| Heading off for vacation? Here are my top 10 tips | | | | may not be destructive, if your camera gets |
| for a trouble-free high tech vacation - things to | | | | even a tiny amount of salt water inside, it's a |
| do before you leave and what to do while on | | | | goner. |
| vacation to protect and enjoy your gizmos and | | | | 6. Hold onto your cameras. Use the straps. I just |
| gadgets: | | | | lost a brand new digital camera. I was taking |
| 1. Unplug. Yeah, I know. That's what you hope to | | | | pictures of the grandkids and one of them ran by |
| do on your getaway. But give your gadgets a | | | | and bumped my arm. The camera fell to the |
| break, too. Unplug your computers and printers. | | | | cement, shattering the lens and the case. Use the |
| This protects them against power surges or | | | | strap that comes with the cameras. Wrap them |
| nearby lightning strikes while you're away. Same | | | | around your hand or neck. |
| with your cable modem, router and wireless hub. | | | | 7. Think storage. Make sure you have a big |
| 2. Auto-respond your work e-mail and phone. If | | | | enough memory card to store all the pictures you |
| you use Microsoft Outlook through an exchange | | | | take. I'd suggest a minimum of 512 MB to hold |
| server at work, go into options and compose an | | | | around 125 good-quality pictures. A 1GB card holds |
| auto response that tells people you will be out of | | | | around 250 images. |
| the office for a while and won't be answering | | | | The only thing worse than forgetting the charger |
| them. Give them someone at work they can | | | | and running out of juice is not being able to take |
| contact in your absence. Do the same with your | | | | more pictures because the memory is full. With |
| voice mail at work. | | | | camcorders, bring along extra miniDV tapes. |
| 3. Don't advertise that nobody's home. Work is | | | | 8. Bring a laptop For one thing, you can transfer |
| one thing. But don't put a "we're not here" | | | | some of those photos to your laptop and free up |
| message on your home phone. Just like piles of | | | | more memory. But for another, the laptop is |
| mail in the mailbox tell thieves nobody's home, so | | | | great for reviewing the pictures at the end of |
| can a home answering machine that tells anyone | | | | each day. Create a slide show of the day's |
| who calls that you're on vacation. Instead, keep | | | | highlights. Looking over the pictures is a great |
| the same recorded message but make sure you | | | | way to pass time on a rainy day. Besides, most |
| have the playback code so you can check for | | | | resorts and hotels now offer free Internet |
| messages from another phone. | | | | hookups. If not, a library or Starbucks offers |
| 4. Pack your chargers. For your cell phone, your | | | | wireless access so you can send family and |
| camcorder, your digital camera and your iPod. | | | | friends a picture or check e-mail. |
| Some people even bring along an extra power | | | | 9. Bring Ziploc bags for the beach. Sand can cause |
| strip so you don't hog all the outlets at your | | | | almost as many problems as water. When you |
| vacation getaway. | | | | take your iPod and mobile phone and other |
| 5. Stay away from the water. Not you, but your | | | | gizmos to the beach, keep them in those clear |
| gadgets. I have a friend who bought a camcorder | | | | bags that can be sealed to protect the outside |
| for a Florida vacation. At Sea World, Shamu | | | | from getting in. And don't keep them in the sun |
| jumped and he thought he got a great shot of his | | | | for long periods of time. |
| kid getting splashed. The problem was, so did the | | | | 10. Create a vacation blog. Remember when we |
| camera. It was ruined. | | | | used to go over to friend's homes to see |
| Salt water is the worst for electronic devices. | | | | vacation pictures projected on a screen? Now we |
| And while a mild fresh water or rain exposure | | | | blog it. |