Back to Business ‘travel hacks’ to make your trip go smoother
Store documents on your phone
Before you leave home, digitally scan your passport, driver’s license, health card/insurance information, vaccination proof, and roadside assistance cards – and keep these images on your smartphone – in the event any or all of these are lost or stolen. You may need to scan the backs of these documents, too.
And if your smartphone becomes lost, stolen or damaged, make sure it’s locked with a password or PIN, and keep an extra copy of these scanned documents on a password-protected cloud account – so you can access them on another device.
Take a photo of your boarding pass
When checking into your flight online, opt for a boarding pass sent to your phone – whether it’s via text message, email or to be opened inside an app – but take a screen grab of your boarding pass on your phone to create an offline version, in case the Internet connection isn’t good at the airport you won’t hold everyone up behind you.
Download your entertainment ahead of time
Many streaming movie services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime allow you to download TV shows and movies to watch offline – so be sure to do this over your Wi-Fi before you leave on vacation. That way, you won’t incur any extra roaming charges.
Use TV’s USB for charging
If you left home without your smartphone plug but you still have the cable, plug it into the hotel room’s television and it will charge up your device. There should be a powered USB port on the side or back.
Charge with your AC plug, not USB
If you’re on an airplane or at an airport that has an option to charge your phone or tablet via USB port or AC plug, always use your AC plug (if you have it) as it can charge your device two to three times faster than USB.
Ditch the lobby, head for the second floor
Can’t find a spot to sit in the hotel lobby to browse the web on your device?
Most people don’t think to go to the second floor – sometimes referred to as a mezzanine – to find plenty of seating, quiet, and AC plugs, too.
Use a VPN
It’s safer to use your smartphone as a personal “hotspot” instead of using free public Wi-Fi, but if you absolutely must use the hotel or airline’s free Wi-Fi network, at least use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) app on your phone, tablet or laptop to remain anonymous to hackers while online.
Article Source: usatoday.com