ENThese days going one day without internet is a struggle for many. We increasingly rely on technology wherever we go, and while travelling having online access can make your life easier.
At our fingertips we have travel guides, local restaurant reviews, banking, flight updates, weather conditions, and the list goes on and on. Internet and travelers go hand-in-hand and the amount of tech devices released have definitely made the way we travel different.
Here are 5 tips on how to make yourself a road warrior while traveling abroad:
1. Powerbanks
Being online gives you an advantage when exploring new cities and unknown streets. The problem is most devices that you can use run on a rechargeable battery which will probably be drained when you need it the most.
Powerbanks have become essential to those who need to be connected all the time. Whether you need to be reachable at all times or share those amazing views with your friends on social media, a powerbank will give you extra time to stay online.
2. Cover your tracks
Most connections you find while traveling are public, certainly you have seen the warning “this connection is not secure and others may see your information”. Many of us ignore this warning because who doesn’t like free internet?
However, public internet connections have many vulnerabilities. The likelihood of your device being hijacked by a stranger is high. Identity theft, ransomware, data hacks are just some of the dangers lurking behind free internet. There is hope, however, and it comes in the form of a VPN.
VPNs let you browse the web safely, since they protect your identity and encrypt the data being transferred from your device.
Some of the top VPNs that can help you browse the web securely:
3. Cloud Storage
When exploring a new country it’s tempting to take as many pictures as possible. Whether you use a dedicated camera or your smartphone you will want to backup all your pictures in the cloud. We live in the age of the “digital souvenir” and keeping all the photos and videos in a safe place has become quite important.
Cloud services – such as vBoxxCloud – help you upload all of the videos and photos you took directly to the cloud. If you device is stolen or broken, at least all the digital memories will be in the cloud.
In vBoxxCloud you can also choose to only upload your photos and video’s when you are connected to Wi-Fi, saving you from massive data charges.
4. Minimize your data usage
Due to recent changes traveling within the European Union has become significantly cheaper as roaming charges were dissolved. However, if your trip leads you to more exotic destinations, every single megabyte counts.
There are a couple of steps you can take that help you avoid an expensive bill waiting for you at home.
- Maps: Whether you use Google Maps or Apple Maps, you can store the map of an area offline. If you like to plan in advance you can even establish a route and save it offline.
- Change general data settings: Some smartphones allow you to manage your data consumption. You can set a limit and automatically deactivate or cap mobile data usage.
- Change app data settings: You can also limit background data usage from certain apps. While this may cause some apps to stop working at least you know which apps are allowed to spend data.
- Compress data with Chrome: One of the most useful features on Chrome for smartphones is the ability to compress website data. After enable the feature in the settings you could save around 30% of mobile data.
5. Have an offline backup plan
A simple pen and a small notepad do not sound as exciting as a smartphone or a tablet. Certainly, they don’t do as much – but consider how many times you need to write something down when you travel. When (and not if) your phone dies, having a pen with you will come in handy when you need to write someone’s phone number, or need to write a note.
At the end of the day having a pen and a small notepad is your best backup plan.