From the Road — A Geek’s Hotel Desk
I was happy to find that the hotel I booked on my current trip has a very nice working desk. It is big and has integrated electrical outlets to plug in my stuff. There are only two outlets though, so I’m glad I had my travel outlet with me. I certainly need it as this quick photo of the gear I brought with me will attest. The photo was snapped with the Palm Pre, which is why the Touchstone charger in the photo is sitting all lonely.
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I am surprised you bothered to “schlepp” the touchstone to San Francisco. Oh, wait, I just remembered that stupid little cover over the USB port on my wife’s Pre. Never mind, I’d get tired of futzing with that in no time.
But then… is that an iPhone in a cradle on the right?
You brought your Touchstone!? I wouldn’t think that would be something you’d normally travel with. How did you keep the sticky bottom from attracting everything in the gadget bag?
You can actually wipe off the bottom of the Touchstone with a bit of water and it’ll stick pretty much good as new.
I have not taken the Touchstone nor the iPhone dock on previous trips but this trip I took a good look at both and came to the conclusion they are so small that they add almost nothing to the gear bag.
You have to remember that the cable stash I use to carry this type of stuff is packed in the checked luggage.
Checked luggage? What’s that? Sounds scary! :)
If I really have to check luggage (you didn’t brink a suit for your conference appearance, did you?), I don’t put any mission critical gadget items into that bag. I have had too many baggage delays and wouldn’t want to have to deal with finding a new cable or charger for gadget XYZ when I arrive in Europe while my suitcase visits Shanghai. Fortunately, with the standardization towards USB the number of cables needed in my carry-on is constantly getting smaller (and admittedly it also gets easier to find replacements).
the joy about business travel is the expense paid flight and hotel accommodation. the josstle with it is the fact that you need ot bring all those dangles and cords and found out that there are at least two set of outlets in a hotel. one at the lamp shade table and the other at the bathroom for hair dryers.
Wow… one of Dilbert’s strips comes to my mind about Dilbert meeting some other guy with a lot of gizmos and because that other guy had one more gadget (it might have been a pocket fax), Dilbert ended up worshiping the other guy :)
You are indeed a true mobile gadget road warrior. This picture is more evidence of said claim.
Yeah, if it was me personally, I’d consolidate myself, but looks like you’re prepared for absolutely anything with all that along.
James has gone “commando” mode – out in the wild with all his mobile “weapons” locked and loaded . :)
To be honest, a retractable USB cord would charge the Mifi, pre and iphone there from the notebook, without being near AC power. The only thing I would have brought along was the cable to charge the viliv. With only two outlets needed, you could have left the power strip at home as well.
No way I would pack important cables into checked luggage. My auto/air/ac adapter stays with me next to my notebook, and that retractable USB cable can fit in my shirt pocket easy. I am kind of surprised you brought all that gear along – you are a big advocate of traveling light.
First, let me start by saying that for many years I have enjoyed your blog. However, over the past year I have felt that you have lost your focus on bringing newsworthy items to your readers and instead you spend too much time on useless posts like this one. For the most part, I along with many of my friends, colleagues and family members have stopped visiting your site. I did check in today to see if you were covering the microsoft or apple events and was disappointed to find very little coverage. Whats the point of flying to San Fran if you areent going to share your views with readers. Bring back the Jkontherun content and perhaps you will win back some of your readers
I agree, I’m not sure how taking a large laptop, and every charging gadget you have with you is worth reporting on?
In the old days when you all had real jobs, those real life challenges were much more relavent to many more of us. Now, great that you are professional bloggers, but it isn’t really relavent to most of your readers. It’s a shame, things used to be better.
Maybe its not “news” but seeing how other geeks travel is informative for me. I always struggle with the right combination I find posts like this and the weekly Mobile Tech Manor often provide little tidbits for me that I can actually put to use. Value added James…play on.
I enjoy the posts of “real world” use of these gadgets.
It’s interesting to see how other people use their stuff.
I do feel out classed however, on my last trip I did add a pocket calculator to my pen and paper emsemble…
Can’t please everyone. James, you’ve been doing posts like this one since I started following you pre-Kevin C. Tofel, pre-iPhone, pre-Pre, and I find this both useful and entertaining. I’m not sure how this, precisely this, isn’t the Old jkOnTheRun. I remember you posting the photo of your Sony, Stowaway keyboard, mouse, cell, and mug of coffee.
A few Starbucks later, and you guys are following the markets, looking for ways to leverage mobile tech, and blogging the fun and frustrations.
I traveled this summer with my Touchstone and found it great, specifically to do Sprint Navigation after your detailed posts about that. Haven’t had to make a choice about checking it at the airport, and am with Oliver in thinking when you hand over your luggage, you really should say goodbye to it, as that was too often my experience.
Still surprised that you don’t take a tablet with you, and Kevin doesn’t have anything in his arsenal to replace his Samsung Q1UP when going on a trip like this. I want OneNote in the meetings, including if they point to pdf files online, or if someone wants to share a doc from a jump drive. Seems perfect for the Samsung or the Fugitsu P1630.
Call me old fashion, but I’m with SAM, I like to have pen and ink, though I wouldn’t know how to use a calculator if I had one.
Oh, and your power strip, the brand name of which slips my mind, I heard about here first, and neglected to bring it with me across Minnesota. Big mistake. My wife, usually quite frugal, suggested I get pick up a second one when they were on sale at the local Radio Shack. (Kicks self)
Thanks for the kind words. You have been with me through thick and thin and I do this for you and everyone like you.
It’s a Monster Outlets-to-go, BTW.
Yes! Exactly!
Well, and James, thank you for sticking with it. We in the community appreciate it when we aren’t complaining about how you do it. This is still the friendly, interesting, fun place I bookmarked as my homepage so long ago. A good feeling when just that color of yellow or butterscotch or whatever it is comes up on my screen. Truly.
Steve
Let’s be realistic. You sold your website to a larger corporation, not so that you could have fun blogging, but so you could improve your financial status and the the parent company could leverage your user base. Now you want to have your cake and eat it to at the expense of loyal readers who expect more substantive content like the video reviews you were once famous for. In fact, I first started visiting your site because I found your review of one on the earlier tablet pc’s and thought it was honest and informative. Sure, I appreciate that here was a time when you provided honest reviews of new technology but now your reviews sound like you work for the companys whose product you are reviewing. I’m sad to see the demise of the JKontherun that we all new and loved. Now you are just another sell-out
So James makes more blogging about smartphones than he did working for oil companies? And he’s only pretending to like the stuff?
Wow, the scales fall from my eyes.
James, I’ll have to reconsider the nature of our relationship, especially about all that Apple stuff that makes its way into your videos.
Stop trolling Mike. Tell me, what do you ‘expect’ from free websites? Perhaps you can give specific examples of ‘dishonest’ reviews?
You’re just trying to get a reaction. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out…..
It’s not free when I’m hit with subliminal advertising otherwise known as reviews
Ours reviews are totally honest and the way we see them. If you do not believe that then leave and don’t come back, please. You don’t have to agree with us but don’t question our ethics. We don’t question yours and deserve the same respect.
You are justified in your response and I should not have questioned your ethics. Yes, my comments were below the belt and I apologize. I’m simply trying to convey the message that I would like to see more substanative content on your site.
OK, you are entitled to your opinion. We believe in the credo that everyone has an opinion and that should be respected. May I suggest that you skip over the topics you don’t wish to see. Everyone likes different things and I feel confident you will find plenty here you do like. Hang around a while and see if that’s true.
I grew up in New Mexico and never could figure out when Southern Hospitality or cowboy would win out with you Texas boys. I thought for sure you’d shoot him for impugning your integrity, James. But, no, you invite him to stay and enjoy. I was jockeying for position to hide behind the bar when the shooting started.
I would like to add that when you do substantive reviews, they should be of the toys I’m most imagining in my hands, lots of bells and whistles, but for heaven’s sake, something lighter than a MacBook Pro. ;-)
I’m playing with a couple of those right now. :)
Ahhh! Excellent!