Holiday gadgets | What technology?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?) – The summer travel season traditionally begins with Memorial Day weekend, when people take the first of many vacations.

Renting an Airbnb, hotel, or apartment can provide most of the comforts of home. But when it comes to technology, you always need more. Like most electrical outlets, they are never where you need them.

Here are some holiday gadgets that will help you with this.

You’ll be glad you took a portable hub or power strips with you. This one from Anker costs around $20 and has 6 AC outlets, two standard USB ports, and one USB-C port. They ensure fast charging of tablets and phones. Please note that cruise ships allow power strips, but not those with surge protectors. For cruising, you will need a power strip without surge protection. I purchased two portable power hubs with 3 AC outlets and 3 USB ports for about $25. They also won’t take up too much space in your suitcase.

Hotels and rental properties offer guests Wi-Fi, but many people today use their own Wi-Fi routers. Why? Safety is the main reason. By connecting your own router to the Internet, you will bypass the Wi-Fi network that everyone else is using. And anyone using the same network who knows what they are doing can hack into other devices connected to it.

Wi-Fi routers in rental properties may not have the latest updates installed, and stored passwords may even be compromised by previous guests.

You can use an old Wi-Fi router to connect to the Internet and then connect your devices to the router. Old routers are cumbersome to pack. The mesh router works fine. There are dedicated travel routers available online for around $40. Whether you’re staying in a hotel, Airbnb, or other rental property, always use a VPN, as these Wi-Fi networks are typically less secure than free Wi-Fi in coffee shops.

These gadgets will make your vacation a little easier.

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