Summer vacation may be fun for you, but it can be hard on your tech gadgets. I can’t tell you how many calls I get each summer about cell phones dropped into the pool or — this one just last week – an iPhone, wrapped in a hotel towel and buried in the sand near a resort, along with a room key. When my customer came back from a dip in the ocean, the towel and the key were still there, but his brand new iPhone was gone.
I have lost count of the number times I have dried out someone’s smart phone or laptop.
The best advice I can give you, for most vacations, is to leave your essential gear at home and enjoy your vacation instead of worrying about your tech gear.
However, if you must take your tech along, there are a few things you can do before you take off to make protect yourself.
First, backup. Make a complete backup of everything on your phone, laptop or tablet. I will say this again: Back it up. If your item is lost, stolen or damaged, you can replace it; but you can never replace the stuff on it.
Next, Prey. Prey is an anti-theft website that can help you track your phone, laptop or tablet for free, if it is ever stolen or lost. The service is easy to use and if you can track up to three items at no cost. There are cases of Prey users who were able to get pictures and the address of the person using their stolen equipment, and in such cases the police are able to make an arrest and retrieve your stuff.
Then, make a list. Take pictures of your tech items including their serial numbers, and keep them, together with a list, in a free online storage account (such as DropBox) so you can access it anywhere. I carry several items when traveling so having the list of serial numbers, identifying marks, and pictures gives me a fighting chance for recovery. Also, if you can safely remove the back of the item and scratch your name, cell number and “REWARD,” it can’t hurt.
In the bag. Get one right-sized bag for carrying all the cords and tech gear you need so that they are in one place and you can find everything quickly. When you use a power cord to charge your phone, make sure it goes back in the bag after afterward so that it is not left behind. (Just for fun, ask a hotel concierge someday how many phone charger cords have been left by guests. He’ll show you a trunkful.)
Avoid putting cameras and phones in outside pockets of bags, yes they are easy for you to get to but also easy for someone else to grab from outside pocket as well.
Data Security on the Road
Smart Wi-Fi. Taking your laptop on vacation? Need to check email while away? Be careful where you access the internet what you do while connected. Not only is your laptop more likely to be stolen on vacation, your bank account information and email are easily cracked in the places vacationers tend to use.
One of the most dangerous things you can do, whether on vacation or in your home town, is to log into your bank account from a public Wi-Fi area. We all love going to a coffee shop to check our email or get Facebook updates, but this is how you open yourself to exposure and possible identity theft. Someone in the coffee shop, or sitting outside in a car, may be waiting to grab your username and password, and you’re unlikely to notice them.
If you need to get email or check your bank account, do it from within your hotel room, using the wired (plugged) connection provided there. It’s a good idea to keep a couple of six-foot Ethernet cables in your laptop bag for just such occasions. Not every hotel will have Ethernet cables available to borrow.
If you must use a wireless connection, it is better to do banking or check email from your smartphone using your wireless carrier’s data plan. Turn off the Wi-Fi on your device and instead connect via your built-in carrier. This isn’t perfect protection, but at least this signal has some chance of being more secure. Keep in mind you may pay extra fees for doing this depending, on the terms of your data plan and where you are traveling.
H2-Uh-Oh
Beach? Lake? Remember that water and sand will kill electronics, and salt water will give them a particularly nasty death. Sand that gets into the space around your home button on your “I” devices may never come out; sand in your power connector can cause your device to malfunction and even short out. Too much direct sunlight can force iPads to overheat and shut down. I recommend you take a book; but if you must take your electronic device to the beach, you may want to try some of the products listed below.
DryCase is available for almost all devices, and it is waterproof-certified to 100 feet. This is simple, great protection.
ChefSleeve is intended to protect iPads from messy cooks in busy kitchens, but it can keep your screen safe from other kinds of splashing as well.
Food Storage Bag. In a pinch, get quick protection from a low-tech, one-gallon Ziploc™ bag. Be aware, this can have negative effects on your equipment so make sure drop in a desiccant packet. (It’s a good idea to keep these handy; collect them from your consumer and technology purchases.) Keep a bagged device out of direct sunlight as condensation will form in the bag and, as you know, moisture can damage your device. If you don’t have desiccant packets, turn your device off, wrap it in a paper towel, put it in the plastic bag, and hide it in a shady area. Check it periodically to make sure the towel is not damp (i.e., no water has developed inside the bag).
Worst Case Scenario
If you drop your phone or tablet in the water, turn it off; or if it is off, do not try to turn it back on. If possible, remove the back and take out the battery; then put the phone into a bowl of uncooked rice (an effective natural absorbent) right away. Take the phone apart – as far as you can without using a screw driver. Usually this means taking off the back and the battery. Normally, you can dry the battery with a towel and it should be okay; but the phone (or other device) needs to be surrounded by rice for three to four days before you put the battery back in and try to start it up.
Do not use a blow dryer or heat gun to try to dry out your gear, the heat can cause damage to your devices.
If you drop your device in the sand, get a can of compressed air for electronics (available at any office supply store and many drug stores) and blow out all of the open ports on your device before you try to plug it in.
Keep in mind that your smartphone, tablet or laptop will not be very easy to read in the sun. Although your e-reader may be designed to work in sunlight, it should be protected the in same way as any other tablet or device.
(By the way, these guidelines apply to snow as well.)
Have a safe summer and if you run into any problems, please call us. We can help.