Traveling for business is difficult enough with traffic and crowded, often delayed flights. You shouldn’t have to go without your trusty tech gadgets just because you’re not in an office or connected to Wi-Fi. With the help of these five devices, you can quickly answer a business email or a personal text, juggle back-to-back meetings and stay organized on the go, all without throwing out your back.
Carrying a laptop with you shouldn’t mean you have to carry the weight of the office on your shoulders. I used to dread packing my heavy laptop for business until I tried the Lenovo LaVie Z; the lightest 13-inch laptop on the market. Yes, it’s even lighter than the new MacBook. It weighs in at 1.87 pounds and is so easy to toss into my backpack, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lightweight. It’s powered by a 5
th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with a battery designed to run all day. The quad HD display delivers super bright, easy-to-read visuals tucked inside a magnesium-lithium frame, which is what makes it so light. This is a great laptop for taking on the road because it’s capable of all your computing needs without feeling like you’re dragging the entire office along with you.
Sometimes you need a tablet display in order to share a demo video with colleagues or kick back and watch a video on a long flight. The Microsoft Surface 3 is a tablet and laptop in one, a so-called 2-in-1 device. The tablet connects via magnets to the Surface Keyboard Cover so you can use it like a laptop for work with a 3-position kickstand. Detach it from the keyboard or just swivel it behind and the Surface becomes a touchscreen tablet, perfect for sharing a presentation or quickly taking notes with a stylus right on the 10.8-inch screen. It has a full HD display for watching video and a battery that will run for up to 10 hours. When closed, it’s thin enough to carry in a backpack or even a purse without weighing you down.
Nothing says business traveler like someone juggling two smartphones; one for work emails and calls and the other for personal use. The unlocked ZenFone 2 from Asus solves that problem with 2 SIM card slots tucked inside the 5.5-inch device. It has Dual Active Technology so you can talk to the office using one SIM card, while texting your family and checking social networks using the other – both are active at the same time. Another benefit of this feature; rather than adding an international plan when going overseas, business travelers can simply buy a local SIM card at their destination.
The ZenFone 2 also features quick-charging technology; it can charge up to 60% of the battery in under 40 minutes, just enough time to top off before catching the plane.
When you have to share a report or presentation with a large group, don’t worry about booking a meeting room with A/V equipment, or packing up all your files. The portable ZTE Spro 2 is a powerful Pico projector with 4G LTE for easy access to cloud-based content. It has a 5” touchscreen for navigation and projects an image up to 10 feet. It also creates its own wireless hotspot that can be shared with as many as 10 other devices. With a battery that lasts for about 2.5 hours, you’ll run out of juice way before the Spro 2 does.
As a frequent traveler, I know how important it is to have all my necessary travel documents, local currency and charging cables in one place. Opening zippers and compartments in my backpack is ok, but for a more elegant solution, I prefer the Knomad Portable Tablet Organizer. It’s designed to hold a 10-inch tablet
, though there are other sizes available, and comes in either leather or canvas. The portfolio design makes it super simple to keep things organized with pockets for your passport, phone, cables and cords, even business cards. There’s also room for a portable external battery pack which I make great use of when traveling.