One of the reasons so many people these days are opting for remote work is because of the freedom it allows them. Not only can they create their own schedules, but they can also create their own office. They can work where they want when they want. The only downside seems to be having the right tools to work as you go. If you want to work while traveling, here are some great gadgets for working on the road.
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Apps & gadgets for getting work done while on the go
Please note: I am not an affiliate for any company. These are genuine recommendations.
- NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES. A good set of noise cancelling headphones (like the Bose series) will cost a lot, but the amount of noise that they cancel out is absolutely incredible, making them worth every penny. If you are sensitive to noise, noise-cancelling headphones are a must-have while traveling.
- JABRA SPEAK. A USB plug-in portable conference speakerphone with incredible quality.
- MOBILE ROUTER. Internet is another one of the must haves for remote workers. A mobile router makes it extremely handy to work as you go and not have to rely on WiFi, whether you’re waiting in an airport, sitting on a train, or in a café.
- FIND WIFI. If you don’t have a mobile router, you can use some apps to find wifi or test internet connections: Try Workfrom to find and share local p laces to work. Use Desksurfing or ShareDesk (or others) to cowork and meet anywhere
- GLOBAL POWER ADAPTERS. These work everywhere and will save you a lot of grief when you’re traveling to multiple countries.
- EXTERNAL BATTERY CHARGER. These days it seems we use our phones for everything. For our boarding passes, google maps or even what the weather might be like. An external battery charger saves you from worrying about your phone dying.
- TRAVEL MONITOR. Yes, you read that correctly. A travel monitor. Many people need more screen space than a laptop allows. There are now all kinds of light-weight monitors that can act as a second screen away from home: check out the Sidecar or the Split. There are even USB plug-in monitors like the Asus ZenScreen.
- LIGHTING. If you’re going to be having video conferencing calls while on the road, take the time to look your best with great lighting. Something simple like the Chatlight is easy to carry around. If you’ve got more room in your luggage, check out these LED Ring Lights.
If you have favorite travel companions, I’d love to hear what they are, things that help you while on the road.
Podcast production by Podcast Monster
Graphic design by Alfred Boland
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Original transcript
Welcome to the Collaboration Superpowers podcast. My name is Lisette and I’m interviewing people and companies doing great things remotely. Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode. The next three months are going to be completely insane for me with travel. I just got back from the U.K. And on the list up ahead of me are Greece, Spain, France, Belgium, Vietnam, and Germany. So on this trip to the U.K., I tested out a few new things. And I wanted to tell you about some of my favorite travel gadgets for getting work done while you’re on the move. First on the list is my most recent purchase, which are the Bose QC20 noise-cancelling headphones. They’re in-ear headphones. I got the idea one day when I was sitting in a train car on the way home. And there was a group of just screaming teenagers, just a super loud group. And I thought there’s got to be a better way. So of course I googled on the train what are the options. Is there such a thing as noise-cancelling headsets. And I came across these Bose Headsets. Now I almost closed the page because they are very expensive. They are around $300, and I thought, “No way.” But then the teenager screamed again and I thought, “All right, sold, I’ll buy them.” So I wasn’t sure what to expect, but let me tell you, these things are incredible. The amount of noise that they cancel out is absolutely incredible. So if you are sensitive to noise and you travel a lot, these are a must-have.
Next on my list is a mobile router. For example, I live an hour and a half from the airport via train. So for that hour and a half that I’m on the train, I can be working with my mobile router. And then, of course, at the airport, that hour before the flight leaves where you’re just sitting there. I can also be working. So there are all these in-between times that I use the mobile router for. And I’ve just found it extremely handy to have with me and not have to rely on airport Wi-Fi or train Wi-Fi, just have everything that I need with me. I can open my laptop and just start working.
Third on my list, which is really only handy if you travel a lot internationally, is one of those global, power adapters. Just get one. It works everywhere. It will just save you a lot of grief if you’re trying to find a plug and you’ve just forgotten.
Next on the list is also a new toy that I just purchased, which is an external battery charger. I basically use my phone for everything. I usually have my boarding passes and looking up directions or what the weather might be like. I just kind of use it for everything except for calling, really. I very rarely call people. But I got tired of stressing out on really long trips on where I was going to find my next charge. So it’s a very easy solution. You just look up external battery charger on the Internet, and there are a number of them to choose from. The one that I got can charge my iPhone up to six times and the iPad up to four times or something like that. So that is plenty of battery power for even a very long trip. Years ago, I placed an order with an office supply company. And as a welcome gift for a new customer, they sent me a two gigabyte iPod shuffle. So it’s one of those itty-bitty, little, teeny-tiny things. It basically just has one button and then the wheel around it. And it keeps two gigabytes’ worth of music, which isn’t a whole lot, but it’s enough for being on the road. And because my phone is so full of podcasts, it’s kind of nice just to have a little pocket full of tunes sometimes. And because it’s so small, you can just take it everywhere. So I just like taking it with me.
All right, last on the list is Kendra, the Kubi. Now I know that Kendra is not particularly handy while on the road. But what I like bringing Kendra along for is the demos that I can give when people discover her in my backpack, of course, which is always fun. And also, for when I arrived in a new location, friends of mine can teleport in and look around and see where I am and check out the space that I’m in. So in a way, you arrive and you say hello to a good friend. And they just happen to be there via robot. And of course she’s there anyway because I use her in the Work Together Anywhere workshop just to show people what telepresence is like and what it can do.
All right, that’s enough tech in one backpack, I think. If you have favorite travel companions, I’d love to hear what they are, things that help you while on the road. You can find our contact information at collaborationsuperpowers.com. If you like what you hear, please leave us a review. Not many people do it, and it’s really useful when it happens. So if you’ve got an extra two minutes, just go to iTunes or Stitcher and be one of the cool people. A huge thanks to Nick, the podcast monster who makes this podcast shine. You can hire him to make you a star at podcastmonster.com. All right, until next time, everyone, be powerful.
