I’m setting out on holiday with my husband. We are taking two iPads, two Kindles, two phones and a laptop. That’s seven cables, chargers and assorted plugs, leaving no room for any other luggage. It keeps airport security busy. We need to stay in touch with our offices. Why can’t someone design a universal charger and plug? (I can guess the answer.) What did we do before all these portable devices were invented? Expensive phone calls, work diverted to others and a huge pile of post when we got back. I suppose it’s an improvement . . .
It’s getting that way, most modern phones have a micro-USB socket that can be used to charge from a 5V supply, usually requiring less than 5W. If everything else needs a 5V supply then all you need is adapter cables and a single decent charger that can charge one or more of them at a time.
It’s harder with laptops because they tend to use 19V supplies and need tens of watts, especially if charging and running the laptop simultaneously.
@Dave H: you can take just the laptop charger and then charge your other devices from its USB sockets!
Enjoy! And make sure he pays his fare share.
Dear Baroness Deech,
Can I begin by thanking you for your very charming and courteous response to my previous response to your blog post on railways and courtesy among the traveling public. Your feedback was encouraging and much appreciated.
Apropos the subject of this post, like other followers of this blog, I like to consider myself as “tech-savvy”. Allow me to make a suggestion that may lighten your techie burden.
You mentioned that you are carrying both Kindles and iPads. The iPad App Store has a free Kindle App that would allow you to access your Kindle contents on the iPad itself. Thus you need not carry the Kindles separately.
With regards to the chargers, unfortunately, we are all forced to use various convertors to connect our devices to the electrical supply abroad. However, a hotel in China appears to have found a solution; an all-in-one socket.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18266022
It may be worthwhile to suggest to the hotel in their feedback to look at this option the next time they have the electrical system of the hotel updated. From a business point of view, it would certainly make them more attractive to business and regular travelers.
I think this illustration sums up the problem:
http://xkcd.com/927/
I don’t understand:
how come you’re so indispensable that you have to be working
and on-holiday
both at the same time ?
Isn’t that like having been ‘posted abroad’ as ‘the last soldier left standing in defence of the British Nation’ ?
(as well as being something of an “oxymoron” ?)
Are we to also ‘assume’ that your holiday work-related expenses are properly paid by our taxes
and that you do not have to pay any work expense out of your own pocket ?
Vis a vis your continued-learning programme, does this technological difficulty affect the learning you need to continue doing ?
Not that I am indispensable, but I want to know what is going on, both in political news and in the law; and I assure you it is all being paid for by me, certainly not the taxpayer. And would you not miss my blogs and replies to you if I had no internet access for a couple of weeks? Happy holidays everyone!
ok
(pax)
healthier holy-days
every-one !
The smart traveler, if they don’t wish to be cut off from the pulse of mass wailing, is to make sure the holiday destination has it all laid on for you. Ready in place and working efficiently.
Even in the Borneo it can be done, without too much expense and bother.
@BD:
Did I read your opening post correctly? Did you write you were going on holiday?
If so, why the inappropriate load?
Enjoy the vacation.
Dear Baroness Deech,
With the advancement of new technologies, aircraft companies should be prepared both technically and financially in order to meet the expectations of their business customers.
Good holiday.
God save the Queen and the Lords. God bless the united kingdom.
Nazma FOURRE
Why can’t someone design a universal charger and plug?
Or a hassle free vacation?