Insights For Success

Strategy, Innovation, Leadership and Security

Best Of

List of travel items I like

TravellingEdward Kiledjian
Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons License

Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons License

I write about travel items because I love them. Instead of a review, I wanted to list some of my favorite travel items. These aren't just random items I found on the internet, these are things that I bought and use regularly. Remember I spent most of my career travelling (over 1M miles) so you know these are good.

  1. Best Carry-On bag : RedOxx Airboss 
  2. Best packing cubes : Eagle Creek Packing Cubes
  3. Best Travel Toiletry Kit : Eagle Creek Pack-It Wallaby 
  4. Best Noise Cancelling Headphones: Bose QC25
  5. Best Noise Isolating earphones: Etymotic ER-4 MicroPro 
  6. Best short Travel USB/Lightning cables: Nomad NomadKey
  7. Best Small Bluetooth travel speaker : Logitech UE Mini 
  8. Best portable travel power strip with USB: Belking
  9. Best travel portable water bottle: Vapur 
  10. Best waterproof point and shoot : Olympus TG-4 
  11. Best portable camera : Sony a6000

 

My 6 best Android apps

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Image by JD Hancock used under Creative Commons License

Image by JD Hancock used under Creative Commons License

The Google Play Android App store has over 1M apps but there are a handful of apps I found really useful in 2014 and they tend to be the first apps on a new phone and the apps I use most often.

1 - Drippler

Drippler is a neat little app that provides  reviews, tech tips, updates and app recommendations in a well designed easy to use Android app. This app is a must for anyone interested in Android.

Drippler will provide tips and app suggestions based on the device it is running on. It's simple and straight forward.

Get Drippler from Google Play here (link)

2 - Slice: Online Shopping Tracker

Slice is a helper app for anyone that makes purchases online (and who doesn't). At it's core, it is a fantastically full featured package deliver tracker that has push capabilities (no more checking 5 online package tracking websites). It supports most major US package delivery carriers such as : USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac, Lasership, Prestige, Ensenda, and more

In addition to tracking packages, it tracks recalls to see if anything you bought has been recalled or if the price has dropped (helping you claim under price match policies).

If you are in the US and use Android, you should download this now. 

Get Slice from Google Play here (link)

3 - Agent - do not disturb & more

Anyone that has met me in the last year, that uses a non Motorola Android device has heard me recommend this app. It is a must. Everyone that tries this app loves it.

It basically gives you some of the functionality that has made Motorola phones so popular. It is a smart background agent that automatically changes phones settings to save battery, prevent distracted driving, remembers where you parked, silence your phone when you are in meetings or sleeping (except for urgent calls), etc.

The Drive Agent is triggered by your cars bluetooth connection or by the motion of your car. It can be configured to read your SMSs, allow you to respond by voice or auto-respond to callers/texting letting them know you can't answer now because you are driving.

The Battery Agent is triggered when your battery drops below a certain threshold and allows you to turn off blutooth, dim the screen, etc. Everything comes back to "normal" when you charge your device automagically. 

Meeting Agent knows when you are busy (based on your calendar) and then switches your phone to either silent or vibrate. You can specify your work week (days/hours) so it only applies during these windows. 

Sleeping Agent allows you to automatically silence your phone when sleeping. You can configure different times for different days. It can auto-respond to callers/texters letting them know you are sleeping. You can specify which contacts can "wake" you. 

Get Agent from Google Play here (link)

4 - Time Hop 

There was a fantastic online picture storage service (now gone) called Everpix. One of the coolest features they had was a flashback feature where you received an email everyday highlighting a picture from that day a week ago, a month ago, a year ago, etc. It was a great way to relive some of your past moments captured in photos.

Time Hop is a similar concept except it does this for all your social media networks. It brings back this day from your past by surfacing posts and pictures from your various networks: Phone, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Foursquare. 

Get Time Hop from Google Play here (link).

5 - Lastpass

With all the hacks and breaches, you should already be using long unique passwords for each internet site you are registered with. Obviously keeping all of those in your head doesn't work otherwise your passwords aren't unique enough. Enter LastPass. It is a fantastic cross platform password manager that costs just $12 a year.

6 - Evernote

I love Evernote and everyone should have it, use it and love it. 

The secret to amazing handwriting on an iPad

technologyEdward Kiledjian
jot_Script_1.png

Most stylus' have large tips which result in imprecise device interaction and an ugly overall user experience. Evernote wants more people to use its services and partnered with renown stylus designer Adonit to build the best stylus money can buy.

Here is the Adonit Jot Script for Evernote

jot_Script_2.png

This is a bluetooth connected pen with an incredibly fine tip

jot_Script_3.png

The pen was designed to work with Evernote's Penultimate app with advanced palm detection technology. I can't stress how important palm rejection is. Palm rejection means you can rest your hand on the screen while writing and the software is intelligent enough to disregard it. Because my Nexus 7 doesn't have it, it is impossible to do "good" handwriting on it.

Before you panic though, Adonit is making the enhanced functionality available to third party developers through its developer kit (I expect most ipad apps to include this going forward). 

Because the pen's advanced powers come from its Bluetooth connection, it needs juice and that juice comes from a user replaceable AAA battery.  

The Stylus can be ordered today (but will ship early November) for $75. 

Evernote says. Mobile auteurs can buy the stylus today for $75, and the corresponding Penultimate app is available for free.

You can pre-order it from Adonit  or from the Evernote Marketplace.