Phone Home, Save Money: Vonage Mobile
If you’re heading to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and want to make inexpensive calls back to the U.S., the solution could be as near as your portable MP3 player.
Vonage Mobile offers inexpensive worldwide calling—anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi signal—by turning an iPod Touch into a phone. It also works on the iPhone and BlackBerry models. And the one-cent a minute rate between the U.S. and Canada is hard to beat.
Besides Vonage Mobile—a free download from the Apple app store—all that’s needed to turn the iPod Touch into a phone is is a wireless connection and a headphone set with a microphone (such as V-MODA’s Vibe II or Faze). The program for other platforms can be downloaded from Vonage Mobile’s website.
As long as there is a Wi-Fi signal, Vonage Mobile makes a VoIP connection for international calls—you’re talking over the Internet. That means if you’re using it on an iPhone or BlackBerry, it does not use cellular minutes. (Note: The iPod Touch will not receive incoming calls.)
Installing the program is quick and easy. Vonage’s World Mobile plan offers unlimited calling to more than 60 countries for $24.99 a month and competitive rates to other parts of the world. Vonage also offers a pay-per-use plan by adding funds to your account, in advance, with a credit card.
Other per-minute rates range from two cents between the U.S. and Hong Kong to $13.92 to a UPT (Universal Personal Telecommunications) number. I was also able to make calls within the US with my iPod Touch.
The call quality with Vonage Mobile is good. In fact, I’d pick it over another mobile VoIP service, Skype. While Skype has worked well for me on a PC, I’ve been disappointed with its implementation, call quality and other issues on mobile devices. The results will depend, of course, on the quality of the wireless signal and the headset/microphone used.
After a query from the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T announced in October that it was opening its cellular network to allow VoIP apps to run on its 3G and 2G data channels, instead of just Wi-Fi. With that, I expect we’ll see more and improved VoIP programs for smartphones—and iPods and maybe the iPad, too—in the future.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on February 9th, 2010
A Cell Phone Booster that Works: Wilson Sleek
An unusual testing ground for a cell-phone booster
One of the world’s most important wetland areas might seem like an unusual place to test a cell-phone booster. But swampy Caddo Lake, surrounded by moss-draped cypress trees and straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, is mighty tough on mobile phones.
So that’s one of the places I went to test Wilson Electronics’ new Sleek Universal Cell Phone Signal Booster. There could be no better test than driving down Pine Island Rd., where I’ve spent a lot of time and always had trouble making calls. Sure enough, my phone soon showed no signal. Nothing. Zip. Completely out of touch.
I stopped in a dreaded “dead zone,” not too far from Caddo landmarks like Mill Pond, Alligator Thicket and Hell’s Half Acre. Then, I plugged in the Sleek amplifier. Just like magic, my phone began showing three and four bars (instead of none) and I was able to make calls like I was back in civilization.
Simply put, the Sleek works. And it works well.
The Sleek is scheduled for release in March, but the folks at Wilson invited me to try one before it hits the stores. Basically, the Sleek is a small amplifier, made for cars, that boosts both the received signal and the signal being transmitted back to the cell tower.
It can (and did) increase a cell phone’s received and transmitted signals by 10 to 20 times. That can mean the difference between a mediocre signal and a very strong signal, which means fewer dropped calls. Or if a phone shows no signal, the Sleek may be able to provide enough of a boost to actually make calls.
I did some further testing in other areas and found the Sleek would typically increase the signal strength displayed on my HTC Tilt2 by two to four bars (out of five). Then, I put the phone in test mode so I could see the actual received signal strength. The Sleek consistently increased the received signal by at least 10 times. Better signals also mean improved battery life.
It can be used with all cell-phone models and providers, except the iDEN/Nextel network.
All this works in a very small package that only takes minutes to install. The light and compact amplifier is built into the back of a cradle that holds the phone. The cradle is adjustable to fit different sizes of phones.
An adhesive mount is included. Wilson also offers other options, including a mounting arm that fits in a cup holder and a suction-cup mount that attaches to the windshield. These mounts are very handy if you also use your smartphone for GPS navigation.
The Sleek is powered by a lighter plug. The cradle also includes a mini-USB port which can be used to charge your phone. The amplifier is connected to a small, magnetic-mount antenna which attaches to the top of your car.
The phone must be in the cradle for the amplifier to work. But you should be using a Bluetooth or other hands-free device while driving anyway, right? If you need a Bluetooth headset, check out a couple of my faves: the Motorola Endeavor HX1 and the Plantronics Discovery 975.
(If you’d prefer an amplifier that works without placing the phone in the cradle, Wilson also offers the Signalboost MobilePro that connects wirelessly to the phone. It can be used in a car or hotel room to boost voice or aircard signals and a home adapter kit is also available. The phone needs to be within two or three feet of the amplifier, but it provides similar performance gains to the Sleek.)
Wilson Electronics' Chief Operating Officer Joe Banos demonstrates the Sleek at the 2010 International CES
The Sleek sets a new price point for cell-phone boosters, with a retail of $129. The actual street price may be close to $100. The Sleek is expected to be available through major online retailers and some brick-and-mortar stores.
Wilson products are made in the U.S. and the company offers free tech support, by phone or e-mail, from its manufacturing facility in Utah.
The Sleek will also include a 30-day, “no questions asked” return policy.
Wilson has been making cell-phone amplifiers for years, but the Sleek is a breakthrough product because of its small size and attractive price point. Other than not working on Nextel/iDEN networks, what’s not to like? In a world filled with advertising hype, it’s nice to find a product that delivers as promised.
If you do ever visit Caddo Lake, it might be a good idea to leave the cell phone behind and enjoy the scenery. But if you do need to make a call there, or in thousands of other places where signals are weak, the Sleek could have you saying, “I can hear you now” instead of watching your phone search for a signal. And that could be worth more than a case of mosquito spray at Caddo.
More on Caddo: Caddo Lake is included in the Ramsar designation of the world’s most significant wetland areas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department operates Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also recently opened the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Caddo is also a favorite place to visit for musician Don Henley of the Eagles.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on February 8th, 2010
Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit
About a dozen years ago, when my husband and I were packing for our first-ever camping trip together, I asked him where his first-aid kit was. He looked at me like a deer in headlights. Needless to say, my husband does not live the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared.”
I bought myself a soft-sized travel first-aid kit soon after that weekend getaway, and have brought it on many of our adventures since then. (I’d check the brand, but it’s buried in the confines of my winterized RV.) Though I’ve (frankly) made little dent in its contents, I know that if I’ve got a burn, blister or bite to deal with on family camping trips, I’ll be the parent to come to the rescue with the proper ointment or bandage.
Now I’ve got first-aid goodies to call my own, with the Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit from Adventure Medical Kits. This company makes dozens of first-aid kits specifically designed for various types of travelers, adventurers and sports enthusiasts — from mountaineers to paddlers to hunters.
Decidedly non-prissy (and not pink!) the Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit contains a typical supply list you’d find in any travel first-aid kit — such as bandages, gauze, painkillers, moleskin, antidiarrheal medicine and antibiotic ointment — but also items geared just for the girls, such as tampons and cramp-relief remedies. I’m also partial to its compact-size, 200-page “A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine” as well as the “Visual Communication Tool” chart: if you find yourself in a foreign country and unable to communicate to medical personnel there, you can point to images to explain, say, that you’ve been bitten by a dog or that you’re allergic to bees.
The kit — which measures about 7 x 5 x 3 inches when full — is meant to be used among up to four women on a multi-day trip, but it does contain many small, one-use items, so you’ll need to refill the kit as you go through them. And of course, you could just compile your own travel medical kit from items you already have in your medicine cabinet (it would certainly be cheaper to make your own), but my guess your homemade kit would be much bulkier than this one.
For one-stop-shopping, I give this Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit a thumb’s up for it’s handy, streamlined case, valuable medical guide, and extra pockets to supply your own items if you like.
Purchase the kit online at Adventure Medical Kits for $60. Better yet, check out Amazon.com: right now it’s selling for only $33.60 — a relative bargain!
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Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on February 5th, 2010
Serengeti Sunglasses with Polar PhD Lenses
Serengeti Cetera with polarized PhD lenses
When does one graduate from mall kiosk shades to performance sunglasses? If you’re there yet, check out this new line from Serengeti Eyewear.
When you’re a purist backpacker traveling on a shoestring, scoffing at anything requiring a sizable layout of cash is a necessary survival instinct. You laugh at the rich package tourists who spend more on a week’s hotels than you do for months of nights in guesthouses. You make fun of those “adventure travelers” outfitted in jackets that cost more than your backpack did. And why buy $100+ sunglasses when you can get a pair at the local mercado for three bucks?
When most eventually leave that phase and get a real job, however, the superior attitude fades a bit over time. Staying in a hostel doesn’t have the same appeal when you can easily afford better and you realize people treat you differently when you’re not dressed like a hobo. And wow—things really do look a lot different when you’re wearing good sunglasses!
I’ve been in both camps and still move back and forth between them as a travel writer, but I’ve definitely learned my lesson with the sunglasses as the decades have wore on. I’ve spent the past few weeks wearing one pair only—these Serengeti Cetera ones pictured at the top. Well, except for a few times I did some before and after tests with other shades to compare.
These are, hands down, the most comfortable and lightweight sunglasses I can ever remember wearing, and that’s no fluke. These special polarized PhD lenses “weigh 75% less than glass and 10% less than polycarbonate.” Yet they’re polarized too, so I could see clearly when we got a snow dumping last week and I went sledding and snowman building. I took a walk by a lake and noticed a significant reduction in glare from the water. On top of that they’re photochromic, so they get darker as conditions get brighter. Otherwise, they do what sunglasses should: cut down brightness and glare without changing the colors of what you are seeing. My eyes are protected and comfortable without seeing anything distorted.
Serengeti Maestrale
The tech specs on these lenses fill half a page of copy, but the real differentiators are that the polarizing is built into the back layer of the lenses, not the front, so there’s no risk of degradation from abrasion or other factors. You also get “anti-scratch hard coat, seven layer backside anti-reflective coating, and oleo phobic coating technology for oil and water resistance.” And they’re shatterproof under normal conditions.
All that is well and good, but if you’re going to pay a premium like this (list prices between $150 and $200, but sometimes under $100 at retail), the glasses had better make you look great too. While I’m a big fan of more competitively-priced shades we’ve reviewed here before from the likes of Julbo and Tifosi Optics, these make you think of Milan and Paris, not Boulder and Bariloche. The home page of Serengeti’s website features a winding mountain road on which you should picture yourself in an Italian sportscar, top down, someone beautiful and stylish beside you. We can’t all travel like that, but we can feel like it with their shades on our eyes.
If you want high performance but you want to look fabulous when you make your grand entrance, check out the new Serengeti line with Polar PhD lenses.
Search Serengeti products at SierraTradingPost.com
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on February 4th, 2010
Stuff Sack Eco-friendly Items From ChicoBag
Sometimes we get our hands on something that is downright perfect for our reviews on Practical Travel Gear: lightweight, easy to pack, eco-friendly, useful, and inexpensive. What else can you ask?
So naturally I was all over the items from ChicoBag: various kinds of bags that weigh almost nothing, pack up small, and use recycled materials. The company started out with the ever-more-common (thankfully) reusable shopping bag that packs down into its own pouch, but they have taken it many steps further.
This past week I’ve been trying out a cool messenger bag that slings over my shoulder when I’m riding a bike or walking to the store. It packs into a pouch (with room to spare) that’s a good bit smaller than a mass-market paperback book. It has a carabiner on the side for hanging it. When you unfold it, however, it’s a fully functional messenger bag with a strong and roomy interior, a front zipper pocket, and two stretchy side pockets that will each hold a water bottle. The strap has two adjustment buckles.
It proved itself to be quite strong in my tests and it’s made from durable recycled PET ripstop fabric. Fabric you can wash in a machine I might add. That’s just the start though on an item that is comprised of 80% recycled materials. We’re talking fabric and webbing that are 100% Recycled PET, airmesh and strap liner that are 100% Recycled Polypropylene, a carabiner that’s 97% Recycled Aluminum, and hardware that is 100% recycled nylon. (Apparently the zippers and flap magnets are the weak point making up the lost 20% in the reuse chain.)
I haven’t traveled anywhere with this bag yet, but it’s coming with me for sure on my next trip. For anyone who doesn’t normally take their laptop outside of the hotel room, this would be a great bag to bring along for daily sightseeing. When you’re heading home, just pack it up in its pouch again. It only adds a mere 5.6 ounces to your load and can even fit in a little bike seat pocket.
ChicoBag makes lots of other cool items too in a variety of fun colors. I tried out a water bottle carrier made of the same materials and packing up into a much smaller integrated pouch. Later this year the water carriers will go on sale at some retailers packed together with a Kleen Kanteen water bottle, around $20 combined. The carrier has a pouch for money or ID and another for “pen, chopsticks, and lip balm.” Chopsticks? Well, okay, if you say so.
All of their products come with a one-year warranty and are attractively priced, like only $18 for the messenger bag and $20 for the daypack pictured here. Most of their fun recycled material shopping bags are $5-$10.
Who says you have to be rich or inconvenienced to pack light and lower your impact on the planet? See all the available styles, colors, and prints at ChicoBag.com.
You can also find their products in stock at REI and Amazon.
Related reviews:
UltraSil Daypack
Flip and Tumble Bag
Tom Bihn Packable Daypack
RuMe Reusable Bags
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on February 3rd, 2010
