Stay in Touch - iConnected: Use AirPlay, iCloud, Apps, and More to Bring Your Apple Devices Together - page 147

A neat solution when traveling to sunny countries (or at home if you get a lot of sun) is a solar
charger for your iOS devices and laptops. By harnessing the sun's rays, you can keep a device running
during the day without a plug socket. The $200 PowerMonkey Extreme from Power Traveller is
rugged enough to come along with you on any high-octane travels.
If you travel overseas, note that Apple's Mac and iPad charger blocks (but not the iPhone or iPod
ones) have detachable plugs, and you can buy the appropriate plugs for other parts of the world from
the Apple Store. Otherwise, you might invest in an international travel kit that has the various ad-
apters you might need. Or consider a device like the $20 Insten Universal World Wide Power Ad-
apter that connects to almost any wall socket you might encounter and lets you plug into almost any
plug type you may have.
Use portable speakers
AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers (see Chapter 3 ) aren't simply for your home. With the right
speaker, you can listen to music at high quality wherever you happen to be — even if you don't have a
power socket. Any battery-powered Bluetooth or AirPlay speaker is an ideal choice (as long as it fits
in your bag). You can also opt for a wired speaker that connects directly to your device's headphone
socket using a standard mini (3.5mm) connector.
An intriguing type of portable speaker harnesses its surroundings to play sound: You place them
on any flat surface and they vibrate that surface to turn it into a speaker. The results differ from sur-
face to surface and location to location but they could be a great option for travelers as they tend to
be compact. Such resonance speakers include Lava's $50 Mighty Dwarf .
Another great speaker for the traveling iOS user is the $120 Braven 570 .It's not only portable,
battery-powered, and able to connect via Bluetooth, but it can also charge your iOS devices while
streaming music. You charge its onboard battery pack before you travel, so you have it available as an
emergency power supply as well as a convenient way to listen to your music.
Get wireless accessories for travelers
When you're away from your desk, there are things you're bound to miss. A full-size keyboard is
one such item for many iPad users. Laptop users may yearn for a separate mouse or touchpad — I
know I do. Fortunately, there are ways to re-create the desktop experience while you're on the move.
Wireless keyboards are nothing new, and chances are you already use one with your computer. If
so, there's no reason not to take it with you when you're traveling with just your iPhone or iPad — as
long as it's a Bluetooth keyboard, of course. Apple's Bluetooth keyboard for the Mac works well with
the iPad, too. But Logitech's $70 Tablet Keyboard goes it one better, with special keys for iOS con-
trols such as the Home button and media playback. Plus it comes in a protective case that unfolds in-
to an iPad stand. Zagg's $100 Zaggfolio Case is similar but more stylish.
If you've taken your camera with you on holiday and need to offload images from its memory
card so you can carry on shooting, the obvious option is to send the photos to your laptop. But what if
you're on an iOS-only trip? One option is to use Apple's $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit for iOS
devices that use the old 30-pin Dock connector to transfer photos directly to your device's Camera
Roll via an SD Card or direct USB link to the camera. If your iOS device uses the new Lightning con-
nector, Apple sells the $29 USB Camera Adapter and the $29 SD Card Camera Reader separately.
If you want to send photos to the Internet such as to a social network or online photo processor
and you don't have a cellular iPad, you can use the Eye-Fi Wi-Fi memory card that connects to your