Cool
toys bring a smile... |
Motorcycles | Computers | Cameras | Cell Phones/Connectivity | Travelogue How-To | Software
Check out the new travel gear column I'm writing for the Wild Writing Women magazine.
Motorcycles... the older they get, the more interesting they become. Coddle them, warm them up, give them frequent breaks, keep them covered up in the rain, and you may convince them to go along on your adventures. Take them slowly along the backroads and make sure they enjoy the ride. Adore them when they're cranky and they'll make you a better woman, with grease under your fingernails and a vocabulary that includes phrases like low-end compression and tappet clack. And with that, you'll be able to hold your own, anywhere in the world.
Click here for more detailed information on the Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle, the Chinese Chang Jiang Chinese sidecar motorcycle, India's Royal Enfield Bullet, and Italy's Moto Guzzi.
I started tinkering with computers in the late 70's when they were huge machines in air conditioned rooms at companies like Fairchild and IBM. Sometimes I flash on that when I toss my two pound Sony VAIO in my day pack and take off. I still love the VAIO, but have been seduced by the iBook and System X. Advantages? All-in-one design (no dongles, separate CD-Rom drives, etc.) and cool stuff like iPhoto for automated download and organization of digital photos. This section also has information and reviews of other cool travel gadgets, like electronical vehical compass and a portable power inverter.
I still lug my Canon 35mm with me but I send the film home to be developed later. I love having slides for shows, and I won't go totally digital until the price of projectors for digital images comes way down. But the quality of the images I get from today's digital camera's continues to go up, beyond the quality necessary for beautiful pictures on the web. And you can't beat digital imaging for immediate gratification!
International Cell Phones & Connectivity
Cell phone rentals in Europe, satellite cell phones for extremely remote adventures, data transfer and connectivity hardware and software. It's all easy now.
There are lots of software and Web services that makes creating a web page, even while traveling, a snap. Here's a list of tools and services I use, from Web page layout programs to remote backup services.
How to Create Your Own Online Travelogue
Going on the road? Here's a guide to equipment and procedures, a real 'how-to' checklist.
TeleAdapt
adapters/converters for laptops
RoadPost cell phone & connectivity software
iBook Sony VAIO laptop computer
Olympus 4000 digital camera
