Sometimes the GERD has to travel.  In fact the GERD is on an airplane right now (at least while he’s writing this); on his way to San Diego from my super-secret East Coast electromagnetic fortress for a meeting.  So on those infrequent occasions when he has to leave his GERD-dom, he wants the right kind of tools to play and work with.  These tools must have certain characteristics; they must be small, they must have good battery life; they must have a common plug for recharging; and of course, they must be really cool!

So, you may be asking yourself what is the GERD’s favorite travel tech (go ahead and ask, I’ll wait). Naturally, it’s my iPad, I mean not only do I never leave home without it, I rarely leave the room without it.  I have a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad 2 (insert audible gasp).  I know, I know, it’s old but believe me the thing is still a tech marvel and tops in my tech travel locker (that’s my back pack).  It meets all my requirements; (1) it’s small enough to slide into place with no fuss, no unsightly bulge; (2) it has a great battery life.  Even though it’s getting older the battery life remains terrific, almost 10 hours per charge.  (3) As for the common plug, while it’s not a USB, mini USB, or micro USB, the 30 pin Apple plug has become so commonplace it’s almost its own category.  I know the new Apple connector is very different (I like it by the way), and in time they too will become commonplace; (4) what’s cooler than an iPad, anyone, anyone?  The cool is still there and I’m never embarrassed to drag out the old iPad and start geeking out (that’s not true with my entire tech line, can you say Acer Iconia Tab? That thing can stop a bullet but takes 10 minutes to boot up!)

There is, however, more to Heaven and Earth than the iPad.  The Kindle Fire HD makes an excellent travel companion.  My stereo Bluetooth headphones are always with me (Rocketfish High-Definition (RF-MAB2)  https://techgerd.com/2012/08/11/my-favorite-bluetooth-headsets/).  A good laptop is always a plus; my new ASUS U46e (http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/U46E/) packs 8GB of RAM and 750GB hard drive on a Windows 7 64-bit OS with excellent results.  Add 6+ hours of battery life and you’re got a toy to blog away on during those long flights.  Need to add more content without buying a new system?  Add a Wi-Drive that allows you to stream data from it to any one of several devices over its own Wi-Fi signal.  (http://www.kingston.com/us/usb/wireless#wid).

So the next time you leave your Fortress on a trip, taking along the right tools will help you get away without actually being away.