Luggage Cart Transforms into Laptop Table
I’ll admit it: I’d probably never use this thing, but some of you might. So here you go.
Hammacher and Schlemmer (it seriously took me 20 minutes to spell those two names correctly) is selling this rolling luggage cart thing that transforms into a desk for your laptop for a cool $160. And what’s awesome is the desk can hold up to 20lbs, just in case you want to bust out that old laptop from 1993. It’s not too wide, so you can roll down the airplane isle without killing anyone, and it folds up small enough to fit into the overhead compartment.
The Rolling Luggage Cart and Desk from (deep breath…) Hammacher and Schlemmer. $159.95 [via]
Leave the Cell Phone at Home: How disconnecting on your Vacation is the Right and Healthy Thing to do
When I recently traveled to Alaska, I made the mistake of bringing my cell phone with me. And thus, my escape from Los Angeles was routinely interrupted with calls that never let me totally disconnect and fully lose myself in my vacation.
It was the first exotic trip I’ve taken with cell phone in tow, but in the last five years I’ve also failed to sever that connection by visiting Internet bars and checking my email. One trip, in fact, was partially ruined when I found out through email that my company had canceled raises for the year –- not something you want to hear while on an expensive vacation!
Leaving your communication gadgets at home and disconnecting from the stress and worries which led you to vacation in the first place is the theme of a recent article by Susan Brink. Not surprisingly, I found it in the Health section of the LA Times instead of the Travel section.
Brink confirms what I’ve known now for the last five years; staying in constant contact with work and home while at the same time trying to escape from this very thing by going on vacation can undermine the very rest and relaxation which motivated you to go on vacation in the first place. In fact, it might even increase your amount of stress.
Brink sums it up nicely; “a large body of research shows that chronic stress is bad, that multi-tasking on interconnected gizmos can increase stress and that vacations are stress relievers.” She then refers to a study that reveals 39% of people on vacation check their work emails.
If you’re one of these unlucky souls, check out the article and discover the disservice you are doing yourself. If, on the other hand, the thought of being disconnected from work and out of the loop strikes job-security fear in your heart, you just might be screwed either way you slice it.
Review: 3M Computer Privacy Filter
Not too long ago, I mentioned 3M Computer Privacy Filters. Remember? The filters are thin plastic sheets that attach to your computer monitor so the display is only visible to someone directly in front of the screen. (You can see the effect in the pictures above.) They’re perfect for business road warriors who want to keep their sensitive work away from those pesky corporate spies.
I picked one up the other day for my traveling laptop, and I’ve been quite pleased with the results. I took a few photos of the privacy filter in action, and you can check them out after the jump.
3M offers their privacy filters in sizes ranging from 12.1″ to 20.1″ with formats cut to fit both standard and widescreen displays. I picked up a 14.1″ standard aspect privacy filter from an office supply store for about $60.
My laptop display is only 10.6″, so I had to cut the filter down to size. It’s fairly easy to trim the soft plastic to the correct size, but I had some problems with my slide cutter. (You’ll be able to see my horrible cutting job in the close-ups.)
Installing a privacy filter is quite simple. Simply affix the included plastic clips (above) along the sides of the computer display. (The clips attach to the display with a weak adhesive that won’t leave a mark if removed.) Then, slide the privacy filter in front of your display using the clips to hold the plastic sheet in place.
The plastic sheet does not cling or adhere to your screen at all. It stays in place because of the clips. This makes it convenient to remove and install the privacy filter by sliding it in and out of the clips.
Here is the privacy filter in place over the display. The plastic clips hover over parts of the viewable image, but they’re not very intrusive. I rarely notice them when I look at my screen.
You will lose a bit of brightness when you place the privacy filter over your display. (Screen shown with the privacy filter over half of the monitor.) If you’re used to a radiant screen, you will probably want to turn your brightness settings up a step or two to match the old light level. Of course, turning up the backlight will reduce your average battery running time.
The privacy filter isn’t perfect. Here is a view of the display from 45 degrees to the left which is about the angle at which someone on an airplane would see your screen. Some of the image is still visible, but most of it is obscured. Click on the image to get a larger view.
The image completely disappears if the display is viewed at more than 45 degrees.
Pros:
- It works. Your display is obscured from view from a little over 45 degrees to the left and right.
- Easy to install and remove. Just place the plastic clips around the display and slide the filter in or out.
- Lots of standard sizes. Filters are available for both standard and widescreen formats for screens sized 12.1″ to 20.1″.
Cons:
- Partially viewable at about 45 degrees. The privacy filter would work great in a coffeehouse setting, but it’s not complete protection from nosy neighbors sitting right next to you.
- Reduced brightness. A filter will capture a bit of the light from your display. This might lead to reduced battery time if you turn up your backlight brightness.
- Cost. A 14.1″ filter cost me a hefty $60.
- No odd sizes. There are privacy filters to fit most monitor sizes, but if you have a sub-notebook, you’ll have to do a bit of trimming.
Sure, I may have listed more cons than pros, but I still recommend the 3M Computer Privacy Filter. (Those cons are mostly nit-picks.) It gets the job done, and I never have to think about annoying people watching me work. You might have some picture leakage if someone is sitting very close to you, but that person will only see about 20% of the actual screen.
You can find these privacy filters online or in any fine office supply store.
Tips for Traveling With a Laptop
In the Peace Corps, the most expensive gear I rolled with was a disposable camera. Nowadays, I have a dSLR, an iPod, and a Mac — all of which I take with me when I roam. I can take hundreds of pictures; upload them and edit them; and confirm driving directions online. However, the bulk of my traveling recently has been in-country, by car — with a secure trunk. I haven’t thumbed a ride in rural Africa with only a Plasti-Kase and an empty Coke bottle for a while. If I were to head back to the bush, I’m not certain hauling all that junk would be a good idea.
Travel Monkey agrees with me. According to him, “The hassle involved with taking a laptop on a long journey is simply not worth it unless you are in fact a journalist, writer or web/software developer.” If you are, indeed, a journalist, writer or web/software developer — or maybe a photographer — then you may want to consider toting your ‘top. If you do, be sure to check out Chris Mitchell’s 7 tips for taking a laptop traveling:
- Don’t take your laptop traveling if you can’t face losing it
- Get a decent laptop backpack (I have a Timberland)
- Store all your data on a USB thumb drive
- Backup
- Universal Adapters and Power Surge Protectors
- Keep A Clean Machine
- Move all your Email To Gmail
Good tips all, and I’ll be certain to tick off everyone of them before I shoot tiger sharks in the Bahamas this summer: Yes, I will be taking my laptop.