As Memorial Day and summertime holiday coming , the travel season is just about to heat up . But you do n’t have to resign yourself to hefting unneeded equipment through drome security or sweating out the frustrations of hotel computer connectivity . These veteran travel tips can make locomote with your Apple cogwheel much more fun .
1. Ditch your laptop
A lightweight rack like the Incase Origami Workstation can make it easy to use a wireless keyboard with your iPad and leave the laptop at house . If you do n’t want to lug your laptop computer with you on a stumble , consider bringing an iPad ( or even an iPhone ) along with a Bluetooth keyboard such as the $ 69 Apple Wireless Keyboard ( ) and a lightweight and succinct iPad stand such as the $ 30Incase Origami Workstation , Michiel Cornelissen ’s $ 20PadFoot , or the $ 18Arkon iPad Travel Stand . That way you’re able to answer e - mail and do other keyboard - intensive things without the extra weighting of a laptop .
Using the $ 39Apple Digital AV Adapteror the $ 29Apple VGA Adapter , you’re able to even apply theiPad to give Keynote presentations .
2. Make your own Wi-Fi
If the hotel where you ’re going to stay does n’t have wireless connectivity in the room , consider bringing a $ 99 Apple AirPort Express ( ) along . you’re able to attach it to the wired Ethernet and then use it to transmit a Wi - Fi signal , so you’re able to use your laptop , iPhone , or iPad from anywhere in the elbow room . As a fillip , you could also use the AirPort Express ’s USB port — designed to permit you connect a printer — to lodge an iPhone or iPod ( though not an iPad ) .
bestow along an AirPort Express and you’re able to define up a Wi - Fi internet in your hotel elbow room .
Optionally , if you ’ve brought a laptop and have an extra wireless machine — an iPad , for exemplar — make a wireless meshing on your Mac that you’re able to then deal with your iPad .
A lightweight stand like the Incase Origami Workstation can make it easy to use a wireless keyboard with your iPad and leave the laptop at home.
3. Use 3G when Wi-Fi is too slow
Even when hotels allow for free Internet access code in the room , that accession is often awfully dull . If you have an iPhone or iPad with 3 G with you , consider using its 3 GiB connection as your access point rather than the hotel ’s broadband . You may discover that it ’s quicker than what the hotel give birth . If you have a Bluetoothtethering plan , all the better . expend it to connect your laptop to the Internet .
4. Skip the hotel pay-per-view
If you ’ve got an iPad or iPhone 4 , land a $ 39Apple Digital AV Adapter ( ) and an HDMI cable . If you ’re staying in a hotel that ’s upgraded to high-definition television , you may plug right in and encounter your own preferred videos right off your gimmick rather than using the hotel ’s costly pay - per - view system to roleplay some mediocre rom - com . remark that some hotel television receiver are set up falsely — they’re configured to display a resolve such as420pthat ’s less than they ’re capable of . If the picture does n’t look right , seek to reach the TV ’s setup sieve and increase the resolution .
Another option is to bring Apple ’s $ 39Component AVor $ 39Composite AVcables , orScosche ’s $ 60 combination cable television , which might offer greater compatibility with the mountain range of telecasting in hotels .
5. Minimize your adapters
traveling light : an iPad charger can also charge an iPhone , so if you plan your charging cautiously , you need to fetch only a undivided transcriber to charge both . ( Note that an iPhone courser can charge an iPad , but more slowly than the iPad ’s own courser , so go with the iPad courser . )
6. Consider a travel-friendly cable kit
Dan Frakes ’ locomotion - friendly cable kit , ready to go . Whether for charging or connectivity , you involve cable length in your change of location udder , but they add both exercising weight and clutter . Instead of paring down thenumberof cables you pack — which runs the risk of infection of not having the finicky cable length you need for some vital task — you may make those cables smaller and lighter . For example , alternatively of a 6 - foot USB cable , try a 6 - inch version ; leave behind behind your iPhone ’s long USB dock - connector cable and instead land a 3 - inch version .
By swapping all your cable length for travel - friendly versions , you ’ll have a bag that ’s both lighter and neater . It ’s also less of a hassle to bundle , as you could leave behind the long ones plugged in at home , with the “ traveling outfit ” always at the ready . ( you’re able to get short cables from accessory seller such asOWC , CableJive , Fruitshop , MonoPrice , andUSBFireWire.com , as well as fromAmazon.com . )
7. Sync with kids in mind
An iPhone , iPod touch , or iPad can be a thoroughgoing mob travelling familiar whether you ’re traveling by plane or car . ( See Jason Snell ’s story “ How Apple equipment saved me chiliad on my new car ” ) . But do you really want to pass one of them to the back seat and have your tike ardour upScarface ? Common sense though it may seem , parents officious with road - head trip preparations often blank out to backpack their machine with nipper - friendly content .
conceive create holiday playlists in iTunes to sync with your iPad or iPhone right before you give . That mode you may prepare particular content without mess up up your employment - a - daytime setting . ( Just sync to your regular play list when you render . )
For some kid - favorable app suggestions , see our favorite for yearling and preschoolers , as well as for elementary school kids . We also round up great interactive books for small Kyd . look on your summer destination , you might also check over out our aggregation of “ Top - Rated Disney Theme Park Apps . ” pasture through all our app collections here .
Bring along an AirPort Express and you can set up a Wi-Fi network in your hotel room.
8. Bring a battery backup
If you ’ve load up your iPhone or iPod feeling with kid - friendly fare , the last thing you require to see is a “ 10 percent battery stay on ” admonition . A cheap , no - name , rechargeable battery face pack — such as the $ 7Stitchaway UltraPoweror $ 20iPowerCase — that plugs into the dock - connexion larboard can effectively reduplicate the clip your kids can drop playing Tozzle , interpret practical Dr. Seuss books , and watching Pixar flicks .
retrieve tricks to stretch out battery living , too : Go to the configurations app and choose Brightness to dim the screen as much as you could well . While you ’re in the preferences app , deform on Airplane Mode to incapacitate Wi - Fi , 3 G , and Bluetooth whenever potential .
64GB iPod Touch (fourth generation, late 2010)
32GB iPhone 4 (GSM, AT&T)
iPad 2 family
MacBook Pro (early 2011) family
iPhone 4 32GB Black (CDMA, Verizon)
Dan Frakes’ travel-friendly cable kit, ready to go.
