise. I bought two portable power hubs with three AC outlets and three USB ports for about $25. They don’t take up much room in your suitcase.
Hotels and rental properties offer Wi-Fi to their guests, but these days many people bring their own Wi-Fi routers. Why? A big reason is security. By connecting your router to the internet, you’re bypassing the Wi-Fi network that everyone else is using. And anyone on that same network who knows what they’re doing can hack other devices connected to that network.
Rental property Wi-Fi routers may not have the latest updates installed, and saved passwords could be compromised by previous guests.
You can use an old Wi-Fi router to connect to the internet and connect your devices to the router. Old routers are bulky to carry around. A mesh router will do, and there are also dedicated travel routers you can buy online for around $40. Always use a VPN if you’re staying in a hotel, Airbnb, or other rental property, as these Wi-Fi networks are generally less secure than the free Wi-Fi at a coffee shop.
These gadgets will make your vacation a little easier.
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